By Dennis Collins
Efforts to increase biodiversity throughout the 175 acres of Mount Auburn began in the 1990s with the completion of the 1993 Master Plan , which noted a clear lack of ground-layer and understory vegetation . In the past 20 years , these efforts have become more focused through a series of horticultural initiatives developed in our strategic planning exercises . The reasons for these efforts include reducing risks from plant pathogens , building resilience to environmental stress , increasing wildlife benefits with vegetation , and eliminating the visual homogeneity in the landscape noted in the Master Plan . The following is a brief summary :
Current Composition As reported in our most recent Plant Collections Analysis , the statistical data shows a robust botanical collection which has been steadily increasing in numbers and in diversity .
Total Plants / Massed Plantings : |
18,748 |
Total Known Taxa : |
2,335 |
Botanical Families Represented : |
120 |
Genera Represented : |
430 |
Composition Trends The collections reflect the dynamic nature of Mount Auburn ’ s landscape . Every year we suffer plant losses , due primarily to environmental stresses ( e . g ., drought and severe storms ), and every year we add more new plantings . The net gain / loss of plants tracks our ability to continuously respond to changing conditions and build resilience through diversification . The number of tree removals and of new tree plantings tends to remain relatively static , not only for the most recent five-year period , but over the past 20 years . However , we plant significantly more shrubs and groundcovers in a given year than we remove .
In 2009 , our total number of plants and massed plantings was 16,772 and the number of different taxa was 1,754 . Over the subsequent 10-year period , the total number of different taxa increased by 33 % to 2,335 .
In the next few years , we are planning projects that should be able continue this trend toward diversification . Indian Ridge Path Phases 2 and 3 , the Alice Fountain landscape renovation , and the proposed shrubland-meadow conversion along Chestnut Avenue all include taxa that will increase our numbers significantly . However , it might be unrealistic to expect another 33 % increase in new taxa over the next 10-year period . The more diversified the collections become , the harder it will be to continue diversifying them . It might be more prudent to set goals for noting which of these new additions were successful , and adding significantly more of them .
Mount Auburn Cemetery | Climate Action & Sustainability Plan 31