The oasis landscape, with a mix of high- and low-water use plants, provided the best of both worlds – lower irrigation water requirements than the mesic site but more daytime cooling than the xeric landscape. Air temperatures in the xeric landscape plot averaged 3 oC (5.4 oF) higher than in the other two landscape types. The site with xeric (desert) landscaping had the lowest irrigation water requirement but the highest temperatures. However, the mesic site also had the lowest surface and air temperatures, both in the daytime and nighttime, thus creating better conditions for outdoor thermal comfort. The sites were located around buildings in an experimental study area at ASU in Phoenix.Īs expected, the mesic (tree and turf-grass) landscape showed the highest water consumption rate. The three landscape types analyzed in the study were a “mesic” tree and turf-grass landscape with water-intensive plants a “xeric” landscape consisting primarily of desert plants on drip irrigation and an intermediate “oasis” landscape type with a mix of high-and low water use plants. Then, they compared air temperature, surface temperature, and wind speed around the three sites to learn how differences in landscape types impact their surrounding environment. In a new study in the journal Hydrology, a team of scientists from DRI, Arizona State University (ASU), and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), examined the irrigation water requirements of three common types of urban landscapes. But, will this change from turf-grass to other landscaping types result in other unintended climate impacts in urban areas, such as increased air or surface temperatures? As Las Vegas and other Southwestern cities look for ways to reduce water use during a historic drought, the removal of grass lawns and other areas of “nonfunctional turf” has been recommended by the Southern Nevada Water Authority and written into Nevada state law with AB356.
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