There is a lack of information available concerning responses of landscape plants to urban freeway environments. The results of a category-based survey in the phoenix metropolitan area identified landscaping installation contracts and plant location with respect to the median as two sources of variation in plant response. Differences in response did not appear to be related to age of contract. Species were evaluated as individual plants or as groups of plants. The ratio of counts in the healthy category to the summation of counts in problem categories was used as an indicator of suitability for species evaluated as individual plants. The category definitions were not well-suited for evaluation of plants as groups. The survey provided an information base useful for making decisions concerning future landscaping activities and in targeting species for detailed monitoring.
Samenvatting