Sustainable soft and solid native landscape for arid and semi-arid regions
11903352 ยท 2024-02-20
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
A01G13/0262
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A01G20/00
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
Abstract
Applying sustainable approaches in the landscape of public and private projects in a desert region (arid or semi-arid regions such as Saudi Arabia) is crucial to preserve natural resources such as water. It is possible to design a desert public university campus to save 82% of water consumption while having a modern landscape. This modern landscape is more acceptable to the campus population than a traditional desert landscape. This is a sustainable native soft and solid landscape for usage in public and private spaces in arid and semi-arid regions. It supports the national and international direction towards transforming into green societies while saving natural resources, i.e., water. Decision-makers, landscape engineers, agriculture engineers, architects' engineers, and any interested person or specialist organization can design their own ideas landscapes following the soft and solid materials quantities and ratios herein with approximately 2.26 L/m.sup.2 water consumption rate.
Claims
1. A method for promoting water conservation using a sustainable landscape, comprising: retrofitting a 30 m.sup.230 m.sup.2 surface area of desert retrofitted with amounts of soft and solid materials sufficient to reduce water consumption of plants in the area by up to 82% per day; and maintaining the appearance of a landscaped area, the soft materials in the area of desert comprising native plants comprising, in percentage of area covered: 2% palm, 5% trees, 5% shrubs and succulents, 32% groundcover and climbers, and 3% grass; and the solid materials in the area of desert comprising, in percentage of area covered: 16% mulch and natural gravel; 16% natural stone; and 21% interlock.
2. The method for promoting water conservation as recited in claim 1, wherein the palm is Phoenix dactylifera.
3. The method for promoting water conservation as recited in claim 1, wherein the trees comprise Albizia lebbeck, Azadirachta indica, Ziziphus spina, Hibiscus tiliaceus, and Pithecellobium dulce.
4. The method for promoting water conservation as recited in claim 1, wherein the shrubs and succulents comprise Cassia Glauca, Bougainvillea, V itex agnus, Plumeria obtusa, Aloe perfoliate var. vera, AgavaAmericana, and yucca.
5. The method for promoting water conservation as recited in claim 1, wherein the groundcover and climbers comprise Alternanthera, Gazania Grandifloura, and Wedelia florida.
6. The method for promoting water conservation as recited in claim 1, wherein the grass is grass CL-2000.
7. The method for promoting water conservation as recited in claim 1, consisting of 2 Phoenix dactylifera, 3 Albizia lebbeck, 3 Azadirachta indica, 3 Ziziphus spina, 3 Hibiscus tiliaceus, 3 Pithecellobium dulce, 5 Cassia Glauca, 6 Bougainvillea, 5 V itex agnus, 6 Plumeria obtusa, 15 Aloe perfoliate var. vera, 15 AgavaAmericana, 15 yucca, 22 m.sup.2 of 20 m.sup.2 of Alternanthera, 20 m.sup.2 of Gazania Grandifloura, 20 m.sup.2 of Wedelia florida, 20 m.sup.2 of grass CL-2000, 150 m.sup.2 of mulch, 150 m.sup.2 of natural gravel, 20 m.sup.2 of natural stone, and 190 m.sup.2 of interlock.
8. The method for promoting water conservation as recited in claim 1, wherein the sustainable landscape consumes 2030 liters of water per day.
9. The method for promoting water conservation as recited in claim 1, wherein the sustainable landscape consumes 2.26 liters of water per m.sup.2.
10. A method for reducing water consumption of plants in a 3030 m.sup.2 area of a sustaintable landscape by up to 82% per day while maintaining the appearance of a landscaped area and promoting water conservation, comprising: selecting a 30.sup.230 m.sup.2 surface area of desert; retrofitting the selected surface area of desert with amounts of soft and solid materials sufficient to reduce water consumption of plants in the surface area of desert by up to 82% per day; and maintaining the appearance of a landscaped area promoting water conservation, wherein the soft materials in the surface area of desert comprise plants comprising, in percentage of area covered: 2% palm, 5% trees, 5% shrubs and succulents, 32% groundcover and climbers, and 3% grass; and wherein the solid materials in the surface area of desert comprise, in percentage of area covered: 16% mulch and natural gravel, 16% natural stone, and 21% interlock.
11. The method for reducing water consumption as recited in claim 10, wherein the palm is Phoenix dactylifera.
12. The method for reducing water consumption as recited in claim 10, wherein the trees comprise Albizia lebbeck, Azadirachta indica, Ziziphus spina, Hibiscus tiliaceus, and Pithecellobium dulce.
13. The method for reducing water consumption as recited in claim 10, wherein the shrubs and succulents comprise Cassia Glauca, Bougainvillea, V itex agnus, Plumeria obtusa, Aloe perfoliate var. vera, AgavaAmericana, and yucca.
14. The method for reducing water consumption as recited in claim 10, wherein the groundcover and climbers comprise Alternanthera, Gazania Grandifloura, and Wedelia florida.
15. The method for reducing water consumption as recited in claim 10, wherein the grass is grass CL-2000.
16. The method for reducing water consumption as recited in claim 10, wherein the amounts of soft and solid materials sufficient to reduce water consumption of plants in the surface area of desert consist of 2 Phoenix dactylifera, 3 Albizia lebbeck, 3 Azadirachta indica, 3 Ziziphus spina, 3 Hibiscus tiliaceus, 3 Pithecellobium dulce, 5 Cassia Glauca, 6 Bougainvillea, 5 V itex agnus, 6 Plumeria obtusa, 15 Aloe perfoliate var. vera, 15 AgavaAmericana, 15 yucca, 22 m.sup.2 of 20 m.sup.2 of Alternanthera, 20 m.sup.2 of Gazania Grandifloura, 20 m.sup.2 of Wedelia florida, 20 m.sup.2 of grass CL-2000, 150 m.sup.2 of mulch, 150 m.sup.2 of natural gravel, 75 m.sup.2 of natural stone, and 190 m.sup.2 of interlock.
17. The method for reducing water consumption as recited in claim 10, wherein the sustainable landscape consumes 2030 liters of water per day.
18. The method for reducing water consumption as recited in claim 10, wherein the sustainable landscape consumes 2.26 liters of water per m.sup.2.
19. A system for sustainable landscape promoting water conservation using a sustainable landscape, comprising: a 30 m.sup.230 m.sup.2 surface area of desert retrofitted with amounts of soft and solid materials sufficient to reduce water consumption of plants in the area by up to 82% per day while maintaining the appearance of a landscaped area, the soft materials in the area of desert comprising plants consisting of, in percentage of area covered: 2% palm made up of 2 Phoenix dactylifera, 5% trees made up of 3 Albizia lebbeck, 3 Azadirachta indica, 3 Ziziphus spina, 3 Hibiscus tiliaceus, and 3 Pithecellobium dulce, 5% shrubs and succulents made up of 5 Cassia Glauca, 6 Bougainvillea, 5 V itex agnus, 6 Plumeria obtusa, 15 Aloe perfoliate var. vera, 15 AgavaAmericana, and 15 yucca, 32% groundcover and climbers made up of 22 m.sup.2 of 20 m.sup.2 of Alternanthera, 20 m.sup.2 of Gazania Grandifloura, and 20 m.sup.2 of Wedelia florida, and 3% grass made up of 20 m.sup.2 of grass CL-2000; and the solid materials in the area of desert comprising, in percentage of area covered: 16% mulch and natural gravel made up of 150 m.sup.2 of mulch and 150 m.sup.2 of natural gravel, 16% natural stone made up of 75 m.sup.2 of natural stone, and 21% interlock made up of 190 m.sup.2 of interlock.
20. The system for promoting water conservation as recited in claim 19, wherein the sustainable landscape consumes 2030 liters of water per day.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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(9) Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
(10) The following definitions are provided for the purpose of understanding the present subject matter and for construing the appended patent claims.
(11) Definitions
(12) It should be understood that the drawings described above or below are for illustration purposes only. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the present teachings. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present teachings in any way.
(13) Throughout the application, where compositions are described as having, including, or comprising specific components, or where processes are described as having, including, or comprising specific process steps, it is contemplated that compositions of the present teachings can also consist essentially of, or consist of, the recited components, and that the processes of the present teachings can also consist essentially of, or consist of, the recited process steps.
(14) It is noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms a, an, and the include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
(15) In the application, where an element or component is said to be included in and/or selected from a list of recited elements or components, it should be understood that the element or component can be any one of the recited elements or components, or the element or component can be selected from a group consisting of two or more of the recited elements or components. Further, it should be understood that elements and/or features of a composition or a method described herein can be combined in a variety of ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present teachings, whether explicit or implicit herein.
(16) The use of the terms include, includes, including, have, has, or having should be generally understood as open-ended and non-limiting unless specifically stated otherwise.
(17) The use of the singular herein includes the plural (and vice versa) unless specifically stated otherwise. In addition, where the use of the term about is before a quantitative value, the present teachings also include the specific quantitative value itself, unless specifically stated otherwise. As used herein, the term about refers to a 10% variation from the nominal value unless otherwise indicated or inferred.
(18) The term optional or optionally means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances in which it does not.
(19) Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the presently described subject matter pertains.
(20) Where a range of values is provided, for example, concentration ranges, percentage ranges, or ratio ranges, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limit of that range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range, is encompassed within the described subject matter. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included in the smaller ranges, and such embodiments are also encompassed within the described subject matter, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included in the described subject matter.
(21) Throughout the application, descriptions of various embodiments use comprising language. However, it will be understood by one of skill in the art, that in some specific instances, an embodiment can alternatively be described using the language consisting essentially of or consisting of.
(22) For purposes of better understanding the present teachings and in no way limiting the scope of the teachings, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities, percentages or proportions, and other numerical values used in the specification and claims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term about. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained. At the very least, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.
(23) The present subject matter relates to a xeriscaping approach for landscaping in arid or semi-arid regions promoting the effective use of water by including plants with low water requirements. In addition, natural plant species suitable for arid or semi-arid climates are used in the design because they require less watering after the completion of regulation work or do not require additional irrigation, except for natural rainfall. The main aim of the present approach is to protect water resources by minimizing water use.
(24) The main aim of the xeriscape landscape design approach is to protect water resources by minimizing water use. The water-efficient landscape design (xeriscape) includes water-demanding crop plants and water-saving alternative irrigation methods, mulching, etc. Xeriscape (low-water-use landscaping) has held the promise of significant water savings for several years. The purpose of xeriscaping is to achieve low garden maintenance measured by less watering, less fertilizer and pesticides, less weeding, and less mowing. The benefits of xeriscaping include reducing water waste; using minimum efficient irrigation and fertilizer usage; reducing maintenance time; water requirements being low; reducing pollution; making a healthy environment by removing acres of sod; gas-powered mowers will not require the moisture; reducing heat islands to improve sustainable requirements; and improving the community's overall look.
(25) Accordingly, in one embodiment, the present subject matter relates to an urban landscaping method that achieves a crucial requirement goal in water conservation. The present subject matter demonstrates the value of xeriscaping as a practical approach to water conservation in urban desert regions and similar urban regions.
(26) In one embodiment, the present subject matter relates to a sustainable landscape promoting water conservation, comprising: an about 3030 m.sup.2 surface area of desert retrofitted with amounts of soft and solid materials sufficient to reduce water consumption of plants in the area by up to 82% per day while maintaining the appearance of a landscaped area, the soft materials in the area of desert comprising plants comprising, in percentage of area covered: about 2% palm, about 5% trees, about 5% shrubs and succulents, about 32% groundcover and climbers, and about 3% grass; and the solid materials in the area of desert comprising, in percentage of area covered: about 16% mulch and natural gravel; about 16% natural stone; and about 21% interlock.
(27) In an embodiment, the palm used in the present xeriscaping/landscaping is Phoenix dactylifera. In another embodiment, the trees used in the present xeriscaping/landscaping comprise Albizia lebbeck, Azadirachta indica, Ziziphus spina, Hibiscus tiliaceus, and Pithecellobium dulce. In a further embodiment, the shrubs and succulents used in the present xeriscaping/landscaping comprise Cassia Glauca, Bougainvillea, V itex agnus, Plumeria obtusa, Aloe perfoliate var. vera, AgavaAmericana, and yucca. Similarly, in one more embodiments, the groundcover and climbers used in the present xeriscaping/landscaping comprise Alternanthera, Gazania Grandifloura, and Wedelia florida, while the grass is grass CL-2000.
(28) In this regard, in an embodiment, the sustainable landscape promoting water conservation can consist of 2 Phoenix dactylifera plants, 3 Albizia lebbeck plants, 3 Azadirachta indica plants, 3 Ziziphus spina plants, 3 Hibiscus tiliaceus plants, 3 Pithecellobium dulce plants, Cassia Glauca plants, 6 Bougainvillea plants, 5 V itex agnus plants, 6 Plumeria obtusa plants, Aloe perfoliate var. vera plants, 15 AgavaAmericana plants, 15 yucca plants, 22 m.sup.2 of surface area covered by Alternanthera, 20 m.sup.2 of surface area covered by Gazania Grandifloura, 20 m.sup.2 of surface area covered by Wedelia florida, 20 m.sup.2 of surface area covered by grass CL-2000, 150 m.sup.2 of surface area covered by mulch, 150 m.sup.2 of surface area covered by natural gravel, 75 m.sup.2 of surface area covered by natural stone, and 190 m.sup.2 of surface area covered by interlock.
(29) Using the present xeriscaping strategy can result in a sustainable landscape promoting water conservation that consumes only 2030 liters of water per day. Taken another way, the present xeriscaping strategy can result in a sustainable landscape that consumes only 2.26 liters of water per m.sup.2, as compared to the existing average water consumption of 15.1 liters of water per m.sup.2 (L/m.sup.2 of water).
(30) The present teachings are illustrated by the following example.
EXAMPLE
(31) An experimental approach was conducted at King Faisal University (KFU), Al-Ahsa, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, classified as an arid region, with the following steps: 1Identify the total green area within the KFU university landscape layout campus which was 118.640 m.sup.2 with water consumption of 3911 m.sup.3/day. 2Select four study experiments with a total area of 31,750 m.sup.2 representing about 27% of the total KFU landscape layout to apply different designs for the xeriscaping landscape concept instead of the existing conventional landscape. 3Monitor the four experiments and the results through physical experts and a Supervisory
(32) Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system within one year. 4Account for the total water consumption for the four experimental areas before the study which was 408.8 m.sup.3/day, which was compared with the total water consumption for the four experimental areas after applying the xeriscaping study approach which became 241.4 m.sup.3/day. 5Classify the items of xeriscaping landscape design which achieved the lowest water consumption.
These steps are discussed in more detail as follows.
(33) Study Field Experiment 1: Parking 14 Landscape
(34) The Previous Situation for Parking 14 Landscape Area
(35) This study field experiment location is beside the campus male and female student dormitories with an area of 1371 m.sup.2. It finishes in tender design containing terrazzo tiles. The hardscape for pavement and softscape items were:
(36) Palms: phoenix dactylifera;
(37) Trees: tabebula ayrea, cassia indosa, and schhinus molle;
(38) Shrubs: hibiscus rosa-sinensis; muraya panuclaya, canna indica, caesalpennia pulcherrima, durantya rebins;
(39) Succulents: agave americana, yucca aloforia prostrata;
(40) Groundcover and climber: carissa grandiflora, gazanianivea, bougainyilla glabra mixed color, citecressa purpurea; and
(41) Grass: cynodon dactylon; with total 45.814 L (45.8m.sup.3) of water consumption.
(42) Applying Xeriscape for Parking 14 Landscape Area
(43) The layout design employed contained palms: phoenix dactylifera; trees: tabebula ayrea, cassia indosa, and schhinus molle; shrubs: hibiscus rosa-sinensis; muraya panuclaya, canna indica, caesalpennia pulcherrima, durantya rebins; Succulents: agave americana, yucca aloforia prostrata; groundcover and climber: gazania nivea, bougainyilla glabra mixed color, citecressa purpurea, and carissa grandiflora; grass: cynodon dactylon; hard material: mulch, natural gravel, natural stone, and interlock, with a total/day of 33.478 L (33.5 m.sup.3) of water consumption with around a 27% water consumption reduction.
(44) The Parking 14 landscape with an area of 1371 m.sup.2 initially had a design containing 2 hard landscape items and 16 urban native softscape items with a total of 45,814 L (45.8 m.sup.3) of water consumption. Applying the xeriscaping landscape design changed the design to one having four hardscapes and 16 urban native softscape with a total/day of 33,478 L (33.5 m.sup.3) of water consumption, i.e., a 27% water consumption reduction.
(45) The results of this study can be seen in the following Tables 1 and 2, reflecting before and after xeriscaping:
(46) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Water consumption for each softscape item: previous situation for PARKING 14 landscape area. Daily Water Requirements/ Total Plant List/Botanical Names, Unit Quantity Day Requirements/Day Palms phoenix dactylifera nos. 2 100 200 Trees Tabebula ayrea nos. 1 80 80 Cassia indosa nos 3 80 240 schhinus molle nos 4 80 320 Shrubs Hibiscus rosa sinensis nos. 6 12 36 Muraya panuclaya nos. 5 12 60 Canna indica nos 8 12 72 Caesalpennia pulcherrima nos 8 12 72 Durantya rebins nos 3 12 36 Succulents Agave americana nos 17 6 102 Yucca aloforia prostrata nos 6 6 36 Groundcover & climber Carissa grandiflora nos 547 8 4376 Gazania nivea nos 1566 8 12,528 Bougainyilla glabra mixed colour nos 509 8 4072 Citecressa purpurea nos 18 8 144 Carissa grandiflora nos 1502 8 12,016 Grass Cynodon dactylon m.sup.2 952 12 11424 TOTAL/DAY 45.814 L
(47) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Water consumption for each softscape item: Applying xeriscaping for PARKING 14 landscape. Daily Water Requirements/ Total Plant List/Botanical Names Unit Quantity Day Requirements/Day Palms phoenix dactylifera nos. 2 100 200 Trees Tabebula ayrea nos. 1 80 80 Cassia indosa nos 3 80 240 Schhinus molle nos 4 80 320 Shrubs Hibiscus rosa sinensis nos. 8 12 72 Muraya panuclaya nos. 5 12 60 Canna indica nos 8 12 96 Caesalpennia pulcherrima nos 8 12 96 Durantya rebins nos 3 12 36 Succulents Agave americana nos 17 6 102 Yucca aloforia prostrata nos 6 6 36 Groundcover & climber Gazania nivea nos 437 8 3496 Bougainyilla glabra mixed colour nos 1453 8 11,880 Citecressa purpurea nos 19 8 152 Carissa grandiflora nos 1502 8 12,016 Grass Cynodon dactylon m.sup.2 387 12 4596 Hard material mulch m.sup.2 150 0 0 Natural gravel m.sup.2 120 0 0 Natural stone m.sup.2 145 0 0 Interlock 150 TOTAL/DAY 33.478 L
(48) Study Field Experiment 2: Parking 4 Landscape
(49) The Previous Situation for Parking 4 Landscape Area
(50) This study field experiment location is in the front of the research center building inside the campus with an area of 1720 m.sup.2, and finishes in tender design containing terrazzo tiles as hardscape. The softscape items were:
(51) trees: callistemon viminalis, cassia indosa, hibiscus tiliaceaus, plumeria obtuse, and cassia fistula;
(52) shrubs: hibiscus rosa sinensis, tecomaria capensis, vitex agnus castus, saesalpinia pulcherrima, and myrtus communis;
(53) succulents: agave americana;
(54) groundcover and climber: rosmarinus officinalis, gazania nivea, and cortaderia seloania; and
(55) grass: cynodon dactylon.
(56)
(57) Applying Xeriscape for Parking 4 Landscape Area
(58)
(59) The Parking 4 landscape with an area of 1720 m.sup.2 initially had a design containing 2 hard landscape items and 14 urban native softscape items with a total of 48,600 L (48.6 m.sup.3) of water consumption. Applying the xeriscaping landscape design changed the design to one having four hard landscape items and 14 urban native softscape items with a total/day of 21,636 L (21.6 m.sup.3) of water consumption, i.e., a 55.5% water consumption reduction.
(60) The Parking 14 landscape with an area of 1371 m.sup.2 initially had a design containing 2 hard landscape items and 16 urban native softscape items with a total of 45,814 L (45.8 m.sup.3) of water consumption. Applying the xeriscaping landscape design changed the design to one having four hardscapes and 16 urban native softscapes with a total/day of 33,478 L (33.5 m.sup.3) of water consumption, i.e., a 27% water consumption reduction.
(61) The results of this study can be seen in the following Tables 3 and 4, reflecting before and after xeriscaping:
(62) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Water consumption for each softscape item: previous situation for PARKING 4 landscape area. Daily Water Total Plant List Botanical Names Unit Quantity Requirements/Day Requirements/Day Trees Callistemon viminalis nos. 4 80 320 Cassia indosa nos 5 80 400 Hibiscus tiliaceaus nos 4 80 320 Plumeria obtuse nos 4 80 320 Cassia fistula nos 6 80 480 Shrubs Hibiscus rosa sinensis nos. 8 12 96 Tecomaria capensis nos. 10 12 120 Vitex agnus castus nos 3 12 36 Saesalpinia pulcherrima nos 12 12 144 Myrtus communis nos 12 12 144 Succulents Agave americana nos 12 6 72 Groundcover & climber Rosmarinus officinalis nos 1951 8 15,608 Gazania nivea nos 1944 8 15,552 Cortaderia seloania nos 54 8 432 Grass Cynodon dactylon m.sup.2 1213 12 14556 TOTAL/DAY 48,600 L
(63) TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Water consumption for each softscape item: Applying xeriscaping for PARKING 4 landscape. Daily Water Total Plant List Botanical Names Unit Quantity Requirements/Day Requirements/Day Palms Trees Callistemon viminalis nos. 4 80 320 Cassia indosa nos. 5 80 400 Hibiscus tiliaceaus nos. 4 80 320 Plumeria obtuse nos. 4 80 320 Cassia fistula nos. 6 80 480 Shrubs Hibiscus rosa sinensis nos. 8 12 96 Tecomaria capensis nos. 10 12 120 Vitex agnus castus nos 3 12 36 Caesalpennia pulcherrima nos. 12 12 144 Myrtus communis nos 12 12 144 Succulents Agave americana nos. 12 6 72 Groundcover & climber Rosmarinus officinalis nos 1951 8 15,608 Cortaderia seloania nos 54 8 432 Grass Cynodon dactylon m.sup.2 262 12 3144 Hard material mulch m.sup.2 160 0 0 Natural gravel m.sup.2 210 0 0 Natural stone m.sup.2 280 0 0 Interlock m.sup.2 300 0 0 TOTAL/DAY 21,636 L
(64) Study Field Experiment 3: Gate 11 Landscape
(65) The Previous Situation for Gate 11 Landscape Area
(66) This study field experiment location is beside residential campus gate no. 11, with an area of 3700 m.sup.2. Before the study, the gate layout finishes contained stamped concrete, interlock as hardscape, and finishes in tender design contained terrazo tiles. The hardscape for pavement and softscape items were:
(67) palms: phoenix dactylifera, and american palm;
(68) trees: pithecellobium dulce, hibiscus tiliaceaus, vitex agnus castus, nerium oleander, and cassia glauca;
(69) groundcover and climber: rosmarinus officinalis, cortaderia seloania; grass: cynodon dactylon.
(70)
(71) Applying Xeriscaping for Gate 11 Landscape Area
(72) In this study field experiment, the layout design contained palms: phoenix dactylifera, trees: hibiscus tiliaceaus; succulents: agave americana; groundcover and climber: rosmarinus officinalis; grass: cynodon dactylon; hard material: mulch, natural gravel, and natural stone; with total/day 47,780 L (47.8 m.sup.3) of water consumption with around 39% water consumption reduction.
(73) The Gate 11 landscape with an area of 24,960 m.sup.2 initially had a design containing two hard landscape items and 14 urban native softscape items with 72,045 L (72.5 m.sup.3) of water consumption. Applying the xeriscaping landscape design changed the design to one containing four hard landscape items and 14 urban native softscape items with a total/day of 47,780 L (47.8 m.sup.3) of water consumption, i.e., a 39% water consumption reduction.
(74) The Parking 14 landscape with an area of 1371 m.sup.2 initially had a design containing 2 hard landscape items and 16 urban native softscape items with a total of 45,814 L (45.8 m.sup.3) of water consumption. Applying the xeriscaping landscape design changed the design to one having four hardscapes and 16 urban native softscape with a total/day of 33,478 L (33.5 m.sup.3) of water consumption, i.e., a 27% water consumption reduction.
(75) The results of this study can be seen in the following Tables 5 and 6, reflecting before and after xeriscaping:
(76) TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Water consumption for each softscape item: previous situation for GATE 11 landscape area. Daily Water Total Plant List/Botanical Names Unit Quantity Requirements/Day Requirements/Day PALMS phoenix dactylifera nos. 30 100 3000 American palm nos 10 70 700 TREES Pithecellobium dulce nos. 15 15 225 Shrubs hibiscus tiliaceaus nos. 130 60 7800 Vitex Agnus Castus nos 10 20 200 Nerium oleander nos 10 20 200 cassia glauca nos 263 40 10,520 GROUNDCOVER & CLIMBER rosmarinus officinalis m.sup.2 100 8 800 cortaderia seloania m.sup.2 100 8 800 GRASS cynodon dactylon m.sup.2 4400 12 52,800 TOTAL/DAY 77,045 L
(77) TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 Water consumption for each softscape item: Applying xeriscaping for GATE 11 landscape. Daily Water Total Plant List/Botanical Names Unit Quantity Requirements/Day Requirements/Day Palms phoenix dactylifera nos. 42 100 4200 Trees hibiscus tiliaceaus nos. 200 60 12,000 cassia glauca nos 73 40 2920 Shrubs hibiscus rosa-sinensis nos. 35 12 540 Nerium oleander nos. 20 6 120 Groundcover & climber rosmarinus officinalis m.sup.2 2000 8 16,000 Grass cynodon dactylon m.sup.2 1000 12 12,000 Hard material mulch m.sup.2 150 0 0 Natural gravel m.sup.2 200 0 0 Natural stone m.sup.2 250 0 0 TOTAL/DAY 47,780 L
(78) Study Field Experiment 4: Activity Walkway
(79) The Previous Situation for the Activity Walkway Landscape Area
(80) This study field experiment had an area of 24,960 m.sup.2. The walkway is 520 m in length and 43 m in width. The hardscape for pavement and softscape items were:
(81) Palms: phoenix dactylifera and american palm;
(82) trees: hibiscus tiliaceaus, vitex agnus castus, nerium oleander, and cassia glauca;
(83) Shrubs: hibiscus rosa-sinensis;
(84) Succulents: agave americana;
(85) groundcover and climber: rosmarinus officinalis, cortaderia seloania;
(86) grass: cynodon dactyl with 4 circle fountain.
(87) This configuration had a total 237,330 L (237.3 m.sup.3) of water consumption.
(88) Applying Xeriscaping for Activity Walkway Landscape Area
(89) In this study experiment, the layout design contained palms: palm date; trees: ziziphus spina, albizia lebbeck, and tamarindus indica; Shrubs: moring indica, and aloe vera; groundcover and climber: bougain vililea; grass: grass c12000; hard material: mulch, natural gravel, natural stone, and Interlock with 6 circle fountain with total/day 138,450 L (138.5 m.sup.3) of water consumption with around 42.1% water consumption reduction.
(90) The Activity walkway with an area of 15,766 m.sup.2 initially had a design containing 2 hardscape items and 14 urban native softscape items with a total of 237,330 L (237.3 m.sup.3) of water consumption. Applying the xeriscaping landscape design changed the design to one containing four hard landscape items and 14 urban native softscape items with a total/day of 138,450 L (138.5 m.sup.3) of water consumption, i.e., a 42.1% water consumption reduction.
(91) The results of this study can be seen in the following Tables 7 and 8, reflecting before and after xeriscaping:
(92) TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 7 Water consumption for each softscape item: previous situation for WALKWAY landscape area. Daily Water Total Plant list/Botanical Names Unit Quantity Requirements/Day Requirements/Day Palms phoenix dactylifera nos. 80 150 12,000 American palm nos 15 70 1050 Trees Shrubs hibiscus rosa-sinensis nos. 45 12 480 Vitex Agnus Castus nos 50 20 1000 Nerium oleander nos 15 20 300 cassia glauca nos 100 40 4000 Succulents agave americana nos. 150 6 900 Groundcover & climber rosmarinus officinalis m.sup.2 2000 8 1600 Grass cynodon dactylon m.sup.2 14,000 15 210,000 TOTAL/DAY 237,330 L
(93) TABLE-US-00008 TABLE 8 Water consumption for each softscape item: Applying xeriscaping for WALKWAY landscape. Daily Water Total Plant List/Botanical Names Unit Quantity Requirements/Day Requirements/Day Palms Palm date nos. 123 100 12300 Trees ziziphus spina nos. 20 60 1200 albizia lebbeck nos 30 60 1800 tamarindus indica nos 25 60 1500 moring indica nos. 15 60 900 Shrubs bougain vililea nos 3540 15 53,100 Groundcover & climber aloe vera nos. 40 6 2400 Grass grass CL-2000 m.sup.2 3190 12 38,280 Hard material mulch m.sup.2 120 0 0 Natural gravel m.sup.2 65 0 0 Natural stone m.sup.2 45 0 0 Interlock TOTAL/DAY 138,450 L
(94) Study for Remaining KFU Landscape Area
(95) The total green area within the KFU university landscape layout campus is 118.640 m.sup.2 (university campus 73,110 m.sup.2 and residential area is 45,530 m.sup.2) with water consumption of 3911 m.sup.3/day. The water consumption of KFU' s landscape layout is 3.910.530 L (3911 m.sup.3) from non-renewable 15 artesian wells' water sources. The four study experiments, with a total area of 31,750 m.sup.2 representing 22% of the total KFU landscape layout, were selected to apply the xeriscaping landscape concept instead of the existing conventional landscape throughout the campus. The landscape items employed were 10 shrubs, 11 trees, 2 palms, 6 groundcover and climber plant, 2 succulents, grass, and 4 hard materials. There was clear water saving in the four experiments of the study.
(96) The water consumption before applying the xeriscaping landscape (L) was: Parking 14 L, Parking 4 48,600 L, Gate 11 72,045 L, Walkway 237,330 L. The water consumption per liter (L) after applying xeriscaping landscape was: Parking 14 33,478 L, Parking 21,636 L, Gate 11 47,780 L, Walkway 138,450 L. The total water consumption for the four experiment areas before the study was 408,789 (408.8 m.sup.3)/day and an average of 100,219 L (100.2 m.sup.3)/day.
(97) The water consumption for the four experiment areas after applying the study approach became 241,344 (241.4 m.sup.3)/day with an average of 60,336 L (60.3 m.sup.3)/day. This means that the total water consumption reduction was 167,445 L (167.5 m.sup.3), representing 41% of the total selected area.
(98) The study showed that the experiment 4 walkway landscape had the lowest water consumption of 8.8 L/m.sup.2, as monitored for 1 year using experts physical monitoring and the main SCADA system for the demand water for irrigation quantity. Hence, significant landscape design quantities for each xeriscaping landscape item according to the lowest water consumption landscape in the walkway project can be applied to the remaining landscape layout area of 86,890 m.sup.2, with the following percentage for each item. The first is softscape, which includes palms 1%, trees 5%, shrubs and succulents 5%, groundcover and climber 40%, and grass 20%. The second is hardscape, which includes mulch and natural gravel 10%, natural stone and interlock 19%, which can consume 20,300 L (20.3 m.sup.3)/day, compared with the previous four case studies, which consume an average of 60336 L (60.4 m.sup.3)/day, as well as less than the lowest water. These initial results are seen in Table 9 below:
(99) TABLE-US-00009 TABLE 9 First study for applying Xeriscaping concept in area 30 m 30 m. Daily Water Total Plant List Botanical Names Unit Quantity Requirements/Day Requirements/Day Palms Phoenix dactylifera No. 5 100 500 Trees Albizia lebbeck No. 10 60 600 Azadirachta indica No. 10 60 600 Ziziphus spina No. 10 60 600 Hibiscus tiliaceus No. 10 60 600 Pithecellobium dulce No. 10 60 600 Shrubs Cassia Glauca No. 100 15 1500 Bougainvillea No. 100 15 1500 Vitex agnus No. 100 15 1500 Plumeria obtusa No. 100 15 1500 Succulents Aloe perfoliata var. vera No. 75 6 450 Agava-Americana No. 75 6 450 yucca No. 50 6 300 Groundcover & climber Alternanthera. m.sup.2 2000 8 2400 Gazania Grandifloura m.sup.2 2000 8 2400 Wedelia florida m.sup.2 2000 8 2400 Grass Grass-C2000 m.sup.2 200 12 2400 Hard material mulch m.sup.2 50 0 Natural gravel m.sup.2 75 0 Natural stone m.sup.2 75 0 Interlock m.sup.2 190 0 TOTAL/DAY 20,300 L
(100) The study showed significant results in the landscape layout field supporting natural resources conservation such as water consumption in the coordination of urban landscape design of universities in desert areas. The KFU campus achieved pioneer projects in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf area region in life quality and natural resources conservation.
(101) A second, similar study was conducted to determine whether better results could be achieved, labeled as KFUscaping, meaning xeriscaping optimized as applied to the KFU campus. The experiments aimed to achieve best practices for arid and/or semi-arid regions landscape layout. The area of 30 m30 m as prototype matrix to measure water consumption was selected for the study. The results of the experiments showed the following percentage for achieving KFUscaping and reducing water up to 82% (according to the average for the consumption quantity 20300 L and lowest consumption per meter ratio 7.8 L/m.sup.2 (as seen in Table 9 above for the initial full campus study), while ensuring best design of landscape. First: Soft material: Palms 2%, Trees 5%, Shrubs & Succulent 5%, Groundcover & climber 32%, Grass 3%; Second: Solid material: mulch &Natural gravel 16%, natural stone 16% & interlock 21%. KFUscaping achieved 2030 liter (20.3 m.sup.3)/day and 2.26 L/m.sup.2 in water consumption compared with the existing campus consumption average 15.1 L/m.sup.2.
(102) TABLE-US-00010 TABLE 10 Implementation of KFUscaping in area 30 m 30 m Daily water Total requirements/ Plant list botanical names, Unit Quantity requirements/day day Phoenix dactylifera Number 2 100 200 Trees Albizia lebbeck Number 3 50 150 Azadirachta indica Number 3 50 150 Ziziphus spina Number 3 50 150 Hibiscus tiliaceus Number 3 50 150 Pithecellobium dulce Number 3 50 150 Shrubs Cassia Glauca Number 5 9 45 Bougainvillea Number 6 9 54 Vitex agnus Number 5 9 45 Plumeria obtusa Number 6 9 54 Succulents Aloe perfoliata var. vera Number 15 6 90 Agava - Americana Number 15 6 90 yucca Number 15 6 90 Groundcover & climber Alternanthera. m.sup.2 22 6 132 Gazania Grandifloura m.sup.2 20 6 120 Wedelia florida m.sup.2 20 6 120 Grass Grass - C2000 m.sup.2 20 12 240 Solid material 0 mulch m.sup.2 150 0 0 Natural gravel m.sup.2 150 0 0 Natural stone m.sup.2 75 0 0 Interlock m.sup.2 190 0 0 Total Liter consumption/day 2030 Total daily Liter consumption/m2 2.26
(103) This KFUscaping, then, is of great value for usage in public and private space in arid and semi-arid regions. It supports the national and international direction towards transforming into green societies while saving natural resources, i.e., water. These results can support decision-makers, landscape engineers, agriculture engineers, architects' engineers, and any interested person or specialist organization to design their own ideas following the KFUscaping soft and solid materials quantities and ratios with approximately 2.26 L/m.sup.2 water consumption rate.
(104) These studies confirm that using native plants is crucial due to their potential to develop landscapes in saline and water shortage conditions, leading to a reduction in water consumption for landscaping. These studies also confirmed that landscape design and the xeriscape principles have significant benefits in terms of economic and environmental contributions.
(105) These results demonstrate the validity of applying urban xeriscaping landscape as a practical potential approach to conserve water resources content inside the KFU campus. The study field experiment used 24 urban native softscape types and four hardscape items available in Saudi Arabia in four areas. The total four experiment areas, covering 31,750 m.sup.2, represent 22% of the total KFU campus green landscape layout. Using numerical assessment through experts' physical monitoring supported by maintenance discipline SCADA system, each of the selected four areas achieved a significant rate in water consumption reduction after converting the conventional landscape to a xeriscaped landscape.
(106) It is to be understood that the approach for landscaping in arid or semi-arid regions that maximizes water conservation is not limited to the specific embodiments described above but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the generic language of the following claims enabled by the embodiments described herein, or otherwise shown in the drawings or described above in terms sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the claimed subject matter.