The research team surveyed 31 residential yards across Greater Los Angeles, comparing native-landscaped and conventionally landscaped properties. During repeated field visits, researchers\u00a0recorded insect and bird visits to flowers while measuring plant diversity, flowering characteristics, temperature, air quality, and neighborhood\u00a0conditions.<\/p>\n
Among the study\u2019s key findings:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Native-landscaped yards supported four times more flower-visiting insects and birds than conventionally landscaped\u00a0yards.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Native yards hosted 1.5 times more pollinator species, driven largely by increases in native bees and hoverflies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Native landscapes contained nearly three times more plant-pollinator interactions, creating stronger and more resilient ecological networks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Native plants received 88% of all flower visits, despite making up about 80% of the available flowering plants.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The biodiversity benefits were evident even in lower-income neighborhoods, demonstrating that native landscaping can help address disparities in access to healthy urban green spaces.<\/p>\n
Several California native plants\u2014including California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) and white sage (Salvia apiana)\u2014served as important hubs for pollinators within the ecological networks observed during the study.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0report\u00a0highlights\u00a0the growing importance of native landscaping as cities seek practical ways to improve biodiversity, support pollinators, and increase ecosystem resilience in urban environments. The study also underscores how individual homeowners can contribute to conservation through\u00a0their\u00a0landscaping choices.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe expected native yards to harbor more insects and diversity than conventional yards, but the network resiliency\u00a0and abundance of native insects found in native landscaped yards were\u00a0amazing findings,\u201d\u00a0said Reyes, who\u00a0earned\u00a0her master\u2019s degree in environmental science from Cal State LA.\u202f\u201cThese results were especially important in lower-income neighborhoods and will hopefully encourage the city to landscape with native plants in these areas.\u201d<\/p>\n