What the Science Says

Native Plant Gardening Adds Up!

Researchers across varied fields are working diligently to show the impact gardening has on wildlife, biodiversity, people, and climate. Dig through these great resources to learn more about the impact of native plant gardening!

Study Findings from 24 Certified Wildlife Habitats®

This ambitious four-year study looks at 24 Certified Wildlife Habitats® around the country (compared to traditional yards and parklands) and counted the number of animal species present in each. Pilot data suggest that wildlife gardens support more biodiversity, including more bird species, than traditional garden spaces in the study.

Study Findings on the Effect of Yards on Native Birds

This study found that “bird friendly” yards in Cook County, IL were characterized by a variety of evergreen and deciduous trees, a large covering of fruit or berry producing plants, and low incidences of outdoor cats. This study concluded bird-friendly yards saw almost twice as many bird species.

Evaluating Certified Wildlife Habitats® & The Minds Behind Them

Certified Wildlife Habitats® in California have significantly more tree coverage than neighboring non-certified sites, improving water retention, and minimizing erosion and surface habitat. Importantly, these certified habitats reduce atmospheric carbon and local air pollution at much higher rates than non-certified properties. In fact, annually, the 126 National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitats® studied sequester 811.62 metric tons of CO2 more than their non‐certified neighbors.

Published Works by Douglas W. Tallamy

Doug Tallamy is a longtime partner with the National Wildlife Federation’s goal to create local habitat with his message that every garden can be beacon for in the fight against biodiversity loss. His books stands as a profound testament to his extensive career as an entomologist and professor, and is deeply rooted in rigorous research and a passion for promoting biodiversity through the strategic planting of native species.

Sources Cited

Interested in where the data we referenced came from? See our sources below.

¹Learn more about Threatened and Endangered Species | US EPA. (2023, April 3). US EPA.

²Tallamy, D. W. (2019). Nature's best hope: a new approach to conservation that starts in your yard. Portland, Oregon, Timber Press.

³Larson, K. L., Lerman, S. B., Nelson, K. C., Narango, D. L., Wheeler, M. M., Groffman, P. M., Hall, S. J., & Grove, J. M. (2022). Examining the potential to expand wildlife-supporting residential yards and gardens. Landscape and Urban Planning, 222, 104396. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.LANDURBPLAN.2022.104396

⁴Karr, C. J., Solomon, G. M., & Brock-Utne, A. C. (2007). Health Effects of Common Home, Lawn, and Garden Pesticides. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 54(1), 63–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PCL.2006.11.005

⁵Tallamy, D. W., & Shropshire, K. J. (2009). Ranking lepidopteran use of native versus introduced plants. Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology, 23(4), 941–947.

⁶Peterson, R. T. (1980). A Field Guide to the Birds. 4th Ed. Houghton Mifflin, New York, NY, USA.

⁷Tallamy, D. W. (2019). Nature's best hope: a new approach to conservation that starts in your yard. Portland, Oregon, Timber Press.

⁸Haas, J. P., & Heske, E. J. (2005). Experimental Study of the Effects of Mammalian Acorn Predators on Red Oak Acorn Survival and Germination.

⁹Nowak, D. J., Crane, D. E., & Stevens, J. C. (2006). Air pollution removal by urban trees and shrubs in the United States. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 4(3–4), 115–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.UFUG.2006.01.007

¹⁰Soga, M., Gaston, K. J., & Yamaura, Y. (2017). Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis. In Preventive Medicine Reports (Vol. 5, pp. 92–99). Elsevier Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.11.007

¹¹Park, S. A., Lee, A. Y., Park, H. G., Son, K. C., Kim, D. S., & Lee, W. L. (2017). Gardening intervention as a low- to moderate-intensity physical activity for improving blood lipid profiles, blood pressure, inflammation, and oxidative stress in women over the age of 70: A pilot study. HortScience, 52(1), 200–205. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI11232-16

¹²Louv, R. (2005). Last child in the woods: saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. Chapel Hill, NC, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

¹³Karr, C. J., Solomon, G. M., & Brock-Utne, A. C. (2007). Health Effects of Common Home, Lawn, and Garden Pesticides. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 54(1), 63–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PCL.2006.11.005

¹⁴Wang, X., Dallimer, M., Scott, C. E., Shi, W., & Gao, J. (2021). Tree species richness and diversity predicts the magnitude of urban heat island mitigation effects of greenspaces. Science of The Total Environment, 770, 145211. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2021.145211

¹⁵Loughner, C. P., Allen, D. J., Zhang, D. L., Pickering, K. E., Dickerson, R. R., & Landry, L. (2012). Roles of Urban Tree Canopy and Buildings in Urban Heat Island Effects: Parameterization and Preliminary Results. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 51(10), 1775–1793. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-11-0228.1

¹⁶Bouchard, C., Dibernardo, A., Koffi, J., Wood, H., Leighton, P. A., & Lindsay, L. R. (2019). Increased risk of tick-borne diseases with climate and environmental changes. 45(4). https://doi.org/10.14745/ccdr.v45i04a02