Research Overview
My research program in landscape horticulture involves both basic and applied studies of the physiology and ecology of exotic, desert-adapted, and desert-native plants. The main focus of my research work is to develop optimization strategies for urban landscape habitat structure and management to increase landscape sustainability, functionality of urban ecosystem services, efficiencies of urban microclimate to mitigate urban heating, and to mitigate plant exposure to environmental stress. Individuals studying in my lab use environmental monitoring and eco-physiological and biochemical techniques in the field, greenhouse, and laboratory to increase our understanding of plant response to urban conditions.

I define sustainable landscapes as those that are designed, installed and managed by people in ways that over the course of time are able to improve human health, quality of life and commerce without excessive consumption of natural resources. I presuppose that ecosystems services provide a measurable framework for assessing landscape site sustainability. Ecosystem services are the capacity of natural processes and components of a particular habitat to provide goods and services that satisfy human needs either directly or indirectly. The importance of ecosystem services to the sustainability of urban landscapes is framed by the unique interactions of natural and built systems and should be weighted according to local ecoregion and ecosystem resiliency factors.

Some applications of my research that have been implemented by landscape professionals include use of water-conserving irrigation technologies, optimized oasis-style landscape design motifs, recycling of landscape green waste, selection of non-invasive, desert-adapted plant species, and conservative plant pruning strategies.

Recent Refereed Publications
Singer, CK and CA Martin. 2009. Effect of landscape mulches and drip irrigation on transplant establishment and growth of three southwest desert plants. Journal of Environmental Horticulture (accepted April 10, 2009).

St. Hilaire, R, MA Arnold, DA Devitt, BH Hurd, BJ Lesiker, VI Lohr, CA Martin, GV McDonald, RL Morris, DR Pittenger, DA Shaw, DC Wilkerson, and DF Zoldoske. 2008. Efficient Water Use in Residential Urban Landscapes. HortScience Dec 1 2008: 2081–2092.

Martin CA. 2008. Landscape sustainability in a Sonoran Desert city. Cities and the Environment Volume 1(5):1-16.

Singer CK and CA Martin 2008. Effect of landscape mulches on desert landscape microclimates. Arboriculture and Urban Forestry 34(4): 230-237.

Hope D, C Gries, CL Redman, D Casagrande, CL Redman, NB Grimm, and CA Martin. 2006. Drivers of spatial variation in plant diversity across the Central Arizona-Phoenix ecosystem. Society and Natural Resources 19:101-116.

Kinzig AP, PS Warren, CA Martin, D Hope, and K Madhusudan 2005. The effects of human socioeconomic status and cultural characteristics on urban patterns of biodiversity. Ecology and Society 10:23-36. 

Stabler, LB, CA Martin, and AJ Brazel. 2005. Microclimates in a desert city were related to land use and vegetation index. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 3:137-147.

Celestian, SB and CA Martin. 2005. Effects of parking lot location on size and physiology of four southwest landscape trees. Journal of Arboriculture 31(4):191-197.

Martin CA and LB Stabler. 2004. Urban Horticultural Ecology: Interactions between plants, people and the physical environment. Acta Horticulturae 639:97-101.

Celestian, SB and CA Martin. 2004. Rhizosphere, surface, and under tree canopy air temperature patterns at parking lots in Phoenix, AZ. Journal of Arboriculture 30(4):245-251.

Martin CA, PS Warren, and AP Kinzig. 2004. Neighborhood socioeconomic status is a useful predictor of perennial landscape vegetation in residential neighborhoods and embedded small parks of Phoenix, Arizona. Landscape and Urban Planning 69:355-368.

Stabler LB and CA Martin. 2004. Irrigation and pruning affect growth and water use efficiency of two desert-adapted shrubs. Acta Horticulturae 638:255-258.

Martin CA and LB Stabler. 2004. The relationship of homeowner practices and carbon acquisition potential of landscape plants to mesic and xeric designed southwest residential landscapes. Acta Horticulturae 630:137-141.

Martin CA and JC Stutz. 2004. Interactive effects of temperature and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal treatments on growth, P uptake and root respiration of Capsicum annuum. Mycorrhiza 14:241-244.

Hope D, C Gries, W Zhu, WF Fagan, CL Redman, NB Grimm, AL Nelson, CA Martin, and A Kinzig. 2003. Socio-economics drive urban plant diversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 100(15):8788-8792.

Martin CA, KA Peterson, LB Stabler. 2003. Residential landscaping in Phoenix, Arizona: Practices, preferences and covenants codes and restrictions (CC&Rs). Journal of Arboriculture 29:9-17.

Celestian SB and CA Martin. 2003. Effects of commercial parking lots on the size of six southwest landscape trees. Acta Horticulturae 618:125-129.

Baker LA, AJ Brazel, N Selover, CA Martin, N McIntyre, FR Steiner, A Nelson, L Musacchio.  2002. Urbanization and warming of Phoenix (Arizona, USA): Impacts, feedbacks and mitigation. Urban Ecosystems 6(3): 188-203.

Martin CA and LB Stabler. 2002. Plant gas exchange and water status in urban desert landscapes. Journal of Arid Environments 51:235-254.

Other fun stuff
Read about our research featured in High Country News.

Read here a column Dr. Martin wrote for the Arizona Republic newspaper on October 19, 2007 about some of the complicated issues about summer and winter lawns in Phoenix.
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