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Balancing the Ecological Function of Residential Stormwater Ponds with Homeowner Landscaping Practices

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Abstract

Stormwater ponds are installed in urban developments to provide the ecosystem services of flood control and water treatment. In coastal areas, these ponds are connected to watersheds that can drain directly into protected estuaries, making their design, function, and maintenance critical to environmental protection. However, stormwater ponds in residential areas are increasingly managed as aesthetic amenities that add value to real estate rather than as engineered devices with special maintenance requirements. To help extend the life of neighborhood stormwater systems and improve ecosystem services, homeowners should follow best management practices for nutrient management and add shoreline plantings and non-invasive, beneficial aquatic plants to their ponds. This study used focus group and survey research to document the knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes of homeowners living near stormwater ponds in a master-planned community in Florida. The study was designed to use a social marketing research approach to promote Extension best practices. Findings indicate that many residents were aware of the functional components of stormwater systems and respondents’ receptivity to best management practices was mediated by age, their attitudes about water quality and whether their home was adjacent to a pond. These findings can be used to target Extension audiences and improve adoption of stormwater pond best management practices for increased protection of water quality.

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Notes

  1. Opinion leaders are community members who are trusted leaders with influence on other peoples’ opinions, attitudes, and behaviors (Rogers 2003).

  2. Change agents are people like Cooperative Extension Agents, educators and local government representatives who influence adoption of innovations like BMPs in communities (Rogers 2003).

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the research participants who attended the focus groups and answered the online survey. We would also like to thank the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Tampa Bay Environmental Fund, The Southwest Florida Water Management District and by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology for their support of this research. This research was supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (1802.13.036881), the Tampa Bay Environmental Fund, The Southwest Florida Water Management District and by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Education and Communication and Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 305 Rolfs Hall, P.O. Box 110540, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Paul Monaghan

  2. College of Landscape Architecture, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China

    Shangchun Hu

  3. Environmental Horticulture Department, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Building 550 Room 101, P.O. Box 110675, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Gail Hansen

  4. Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 305 Rolfs Hall, P.O. Box 110540, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Emily Ott, Charles Nealis & Maria Morera

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  1. Paul Monaghan
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Correspondence to Paul Monaghan.

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Monaghan, P., Hu, S., Hansen, G. et al. Balancing the Ecological Function of Residential Stormwater Ponds with Homeowner Landscaping Practices. Environmental Management 58, 843–856 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-016-0752-9

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