Assessing Native Plant Presence and Maintenance Resource Allocations in New Zealand Backyards: A Nationwide Online Questionnaire

Megan Burfoot¹, Shanta Budha-Magar¹, Ali Ghaffarianhoseini¹, Amirhosein Ghaffarianhoseini¹

1. Auckland University of Technology

Published in Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024), edited by Ali GhaffarianHoseini, Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, Farzad Rahimian and Mahesh Babu Purushothaman. Springer Nature, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, volume 591, 2025, pages 320 to 327. DOI 10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_31.

Abstract

Domestic backyards offer a valuable opportunity to contribute to biodiversity conservation efforts and promote ecological sustainability by cultivating native plant species. This study focuses on assessing the presence and maintenance of native plants in New Zealand’s residential gardens through an online questionnaire, with 231 participants. The survey was designed to collect data on the presence of native, exotic, and lawn plants in New Zealand backyards, alongside the allocation of maintenance resources for each category. Targeting a diverse range of residents and property sizes from different regions of New Zealand, this study sought to gain essential insights into practices related to native plant cultivation. Results reveal there is a collective inclination to reduce lawn coverage and introduce a higher abundance of native and exotic species. A thorough analysis of maintenance practices reveals a significant portion of respondents embracing environmentally friendly gardening, characterized by low-intensity fertilizer usage. Native plants were found to require more time, money and fertilizer for maintenance than those of exotic and lawn species. The insights gained from this study can guide targeted efforts to enhance urban biodiversity, making a significant contribution to the preservation and enrichment of unique biodiversity and ecological heritage in urban settings.

Keywords

Session

Presented in Track H, Friday 8 November 2024, 16:30 to 18:30, room WG 1020, Auckland University of Technology. Session chair Dr Dat Doan.

How to Cite

Burfoot, M., Budha-Magar, S., Ghaffarianhoseini, A., & Ghaffarianhoseini, A. (2025). Assessing Native Plant Presence and Maintenance Resource Allocations in New Zealand Backyards: A Nationwide Online Questionnaire. In A. GhaffarianHoseini, A. GhaffarianHoseini, F. Rahimian, & M. B. Purushothaman (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024) (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, Vol. 591, pp. 320–327). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_31

About the Conference

Presented at SASBE 2024, the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, held in Auckland from 7 to 9 November 2024 and chaired by Professors Ali and Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, founders of GDI Academy. The version of record is published by Springer Nature; this page is the conference archive record kept by GDI Academy.