Grafting the sub-terrain: Working from the ground up in Mowbray
Master Thesis
2018
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University of Cape Town
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The sub-terrain is the foundation for plant growth. Soils are important for biodiversity, supporting animal and plant life above and below the earth's surface. Soil profiles have diverse physical, chemical and biological properties and can assist in reducing pollution by harmful substances through soil absorption properties. The sub-terrain also has the ability to capture and store water to assist in providing water supply. However, soils found within the urban environment have been negatively impacted and altered by human activity resulting in poor structure and depleted properties. Grafting is a horticultural technique used for propagation of similar productive trees, combining one plant portion with another to assist growth of the plant as an integrated whole. The concept of grafting can be applied to soils and reshaping of the sub-terrain. This will be achieved by cutting out the fragments of the current sub-terrain and inserting alternative soil types that consist of varying properties. This cut and fill of the sub-terrain cab be viewed as the equivalent to grafting two similar plant species together. Inserting fragments of improved soil profiles into portions of Mowbray's current sub-terrain has the ability to alter the current nature of the streetscape leading up to and including Mowbray's public transport hub. This rejuvenation of the sub terrain will result in improved soil profile conditions, providing the opportunity to incorporate pockets of various productive trees. Redesigning the soil profiles will result in greater biodiversity, improved ground water storage and an enhanced productive landscape, as well as create an unusual type of landscape and experience, grown from the ground up.
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Kelly, S. 2018. Grafting the sub-terrain: Working from the ground up in Mowbray. University of Cape Town.