Well-kept lawns are beautiful and are a great place for the whole family to enjoy. But do they produce oxygen like trees, and what’s their role in the ecosystem?
Yes, they do produce oxygen! Grass takes carbon dioxide from the air and produces oxygen through photosynthesis, like most plants.
In fact, a healthy green lawn is very efficient at producing oxygen and a 50ft lawn creates enough oxygen to meet the needs of a family of four every year.
So let’s dig a little deeper into lawns and the oxygen they produce, as well as discuss their role in the ecosystem.
So much oxygen does grass produce?
If a 50ft lawn creates enough oxygen for a family of four every year, what do bigger patches of grass produce? Well, a golf course produces enough oxygen for at least 4,000 people, which means our gardens when combined produce a massive amount of oxygen.
This is only the case with a well-maintained, green lawn however. Yellowish or dry grass doesn’t have enough green chlorophyll in it, which is a vital part of photosynthesis. So if your lawn is dry it won’t produce as much oxygen as a greener lawn.
Does grass produce more oxygen than trees?
Yes, it does! But as there are many different species of grass and trees, figures vary. But some grass can produce three times the amount of oxygen than trees.
However, if you want your grass to be greener in a more eco-friendly way, then don’t mow it too much. Constantly cutting your lawn affects its oxygen production and its ability to store carbon.
Does grass clean the air?
Grass cleans dust, dirt, and other impurities like carbon dioxide from the air. The blades of grass trap the impurities in the air, and then when the grass is wet with dew, these get drawn into the oil. The microbes in the oil break down these polluting impurities.
Grass purifies pollutants in a similar way during rainfall. The rain is filtered through the grass, and the pollutants break down as they pass through the root zone, just like the dust and dirt.
Is grass a good carbon sink?
Yes, your lawn is a good carbon sink. A ‘carbon sink’ is a natural environment that stores carbon-based compounds rather than releasing them into the atmosphere.
Once it’s been captured by your lawn, the carbon dioxide is then sequestered and turned into organic matter. Carbon compounds become useful fertilisers for grass rather than being released into the air as a greenhouse gas.
The healthy grass then continues to photosynthesise, and so the cycle starts again.
Grass is now even being used as a carbon offset, and just like some frequent flyers sometimes pay to plant trees to offset the carbon emissions generated by their flight, they’re also paying ranchers in the US not to cut their grass.
Does cutting grass release CO2?
After reading that ranchers are paid not to cut their grass, you might be wondering if mowing your lawn is a bad thing. Well, frequent lawn maintenance can actually be harmful when it comes to releasing CO2 into the environment.
While your grass acts as a carbon sink, readily capturing carbon from the atmosphere, the act of cutting grass not only releases carbon into the air through lawn mower pollution, but limits the photosynthesis potential of the grass.
The best option is to switch from gas-powered garden tools to electrical or mechanical ones. Of course if you have a smallholding rather than a lawn, you’re not exactly going to want to maintain that grass with a push lawn mower.
Therefore, you should instead cut down on how often you cut the grass. Longer grass doesn’t just have a lot of environmental benefits, but it reduces your carbon footprint.
Are lawns bad for the environment?
Areas of grass are good for the environment, but frequent mowing, using lawn mowers that cause pollution, as well as artificial fertilisers can sometimes mean our grass is less than environmentally-friendly.
A lawn can be more self-sustaining if you leave the clippings to rot back in as fertiliser. Using a push mower instead of a gas-powered or electric lawn mower can also reduce your environmental impact, as can leaving the clippings to rot down.
Some might also say that watering a dry lawn is poor eco management, especially during a drought or if you live in a dry area that experiences little rainfall.
However, if the lawn is better at photosynthesis when it has more green chlorophyll, then is keeping your lawn watered such a bad thing?
Well, the answer is to look after your lawn but do so in moderation. Mow less frequently, ideally every two weeks, and use the clippings as your fertiliser. If you have a large area of grass, let sections of it grow taller and cut paths through it. This creates a haven for wild flowers and bugs.
What role does grass play in the ecosystem?
Leaving your grass to grow creates an ideal environment for plants and animals. It gives food, shelter, and nesting materials for birds, bees, bugs, and bunnies.
We already know that grass is essential for larger grazing animals like cattles, but it’s actually a vital food source for a whole variety of animals.
Grass also plays a wider role in looking after the earth. For example, it’s dense root system helps prevent soil erosion.
A healthy root system keeps the soil in place, while above ground the blades protect the topsoil from the elements. Grass absorbs excess water, preventing runoff and filtering out impurities.
Conclusion
The role grass plays in our ecosystem is a truly important and fascinating one! Ultimately, if we’re lucky enough to have a garden we should do our best to look after it while being conscious of its role in the ecosystem and the effects it has on the planet.
There’s nothing like sitting on your grassy lawn on a warm day, sipping a cold drink and enjoying the nature around you, especially when you know you and your lawn are doing its bit for the environment!
