February 4th

By Mutt Mulligan

Why living landscapes matter

While in some parts of our country, people are replacing their lawns with rocks, mulch, cacti and plastic grass – deadening the landscape in order to conserve water – you may not have to.

Lawns provide a safe place for families to gather and for children and pets to play. But grass also is brilliant at combating many environmental challenges.

Just ask Green Ranger! He’s the miniature, but mighty force on the Outdoor Powers. He knows the benefits of a healthy lawn, and wants to share them with you!

• Filters and captures runoff.
  When it rains, water “sheets off” hard surfaces, such as hardscapes, parking lots, driveways and roads, turning rainwater into fast-moving, storm water runoff. But grass slows down and absorbs runoff, while also cleansing water of impurities and dust. The grass filtration system is so effective that rainwater filtered through a healthy lawn is often as much as 10 times less acidic than water running off a hard surface.
• Reduces heat.
  Lawns can be outdoor air conditioners. Turfgrass cools Heat Freak’s heat island effect, which is caused by asphalt, concrete and other hardscapes. Remarkably, studies have shown that lawns can be 31 degrees cooler than asphalt and 20 degrees cooler than bare soil! That means lower energy bills for you and a nicer environment for everyone.
• Improves air quality.
  Grass also plays a vital role in capturing dust, smoke particles and other pollutants. Without grass, these pollutants will remain in the air, resulting in more “code red” air quality days.

• Absorbs carbon dioxide.
  Environmental Villain Carbon Creep doesn’t stand a chance when you have a healthy lawn. In fact, the lawn is the largest carbon sink in the United States. Carbon sinks are natural systems that suck up and store greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The dense canopy and fibrous root system in a lawn sequesters carbon so well that it outweighs the carbon used for maintaining the lawn by as much as seven-fold.

• Generates oxygen.
  Lawns are incredible oxygen producers, which makes TurfMutt’s pal Oxygenator super happy! A twenty-five square-foot area supplies enough oxygen to support one person for a day. A turf area 50′ x 50′ produces enough oxygen to meet the daily needs of a family of four.

• Supports biodiversity.
  Smarty pants and TurfMutt’s friend Professor Botany knows the importance of grass, trees, shrubs and other plants in providing food and habitat for birds and small mammals. Insects, spiders and worms live among the grass blades and below the surface in the turf, so your lawn can support biodiversity and wildlife.

• Controls soil erosion.
  Environmental Villain Dr. Runoff runs for cover when healthy turfgrass is around. He knows that turfgrass controls erosion through its natural, dense and fibrous root system. Without grass, soil erodes into streams and lakes, muddying the waters and limiting how sunlight penetrates the water. The nutrients and chemicals carried with soil can cause algae blooms, which steal oxygen from the water and kill fish.

So how to maintain a living landscape—even under tough conditions like a drought? Learn important tips.