Skip to main content
ASLA 2026 Conference on Landscape Architecture Main banner

Biodiversity

THUR-A01: Ecology as Agency: How Biotic Interactions Change Designed Landscapes

Thursday, September 17, 2026
8:30 AM - 9:45 AM PT
1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AICP, ISA, FL

Changes to a planting design are common, driven by ecological impacts of plant population dynamics and interspecific interactions, and the influence, positive or negative, of animals on the design. The agency of these forces must be managed for project success. Community understanding and involvement can contribute to long-term success.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Incorporate the regeneration ecology of species into planting palettes to better predict species persistence and the evolving spatial pattern of a design over time.
  • Leverage community engagement to manage landscape change over time, advocating for informed care and directing the design trajectory.
  • Predict how the agency of animal species may assist in modifying a design, frame its resiliency, or damage design intent.
  • Evaluate whether to harness or limit the agency of animals as “ecological engineers” that change physical site conditions, and integrate that decision into design and management strategies.