Benefits of Turfgrass

How we all benefit

At a time when global warming, air pollution, and carbon emissions are making world-wide news, it is important to take a closer look at turfgrass and the many benefits it has to offer. Most people take grass for granted, never thinking about the environmental, community, human health, and economic benefits it offers.

Dr. James Beard, Professor Emeritus of Texas A & M University and a leading authority of turfgrass, has often stated. “The environmental benefits of turfgrass are the most sensible and economically feasible approach to countering the greenhouse effect in urban areas.”

People Grass Park
Importance of Turfgrass

Just how important is turfgrass as it relates to the world around us?  The benefits we derive from turfgrass are considerable. Turfgrasses act as carbon sinks that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while providing clean oxygen in return. A recent study has suggested that lawns actual store four times the carbon emissions of the lawn mowers used to maintain them.

Lawns also decrease the urban heat island effect and reduce the need for air conditioning in the summer – which reduces the use of fossil fuels and water. Turfgrass lawns provide erosion control, keeping surface waters clean by decreasing run-off and helping to purify water before it reaches aquifers. It has been scientifically proven that install of well-maintained turfgrass lawns around freshwater sources are better at keeping contaminants out of the water, compared to re-established native prairie mixes.

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