Study eyes planting vines as remedy for urban heat Perhaps trees aren’t theonlygreensolu- tionwhenit comes tocoolingurbanspaces and reducing energy costs. Honeysuckle, Virginia creeper, pink trumpet and other vines couldbe a fast-growing substitute in climate-smart cities of the future. itor at least 10 types of vines on trellises in five locations indifferent climate zones over three years. California Department of Food and Agriculture is administering the grant.
“Vines can quickly shade buildings and reduce energy consumption while trees slowly grow to maturity,” said Alessandro Ossola, an assistant profes- sor of plant sciences who is a principal investigator for the project. “We believe vines can be an effective and cheapmea- sure to help cities accelerating climate change adaptation.” The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service will fundwork to plant andmon-
the need for irrigated water. “In addition to rapid growth rates, vines can be easi ly integrated with s t ruc tures to max imi ze potent i a l cooling effects,” said Loren Oki, a UC Cooperative Extension specialist with the Department of Plant Sciences, who is the project lead. “But we need to un- derstand the relationships between low water-use plants and their ability to re- duce thermal loads on buildings.” Two r e s e a r c h s i t e s w i l l b e i n California, with one each in Arizona, Utah and Washington. The vines will be planted, support- ed by a trellis and watered regularly during the first growing season to es- tablish deep roots and healthy shoots. Over the next two years, the vines will experience low, moderate and high wa- ter allocations. The vines will be rated on aesthetics, foliage quality, floral quantity, pest and disease resistance, appearance and other factors. Thermal images of trellis coverage and other environmental mea- surements will also be taken to assess shading and cooling potential, accord- ing to grant documents. Many vines can be grown along cables and wire nets that are actually detached fromwalls to avoiddirect contact and still provide shade, Ossola said. “We want to understand which vine characteristics relate to fast growth, re- ducedwater use and increased aesthetic appeal,” he added. The findings will enable recommen- dations to be developed for regions, planners, landscapers and the public. It could lead to plants being designated as “water-wise,” “low-water use,” “ener- gy-saving” or “cooling.” Extensive engagement and outreach will also publicize the information. “Climate change is a great opportunity for the horticultural industry to innovate and promote climate-ready plant pro- ductions,” Ossola said. USDA funding supports research across state lines to find innovative solu- tions to regional and national problems, Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA undersecre- tary for marketing and regulatory pro- grams, said in a statement announcing this and other grants. “This year ’s funded projects wi l l address a range of those challenges, from energy and water saving in vine plants, finding cost-effective solutions for heat tolerance and drought, to ad- dressing food safety risks for produce,” Moffitt said. Scient ists from the Universi ty of Arizona, University of Washington, Utah State University and the South Coast Research and Extension Center a t UC Ag r i c u l t u r a l and Na t u r a l Resources are contributing to the re- search and will be overseeing vine sites in their states. ( T h i s a r t i c l e w a s o r i g i n a l l y published by the College of Agriculture a n d En v i r o nme n t a l S c i e n c e a t University of California, Davis.)
Water conservation will be vital as populations rise, climate extremes be- come more prevalent and the demand for agricultural and drinking water in- creases. The goal of this research is to identify vines that can help save en- ergy by providing cooling and reduce
Researchers from the University of California, Davis, are leading a near- ly $880,000 federal grant to study how vines may provide cooling and shade in Western states in less time than it takes a tree to grow tall.
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