© Copyright 2020 Tracy L. Fuentes Reconstructing Developer and Homeowner Decisions to Understand the Complex Assembly of New Residential Patches and Plant Communities Tracy L. Fuentes A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2020 Reading Committee: Marina Alberti, Chair Richard G. Olmstead David R. Montgomery Jan Whittington Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Program in Urban Design and Planning University of Washington Abstract Reconstructing Developer and Homeowner Decisions to Understand the Complex Assembly of New Residential Patches and Plant Communities Tracy L. Fuentes Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Marina Alberti Urban Design and Planning Residential developers and homeowners are urban ecosystem engineers, shaping the structure and function of the residential landscapes, which occupy a large proportion of urban areas. Developers set the template by allocating space to different patch types and by establishing the initial plant communities in new yards. New homeowners then modify these spaces to suit their own preferences, life stages, and neighborhood norms. We know little about how the decisions of developers and homeowners interact to create the residential land covers. To document initial conditions of single family residential landscapes, I recruited a stratified random sample of 60 homeowners who had purchased a newly built home in the lower Green-Duwamish watershed of the Seattle Metropolitan Statistical Area in Washington State in 2014 or 2015. Through field sampling, aerial photo interpretation, conversations with the new homeowners, and archival photo research, I reconstructed the decisions of the developers and new homeowners. By taking a patch mosaic and plant community approach, I showed that urban form and economic considerations shape developer and homeowner decisions. I also found that homeowner yard use and plant preferences influenced the observed plant community patterns. Future investigations of residential landscapes should incorporate preferences of developers and homeowners, site- specific constraints, and broader scale influences. Further research is needed to understand developer incentives and preferences. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ ix List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. xi Chapter 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Research Motivation & Study System ............................................................................... 1 1.2 Theoretical Framework & Conceptualization .................................................................... 2 1.2.1 Urban Ecosystem Complexity .................................................................................... 3 1.2.2 Conceptualizing Residential Land Cover as a Product of Urban Complexity ............ 5 1.3 Dissertation Structure & Research Questions .................................................................. 10 Chapter 2. Sampling Frame & Homeowner Recruitment ............................................................. 12 2.1 Regional Context and study area ..................................................................................... 12 2.2 Sampling Frame Construction & Sample Design ............................................................ 12 2.3 Homeowner Recruitment and Site overview ................................................................... 15 Chapter 3. Residential Developers Are Urban Patch Creators ..................................................... 17 3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 17 3.2 Research Objectives ......................................................................................................... 18 3.3 Methods ........................................................................................................................... 19 3.3.1 Overview ................................................................................................................... 19 3.3.2 Data: Yard Patch Types & Area ............................................................................... 20 3.3.3 Data: Perennial Plant Prices ...................................................................................... 21 v 3.3.4 Data: Built Patch Areas & Yard Patch Area Corrections ......................................... 24 3.3.5 Data: Geospatial ........................................................................................................ 25 3.3.6 Data Management & Analysis .................................................................................. 25 3.4 Results .............................................................................................................................. 26 3.4.1 Comparing Sample to Sample Frame ....................................................................... 26 3.4.2 Multivariate Approaches to Understanding Drivers of Developer Decisions .......... 28 3.4.3 Univariate Approaches to Understanding Drivers of Developer Spending .............. 30 3.5 Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 32 3.5.1 Patch Area ................................................................................................................. 32 3.5.2 Developer Plant Spending Behavior ......................................................................... 33 3.5.3 Strengths & Limitations ............................................................................................ 34 3.6 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 35 Chapter 4. New Lawn Floras and Species Diversity .................................................................... 36 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 36 4.2 Research Objectives ......................................................................................................... 37 4.3 Methods ........................................................................................................................... 38 4.3.1 Documenting Lawn Floras & Measuring Area ......................................................... 38 4.3.2 Yard management ..................................................................................................... 39 4.3.3 Geospatial Parcel Data .............................................................................................. 39 4.3.4 Data Management & Analysis .................................................................................. 41 4.4 Results .............................................................................................................................. 42 4.4.1 Yard Goals & Lawn Care Regimes .......................................................................... 42 4.4.2 Lawn Species Diversity & Composition ................................................................... 43 vi 4.4.3 Drivers of Species Diversity ..................................................................................... 46 4.4.4 Exploring Links Between Diversity Drivers & Lawn Care Practices ...................... 48 4.5 Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 51 4.5.1 Variability in Yard Goals & Lawn Care Practices .................................................... 51 4.5.2 Lawn Herbaceous Composition ................................................................................ 52 4.5.3 Lawn Diversity & Management ................................................................................ 52 4.5.4 Strengths & Limitations ............................................................................................ 53 4.6 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 54 Chapter 5. New Perennial Floras Reflect Decisions of Developers & New Homeowners .......... 56 5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 56 5.2 Research Objectives ......................................................................................................... 58 5.3 Methods ........................................................................................................................... 60 5.3.1 Documenting Perennials ........................................................................................... 60 5.3.2 Household Preferences .............................................................................................. 61 5.3.3 Data Management & Analysis .................................................................................. 62 5.4 Results .............................................................................................................................. 64 5.4.1 Retained Taxa ..........................................................................................................