Hypernatural Piedmont prairies: a screening process for optimum placement

Abstract

Limited information is available on the optimum placement of designed plant communities that reference the historic Piedmont prairies of southeastern North America. Characterized as “a hybrid of horticulture and ecology,” a designed plant communities approach looks to naturally occurring plant associations for both aesthetic inspiration and guidance on ideal environmental conditions and plant composition. Designed plant communities are not intended to be facsimiles of native plant communities and are not ecological restorations. Through semi-novel plant combinations and plant selection aimed at creating vibrant multi-season bloom events for continual visual interest, these hypernatural plantings emphasize public enjoyment. Through the incorporation of the plants’ natural tendencies, however, designed plant communities can also provide ease of maintenance in tough environments and various ecological benefits. This study was conducted to identify optimum locations for the installation of hypernatural Piedmont prairie plantings in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia. Using ArcMap, the authors employed an exclusion and screening process based on the environmental factors identified in literature related to the restoration of natural Piedmont prairies, in addition to logistics related to their implementation within Athens-Clarke County (with appropriate locations limited to public or institutional properties). Appropriate variables were selected and combined to map candidate sites. The process identified 128 ha (318 ac) for hypernatural Piedmont prairie conversion in the county. Suitable locations range from dense urban areas to outlying rural parcels and included power line easements, open parklands, and roadsides. The process was designed to be easily replicated for other Piedmont locations where hypernatural Piedmont prairie plantings are desired.