GSI is typically built for multi-purposes: stormwater treatment and green space. Vegetation is designed in to achieve these functions. However, plants often fail before established because the plants undergo constant stresses: either too wet or too dry. By design, GSIs are flooded during storms and dry out quickly in between storms, which cause extreme fluctuations in soil moisture. We will review novel technologies that stabilizes soil moisture by using the abundant stormwater in GSIs. During the storms, it absorbs water and reduces runoff. When the soil dries, the water is released.

Credits: DBPR - 1 Credit Hour – Optional | LACES - 1 Credit Hour

DBPR Course #: 14540

Meet Our Speaker:

Wei Zhang 

The Institute of Soil Genomics for Healthy Community Forestry

Wei Zhang is the VP of Research and Development at Zynnovation LLC, aka TreeDiaper. He is also the Education Coordinator of The Institute of Soil Genomics for Healthy Community Forests. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Engineering from Virginia Tech. He has been doing research & development for the green industry for 15 years. His research areas include watering solutions for landscape plants, relationship of soil/water/air, plant protection against stresses like drought and road salt. His work also provides novel solutions to green stormwater infrastructures, for which plants are used for the treatment of pollutants in stormwater.

He has more than 40+ peer-reviewed scientific journal articles, one monograph and 200+ conference presentations. He has been a frequent speaker on Arboriculture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Forestry, Stormwater Green Infrastructure, and related conferences and symposiums. He is known as a scientist, educator and public speaker. Dr. Zhang is an ASLA approved LA CES provider and an ISA approved continuing education provider.