StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Benefits of Lawn to the Environment - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Apart from the aesthetic and psychological purposes, the lawn also has beneficial functions including promotion of safety and health. Grass can act as a firebreak in some areas thus prevents wildfires from spreading. …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER94.8% of users find it useful
Benefits of Lawn to the Environment
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Benefits of Lawn to the Environment"

Benefits of Lawn to the Environment A lawn refers to an area of land planted with grasses or other durable plants that are maintained at a short height. The lawns are mainly used for recreational and aesthetic purposes. The common characteristics of a lawn are that it consists only of grass species, it is subject to pest and weed control, and it is regularly cut to maintain required length. The Americans love lawn due to aesthetics, psychology, and economics reasons. The paper explains the benefits that lawns have on the environment, which raises the need of promoting lawns. Apart from the aesthetic and psychological purposes, the lawn also has beneficial functions including promotion of safety and health. Grass can act as a firebreak in some areas thus prevents wildfires from spreading. Therefore, lawns are important to the environment because they prevent the occurrence of wildfires thus ensuring that there is no loss of biodiversity. The turf grass is useful in reducing pollution of the environment by trapping some pollutants and pollens that lead to the development of allergies. “Even before scientists discovered that turf can trap some pollutants and pollens that cause allergies, Walt Whitman called grass the handkerchief of the Lord” (Bormann et al., 9). The green plants can act as reservoirs of clean air that leads to the creation of healthy environments. The lawns are also useful in performing ecological functions that help to conserve the environment. The lawn comprises of grass cover that covers the ground, which helps in binding soil particles together. Therefore, the grass will prevent soil erosion by holding the soil particles together (Maetens et al., 106). The turf grass is capable of slowing down and absorbing storm water runoff. The turf grasses have many leaves that increase their ability of preventing soil erosion, which is beneficial to the environment (Robbins and Trevor, 192). The leaves of the grass protect the soil from the effects of raindrops that could lead to splash erosion. Therefore, the lawns have benefits to the environment because the turf grass prevents soil erosion thus ensuring that the environment is not degraded. The turf grass increases the ability of the soil to infiltrate the water, which help to decrease flooding of various streams. The water that infiltrates into the soil increases the level of ground water that can be used by deep-rooted plants during drought. Therefore, the ground water is important in maintaining biodiversity that is of good benefit to the environment. The lawns also benefit the environment due to the fact the turf grass clean water and air that moves through the soil. The grass carries out photosynthesis due to the presence of green pigments. Therefore, grass utilizes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen during the process of photosynthesis. The aspects of taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen help to purify the air, which is of benefit to the environment (Steiner and Alan, 76). The turf grasses absorb water from the soil that is later released in the atmosphere through the process of transpiration. The water released into the atmosphere in vapor form condenses and fall back as rain, which makes the turf grass important in cleaning water. By changing the lawn care practices to include best management practices, the environmental impacts of our residential landscapes can be improved. The lawns require an appropriate amount of water and fertilizer that will ensure that the turf grass grows vigorously. The pesticides should be applied frequently to ensure that the turf grass remains healthy (Bormann et al., 98). The lawns also require laborers to check on the growth of the turf grass in order to maintain a uniform size. The inputs are necessary in high maintenance lawns to maintain the green color and keep away the weeds. The management practices should be used in the best way to minimize any negative environmental impacts and to maintain a desired level of lawn. The fertilizer should be applied only when necessary and in the correct amount (Robbins and Julie, 436). The irrigation of the lawns should be done at the correct time and rate. “For example, overwatering can lead to plant diseases caused by growth of fungi” (Bormann et al., 101). Therefore, the pesticides should be used when necessary, especially when the pest level can cause damage to the lawn. The pesticides should be used when other methods of pest control are ineffective. This management practices will help to reduce the negative impacts of the pesticides on the environment. Proper selection should be made on the right grass depending on the local environment. “Some grasses require large amounts of water and should be avoided in areas frequently subject to drought” (Bormann et al., 95). The use of non grass species such as clover is also important in improving environmental impacts. The clover has microorganisms that convert the nitrogen from the air into an inorganic form that can be used by the grass. The fertilizer used should mainly comprise of organic fertilizers that are derived from the organic that decomposes. “The nutrients in these fertilizers are largely insoluble and are released over time by microbial action” (Bormann et al., 98). This reduces the need for chemical nitrogen fertilizers thus reducing environmental pollution. The roots of the clover also bind the soil particles thus help to control soil erosion. Another practice of reducing the negative impacts on the environment is reducing the use of gasoline-powered machines in order to reduce environmental pollution. The correct choice should be made on the lawn care companies. The lawn care company should be the one that has reputable lawn care practices and is capable of providing a carefree and healthy lawn. “Many companies have reputable lawn care practices and can provide a home owner with a carefree, healthy lawn” (Bormann et al., 103). Replacing the lawns with low maintenance shrubs, herbs or trees can also reduce negative impacts on the environment because it reduces the need for chemical or water that could be added to the lawn. The replacement of the lawns with low maintenance shrubs, trees or herbs also reduces the need of mowers that help to control environmental pollution. In conclusion, the lawn has many benefits to the environment as compared to the detrimental effects. The turf grass plays a major important role in reducing soil erosion by holding the soil particles together and reducing the speed of surface runoff. The best management practices including appropriate use of pesticides and herbicides, and reducing the use of gasoline-powered machines reduce environmental pollution. Therefore, the best management practices should be incorporated to improve the environmental impacts of our residential landscapes. Work Cited Bormann, F. Herbert, Diana Balmori, and Gordon T. Geballe. Redesigning the American Lawn: A Search for Environmental Harmony. New Haven; CT: Yale University Press, 2001. Maetens, Willem, Jean Poesen, and Matthias Vanmaercke. "How effective are soil conservation techniques in reducing plot runoff and soil loss in Europe and the Mediterranean?." Earth-Science Reviews (2012). Robbins, Paul, and Julie T. Sharp. "Producing and Consuming Chemicals: The Moral Economy of the American Lawn." Economic Geography 79.4 (2003): 425-451. Robbins, Paul, and Trevor Birkenholtz. "Turfgrass Revolution: Measuring the Expansion of the American lawn." Land Use Policy 20.2 (2003): 181-194. Steiner, Jean L., and Alan J. Franzluebbers. "Farming with grass—for people, for profit, for production, for protection." journal of soil and water conservation 64.2 (2009): 75-80. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Benefits of Lawn to the Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words”, n.d.)
Benefits of Lawn to the Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1623629-benefits-of-lawn-to-the-environment
(Benefits of Lawn to the Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words)
Benefits of Lawn to the Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words. https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1623629-benefits-of-lawn-to-the-environment.
“Benefits of Lawn to the Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1623629-benefits-of-lawn-to-the-environment.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Benefits of Lawn to the Environment

Business Law Legal Ethical Global and E Commerce Environment

34, NEWYORK and engaging in any other lawful phase or aspect of lawn service.... This assignment "Business Law Legal Ethical Global and E-Commerce environment" deals with legal business issues.... The business and purposes of the Partnership are to manage, and operate, lawn service business (the "Lawns"), or interest therein, including but not limited to that certain parcel of land and such other businesses and purposes as the Partners may from time to time determine in accordance with Section 8 of this Agreement....
15 Pages (3750 words) Assignment

Human Health and The Environment

Thomas Gale Moore, who is a fellow at Hoover Institution, and the author of Climate of Fear: Why We Shouldn't Worry about Global Warming, and Special Report: Global Warming Benefits May Exceed Risks, Human Health and the environment Most people in America prefer warm weather, because they want to enjoy good health and live longer.... Commons Ignorance: The Failure of Environmental Law to Produce Needed Information on Health and the environment.... e further discusses the possible risks and benefits of warm temperature to the Americans, and analyses various factors that are in favor of his argument....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Maintaining the Garden as a Viable Business Idea

The internal environment of Ladybird Lawn Care considers treating its employees with respect and care which makes their job enjoyable; as a result, the company flourishes.... Companies are also cutting down their cost structure and… So in this period of economic crisis, we have decided to start up a lawn care business.... The reason behind choosing lawn care business over millions of other business ideas is that here are still people who are willing to invest part of their earnings in maintaining their gardens because they understand that a neat, planned and lush green lawn is a status symbol and adds pride to their property....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

Valuing environmental benefits of air and water

Water, air and land pollution are the most common types of… Despite these agents contributing greatly to environmental degradation, economists and environmentalists across the world believe that people still value their surroundings, and have set priorities and policies to improve the environment (Harris and Roach, Typically, many people living in major towns in developed and developing countries invest in getting cleaner and less-smoked air, while people living in polluted lakes and dams are investing to have water catchment areas cleaned....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Economic Policy and the Environment

These benefits accrued by the investor's results into negative impacts to the environment and the society as well.... These benefits accrued by the investor's results into negative impacts to the environment and the society as well.... For instance, pollution arising from production affects the environment in a significant way.... For instance, pollution arising from production affects the environment in a significant way.... This is a tax that is applied to someone who is causing negative externalities in the environment....
1 Pages (250 words) Assignment

Monetarization of Environmental Assets

While this approach was reasonable in the past, the industrial revolution and its associated effects such as increased rate of population growth started to cause a substantial degree of human impact on the environment.... Over the past two centuries, it has become increasingly clear to most environmentalists that human impacts on the environment are irreversible and this might eventually limit the ability of humans to continue thriving on the planet (Khalil, 1999)....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Indirect Compensation: Employee Benefit Plans

The author explains what should a company do over the short and long term to maximize the use and value of its benefits choices to employees.... nbsp; benefits represent substantial annual expenditures for a company.... The design for the appropriate benefits program in the short and long term should account for the following factors: the long-term plans of a business, its stage of development, its projected rate of growth or downsizing, characteristics of its workforce, legal requirements, the competitiveness of its overall benefits "package," and its total compensation strategy....
10 Pages (2500 words) Assignment

Communist Manifesto on Religion, Law and Morality

From the paper "Communist Manifesto on Religion, Law and Morality" it is clear that the ruling class uses the law, morality and religion are tools used by the rich to keep the poor in line.... The law restricts them from owning the means of production whereas religion provides them with comfort....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us