The suburban lawn has been under attack by environmentalists who claim it is causing harm to the environment. While it may never gain the same level of acceptance as forests, there are benefits to having a healthy lawn outside your front door. How you care for it can make the difference in whether your lawn is a benefit or drain on environmental resources. 

How Lawns Benefit the Environment

The reality is, turfgrass is one of the most widely grown crops in the U.S. It is perhaps the most accessible form of nature for people in urban or semi-urban areas. In those places, a city park or neighborhood ballfield may be residents' only exposure to living, breathing plants.

While you may think of forests or natural landscapes as better for the environment, lawns have benefits, too. They are, after all, composed of millions of plants. 

Lawns Clean and Filter the Air 

Thanks to their ability to absorb carbon dioxide during respiration, grass plants help clean the air around them. An acre of healthy lawn will sequester about a thousand pounds of CO2 each year. Even after their care is taken into consideration, lawns are still a carbon sink.  

Grass Clippings Act As Mulch and Fertilizer

Grass clippings from mowing can serve several beneficial purposes. If you use a mulching mower, the tiny individual pieces can be left where they fall. As they decompose, these clippings release nitrogen and naturally fertilize the remaining plants. 

If you bag clippings, they are excellent green material for composting. The infusion of moisture and nitrogen can increase the temperature and help speed decomposition so you can get healthy, nutrient-dense compost sooner. 

Roots Condition the Soil

Grass is a perennial plant. It does not require replanting every year and will, with some level of care, return annually to brighten up your yard. As vigorous root systems develop underground, the grass helps to break up compacted soil. This allows water and nutrients to enter the ground easier, resulting in less runoff, erosion, and flooding. It also makes feeding the lawn easier, so you can use fewer chemicals. 

Grass Absorbs Sounds

The dull echo of sound reverberating off hard, solid surfaces can't compare with the softer, more muted sounds of nature. Healthy lawns offer a reduction in noise from traffic, people, and normal neighborhood activities. without them, sounds would be magnified as they bounced off harder, less absorbent surfaces. 

Lawns Help Keep Summer Temperatures Down

Much like they reduce noise, lawns also absorb heat. You may notice that it can feel several degrees cooler when you move from a city to the surrounding suburbs. That is because buildings and roadways absorb the heat from the sun and air. Then, they slowly release it back. While that may be beneficial in the winter when you want to prevent freezing, it can be sweltering in the dead of summer. 

Grass, on the other hand, offers the cooling effects of transcription to provide welcome relief from the heat. 

What You Can Do to Minimize Negative Impacts

With all the great things that lawns can do for the environment, there are bound to be some negatives, too. They are largely due to poor maintenance programs and the overuse of chemicals. Although not every lawn service near me uses harsh chemicals, some of them do.  

Choose Chemicals Wisely

From pre-emergent weed preventers to fertilizers and insecticides, your lawn care routine can easily involve several applications per year. Choosing natural methods to feed your lawn and control weeds and insects can minimize the negative environmental impact of those applications. 

Using beneficial insects and other alternatives to chemicals can boost the health of your lawn and the environment. Ask about a lawn service near me that offers aeration services to improve soil quality and help improve moisture content and airflow within it. 

Maximize Water Resources

Water resources can be conserved by maintaining a healthy lawn. Grass clippings act as a natural mulch, helping the soil to retain moisture. That means less frequent watering for you. Maintaining a height of at least three inches will also help keep the ground from drying out too quickly. 

Overall, how you care for your lawn matters. Encouraging a healthy lawn is an excellent environmentally-friendly alternative to concrete or paved surfaces. They absorb carbon, help absorb water and replenish the water table, and provide green spaces where people can enjoy a slice of nature.