Grantee Research Project Results
2006 Progress Report: The Social and Environmental Dimensions of Xeriscaping: A Pathway for Ameliorating Coastal Environments
EPA Grant Number: X832302C004Subproject: this is subproject number 004 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant X832302
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Water Innovation Network for Sustainable Small Systems
Center Director: Reckhow, David A.
Title: The Social and Environmental Dimensions of Xeriscaping: A Pathway for Ameliorating Coastal Environments
Investigators: Johns, Rebecca , Krest, Jim , Dorsey, Joseph
Institution: University of South Florida
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: September 1, 2005 through August 31, 2008
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2005 through August 31, 2006
RFA: Targeted Research Center (2004) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation , Targeted Research
Objective:
More than 80 percent of the domestic water in Florida is used for lawn and garden maintenance despite the relative high expense and scarcity of this important resource. Established xeriscaping techniques could be implemented by citizens to conserve water, but growth in the adoption of sustainable lawn management practices has been slow. This project is a pilot study conducted in the racially and economically diverse neighborhoods of Pinellas County to investigate the socio-economic underpinnings of Florida residents’ lawn management decisions, the persistence of cultural preferences for certain lawn types, and the specific impact of xeriscaping in ameliorating pollution from yard runoff. The study investigates the relationship between characteristics of ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic class in St. Petersburg and degrees of receptivity to environmentally appropriate landscaping.
Progress Summary:
Principal investigator (PI) Dr. Tom Smucker resigned from the University of South Florida at St. Petersburg (USFSP) at the end of academic year 2005-2006. He was subsequently removed as Principal Investigator and replaced by Dr. Rebecca Johns. Dr. Smucker continues to participate in the project from his new university. Dr. Daanish Mustafa also resigned from USFSP at the end of the academic year. He continues to participate in the project from Kings College London. Both Drs. Smucker and Mustafa will be coming to St. Petersburg in January 2007 to participate in a project staff meeting concerning the preliminary analysis of the data. Rene Shumbusho was also removed from the project. Dr. Joseph Dorsey was added to the project staff as a Co-PI in 2006. The first year of the project has been spent in data collection: the decision was made in June 2006 to expand the study area to all of Pinellas County and to put the written survey questionnaire into electronic format using SurveyMonkey software. 361 surveys have been completed, four focus groups and 10 personal interviews have been conducted, and field/photographic surveys of 441 yards and census maps of the study area have been completed. Completed data will be analyzed and results determined in Year 2 (2007). Result summaries will be circulated to all public agencies that assisted with the project and will be submitted as academic articles to the relevant journals.
Supplemental Keywords:
water, watersheds, groundwater, land, soil, marine, estuary, chemicals, toxics, PCB, heavy metals, ecosystem, restoration, terrestrial, aquatic, habitat, innovative technology, remediation, restoration, public policy, decision making, modeling, monitoring, analytical, remote sensing, Florida, FL, EPA Region 4, social science, Florida (FL), Phosphate rock mining (SIC 1475), water, orthophosphate, total phosphorus, Tampa Bay, Bishops Harbor, Cockroach Bay, sediment, pore water,Relevant Websites:
http://www.stpt.usf.edu/cspace/cspace.asp Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractMain Center Abstract and Reports:
X832302 Water Innovation Network for Sustainable Small Systems Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
X832302C001 Past and Present Water Quality in Florida Coastal Waters
X832302C002 Cyanobacteria Proliferation and Eutrophication in Florida Lakes
X832302C003 Reactive Metal Particle Emulsions for Removal of PCBs
X832302C004 The Social and Environmental Dimensions of Xeriscaping: A Pathway for Ameliorating Coastal Environments
X832302C005 An Historical Perspective on the Economic and Environmental Impacts of the Phosphate Industry on the Tampa Bay Region
X832302C006 Interfacing SWAT and PHABSIM: A Potential GIS-based Water Resource Management Tool
X832302C007 Acquisition of Counters for Gamma-Emitting Radioisotopes
X832302C008 Guided Surface Vehicles
X832302C009 Science Journalism
X832302C010 Administration and Outreach
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.