Montréal, Canada

Photo by the Montréal Botanical Garden

The power of plants and natural ecosystems to deliver benefits

How is the initiative shaped by scientific evidence of the potential for plants and natural ecosystems to deliver benefits?

The Phytotechnology Stations project was carried out in close collaboration with the research department of the Montréal Botanical Garden and involved scientists recognized worldwide for their expertise in this field. The designs of these Stations were based on their knowledge of plant biology. The principle of phytotechnology’s is based on the exploitation of the physiological characteristics of plants to take the best advantage of them, whether to extract contaminants from the soil, stabilize soils and reduce erosion, or exploit their transpiration capacity to treat runoff.

How has the city exploited the potential of plants and associated ecosystems to deliver more than one benefit?

All the facilities comprising the Phytotechnology Stations exploit the potential of plants to solve an environmental problem. This is the very principle of phytotechnology’s. As a result, the use of plants indirectly generates a set of ecological benefits. For example, the establishment of a Soil Decontamination Station aims primarily to use plants to rehabilitate polluted soils. However, the use of plants also allows the creation of green spaces that contribute to absorbing greenhouse gases, create oases of coolness, increase biodiversity and improve the landscape.