What Well-Kept Turfgrass Does: Less Runoff, Cooler Ground, Cleaner Soil

Sustainably managed turf does far more than look green. Its benefits, one by one:

Less runoff

Turfgrass slows flowing water and weakens its force, so more soaks into the soil and recharges groundwater. Sediment carried by the water is caught in the grass, and with it many of the pollutants and chemicals rain picks up — which then break down safely in the soil instead of reaching our water. Runoff and the erosion it causes are considered a leading cause of nutrient contamination of water supplies. Designing landscapes to cut stormwater runoff from hard surfaces is a fairly new idea — rain gardens in some neighborhoods are one example — and some researchers suggest designing turf areas as catchments and filters for polluted runoff.

Less erosion

Turf also holds on to nutrients: phosphorus, for instance, binds to soil particles or is taken up by the grass and doesn't leach out easily. Its fibrous roots bind the soil against rain and wind, and its blades slow rainwater so less soil washes away — a growing help as erosion worsens.

Cleaner air

Like other plants, grass takes in carbon dioxide and gives off oxygen. Well-managed turf also crowds out weeds that release heavy pollen, and a dense stand traps dust and other airborne allergens.

Safety

• Healthy turf can act as a firebreak, keeping a large fire from spreading out of control.
• Well-kept lawns deter ticks and other insect pests, and rodents tend not to cross large areas of turf.
• It's a soft playing surface — statistics show fewer injuries than on artificial surfaces — and a safe, resilient one for children.

Cooler ground

Turf is much cooler than most common surfaces — fifteen degrees cooler than concrete and 30 degrees cooler than synthetic turf. Transpiration cools the air around the grass, and studies show bare soil or poorly kept turf gives off far more heat than a healthy stand.

Breaking down pollutants

Hydrocarbons, heavy metals and other pollutants harmful to people, plants and animals often end up in soil, where bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms can break them down. Turf's dense, fibrous roots give these microbes habitat and energy, making them more productive than under most other plants.

Storing carbon

In photosynthesis, grass turns carbon dioxide into plant tissue, storing carbon underground in its roots for the long term. Grasslands differ from other ecosystems in having a large mass of roots compared with their growth above ground.

Quieter surroundings

Studies show that turf planted on a sloped barrier facing a noise source can cut noise by as much as 8 to 10 decibels, and what gets through sounds softer and less irritating.

Sources

Based on "The Benefits of Sustainably Managed Turf," National Park Service; a work of the United States government in the public domain. The source's "sustainability maintained," "settlement," "artificial services" and "cooling affect" are corrected to sustainably, sediment, surfaces and effect; it does not give the units for its temperature comparison.