GardenBanter.co.uk - Who would have thunk it?

Tax-funded NSF study shows rich people's yards have more plants*
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You had better sit down for this one. Taxpayer-funded research by the National
Science Foundation has determined that yards in "upscale," higher-income
neighborhoods are likely to display a more highly diverse mix of plants than
yards in lower income areas.
Who would have thunk it? Better yet, who would have cared?

The study, conducted by the Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological
Research (LTER) site, was undertaken in order to "measure ecological
characteristics of the Central Arizona-Phoenix area, provide a baseline for
future monitoring, and give an overview of features such as plant diversity,
soil chemistry, and animal distributions," stated LTER's program director in an
NSF press release.

According to the NSF press statement, "the entire study area (some 6,400 square
kilometers) was covered with a five-by-five-kilometer grid. Field measurements
were done in 30-by-30-meter survey plots, and included identifying all native
and exotic plants; mapping the area of surface cover; collecting samples of
soils, insects, microbes and pollen; and taking photos from the center of each
plot. Since this survey, which was conducted in the spring of 2000, scientists
have monitored bird abundance and diversity, along with human activity, at 40
of the 200-plus sites, four times a year."

The rich get more growies

According to NSF scientist Diane Hope, director of the field study,
"preliminary analyses show that total plant diversity in the desert becomes
greater as the elevation of the site increases, but in the city, resource
abundance (government-speak for wealth) is the key factor." In other words, the
more money you have, the more different types of plants you are likely to plant
in your yard.

Justification for this research? "When investigating urban systems, we must
re-conceptualize biodiversity in terms of human choice, and in terms of how
choices are made, and why," said NSF scientist Charles Redman.

But wait... There's more
As an added bonus, the NSF study also revealed greater bird diversity in higher
income residential areas.* Could there be a scientific trend here? If the yards
of the wealthy contain more plants and birds than yards of the less "resource
abundant," could this effect also apply to items like sailboats, RVs and pool
houses? Fear not, inquiring minds, we'll find out. There's plenty of our money
out there for funding this sort of vital research and Congress is working on
spending it right now.

Note: "NSF is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research
and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual
budget of nearly $5.3 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to
nearly 2,000 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about
30,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 10,000 new funding
awards. NSF also awards over $200 million in professional and service contracts
yearly." (National Science Foundation)
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*~*Robert Longley