Benefits of Turfgrass to the Environment
OUR PRECIOUS
PLANET
Being A True Environmentalist Begins Right Under Our Feet
Turfgrass -- Functional, Recreational & Aesthetic
The earth has been good to us, but we haven't always been good to it.
While industry and technology have provided jobs and goods to make life
easier, the effect on the environment has been substantial. But we can help
restore this precious earth with something as simple as turfgrass -- the
earth's living skin.
The U.S. Congress has acknowledged these positive benefits to our
environment.
"Turfgrass sod in urban areas and communities can aid in the reduction of
carbon dioxide emissions, mitigating the heat island effect, reducing energy
consumption and contributing to efforts to reduce global warming trends."
Scientific research has documented the many benefits of turfgrass to our
environment.
Our turfgrass
lawns, parks and open areas:
• Provide a natural, comfortable, and safe setting for fun and games.
• Release oxygen and cool the air.
• Control pollution and reduce soil erosion.
• Purify and replenish our water supply.
Our
Environment
The satisfaction of creating beauty within the landscape can be
rewarding for you and the environment. With turfgrass sod, the rewards are
practically immediate.
• A well maintained lawn and landscape can enhance the "curb appeal" adding
as much as 15 percent to the value of a home.
Pollution
Control
Today's improved turfgrass varieties are very effective in reducing
pollution.
• Turfgrass traps and removes dust and dirt from the air.
• 2,500 square feet of lawn absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and
release enough oxygen for a family of four to breathe.
Nature's Air
Conditioner
Another benefit that everyone enjoys, usually without notice, is
turfgrass' tremendous cooling effect.
• On a hot summer day, lawns will be 30 degrees cooler than asphalt and 14
degrees cooler than bare soil.
• The front lawns of eight houses have the cooling effect of about 70 tons
of air conditioning. That's amazing when the average home has an air
conditioner with just a three or four ton capacity.
• The cooling effect of irrigated turf reduces the amount of fuel that must
be burned to provide the electricity which powers the air conditioners.
• Watered when the grass plant needs it, turfgrass will very efficiently and
effectively use almost every drop.
A Natural
Filter
Runoff water in urban areas carries many pollutants.
• Turfgrass acts as a natural filter, reducing pollution by purifying the
water passing through its root zone.
Soil Erosion
The clean gentle strength of turfgrass is the most cost-effective method
for controlling wind and water erosion.
• A healthy sodded lawn absorbs rainfall six times more effectively than a
wheat field and four times better than a hay field.
• A sodded lawn will absorb greater amounts of rain than a seeded lawn; even
after three years of growth.
Fun & Games
The soft resilient surface of turfgrass is the safest and least
expensive place to play.
• For backyard ball games or the Super Bowl, athletes of all sizes prefer
the green cushion of turfgrass.
• Turfgrass is the only place for putting, picnics or just plain relaxing.
Our Mental
Health
Turfgrass quietly adds to the beauty of our lives and even our mental
and physical health.
• Doctors have shown that people recover faster in a hospital when given a
landscape view, rather than seeing only the walls of adjoining buildings.
Turfgrass
. . . a continuing source of oxygen and cool air.
. . . a cleansing answer to our environment.
. . . a source of beauty and comfort.
With the benefits of turfgrass working their wonders for us, we will be able
to share a beautiful and healthy planet with our future generations.
Turfgrass "Factoids"
Above Ground . . . Grass plants are 70 to 80 % water • Grass
clippings are 90% water
• Grass clippings contain 4 percent nitrogen, 2% potassium and 0.5%
phosphorus
• A 10,000 square foot lawn will contain: 6 grass plants per square inch,
850 plants per square foot, 8.5 million plants total.
Below Ground . . . 90% of the weight of the grass is in its
roots • A single grass plant has 387 miles of root
• There are 329,000 miles of root per square foot • 3 billion miles of roots
in a 10,000 square foot lawn
• Turfgrass sod is a superior form of erosion control, with tests
documenting:
• A dense lawn is 6 times more effective than a wheat field and 4 times
better than a hay field at absorbing rainfall
• Sediment losses from sodded areas will be 8 to 15 times less for tested
man-made erosion control materials and 10 times less than for a straw
covered area.
• Runoff from a sodded area will take 28 to 46 times longer than for five
popular erosion control materials.
• A 50 by 50 foot lawn (2,500 square feet) releases enough oxygen for a family of four, while absorbing carbon dioxide, hydrogen fluoride and perosyacetyle nitrate.
Last modified 2/04/2009