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Urban Grass Might Be Greener, but That Doesn t Mean It s Greener
New research from the University of Cincinnati shows how some things you do to make your lawn green might not be conducive to going green.
Amy Townsend-Small, a UC assistant professor of geology and geography, will present her research, Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Urban Ecosystems, at the
Association of American Geographers annual meeting
to be held April 9-13 in Los Angeles. The interdisciplinary forum is attended by more than 7,000 scientists from around the world and features an array of geography-related presentations, workshops and field trips.
At the meeting, Townsend-Small will discuss the effects lawn-management techniques have on greenhouse gas production in urban landscapes. She says theres a high energy cost associated with common lawn-care methods such as mowing, irrigation and fertilization due to the processing and transport required for these products and services.
Landscaping is something everyone can understand, Townsend-Small says. You probably have your own maintenance routine you do. To make your lawn look nice, you need to use fossil fuels, which emit carbon dioxide. Depending on the management intensity, lawns could either be a small sink meaning they store carbon or a small source of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
Fossil fuels are used to power lawn mowers and trimmers, to pump irrigation water, and to make fertilizers and all of these activities emit carbon dioxide.
For her research, Townsend-Small monitored the carbon uptake and storage known as carbon sequestration in the soil of urban lawns in Los Angeles and Cincinnati. Despite the extreme climate variation between the two regions, she found the lawns had surprisingly similar abilities to absorb carbon and store it in soils. But theres a stark contrast in how those lawns are managed, leading to differences in their ecological impact.
Townsend-Small found that while having a well-cared-for lawn will improve its carbon-quelling capacity, intensive lawn care isnt worth the atmospheric side effects. For example, in Californias arid environment, the management required and fossil fuel energy expended to keep lawns looking lush consumes so much energy that it counteracts the soils natural carbon sequestration abilities. But if you head nearly 2,500 miles east to Cincinnati, rainfall is more plentiful. This means more lawns dont require irrigation, helping reduce the carbon cost of lawn maintenance and preserve the carbon sequestration benefits.
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This study is the first of its kind to compare the environmental cost of making urban lawns rich and productive with leaving them unmanaged and undisturbed. Two undergraduate students in UCs
Women In Science and Engineering
program gathered hundreds of local soil samples at different sites and analyzed the emission of powerful greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide and methane. The University of Cincinnati proved to be an ideal location for Townsend-Smalls project thanks to the proximity of the managed green spaces on campus and the natural environment of nearby city parks.
Thats one thing thats special about UC. Its in the middle of the city, and its a great research site for us because of the access to urban green spaces, Townsend-Small says. Now were exploring whether you can reduce the amount of energy you need to make a lawn pretty and preserve the carbon storage in soils.
Townsend-Smalls research could prove useful to cities, businesses and urban universities, such as UC, that are interested in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Her data offer an important warning to such groups: When measuring your carbon footprint, remember to thoroughly evaluate whats underfoot.
Urban green space usually gets a lot of credit for all the benefits to the atmosphere, Townsend-Small says. But most people dont consider the positive influxes of carbon dioxide from lawn maintenance.
Additional contributors to Townsend-Smalls research paper were professor Claudia Czimczik (University of California, Irvine) and UC undergraduate researchers Rebecca Ransohoff and Lily Soderlund.
Funding for the Ohio research was provided by Townsend-Smalls start-up funding in UCs
McMicken College of Arts & Sciences
.
In 2012,
UC was named among the nations top green schools
by The Princeton Review due to its strong commitment to sustainability in academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. It was the third year in a row that UC earned a spot on the prestigious list.
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