As spring approaches, homeowners are being encouraged to reconsider the size of their lawns for the benefit of local wildlife and the environment. Turfgrass currently covers more than 40 million acres in the United States, replacing diverse native plant communities. According to Doug Tallamy, a professor and author, “turfgrass has replaced diverse native plant communities across the country in more than 40 million acres, an area the size of New England, and we are adding 500 square miles of lawn to the United States each year.” He notes that this shift limits food and shelter for native insects, birds, and animals, destabilizing local food webs.
Tallamy also highlights the critical role pollinators play in ecosystems: “Pollinators are essential to life as we know it on planet Earth. In addition to pollinating a third of our crops, animals (bees, bats, hummingbirds, and others, but mostly bees) are responsible for pollinating 87 percent of all plants and 90 percent of all angiosperms (flowering plants). So if pollinators were to disappear, 87 to 90 percent of the plants on planet Earth would also disappear. Not only would such a loss be a fatal blow to humans, it would take most other multicellular species with it as well.”
Lawns made up mostly of turfgrass can also affect water quality. The grass is relatively impervious, which makes it difficult for rainwater to soak into the ground. As a result, runoff from lawns can carry soil and pollutants into nearby waterways. This process may contribute to excessive algae growth and reduced oxygen levels in aquatic environments.
To address these concerns, Tallamy suggests homeowners reduce their turfgrass by half. Strategies include planting groundcover or beneficial plants around trees, connecting existing plant beds for larger continuous areas of vegetation, hedging property edges with native bushes or trees, or allowing parts of lawns to return to a natural state. Native plants recommended for supporting pollinators include oaks and willows, perennial sunflowers, blueberry bushes, goldenrod, and asters. Resources such as the National Wildlife Federation’s Native Plant Finder and Audubon Society’s Plants for Birds offer guidance on suitable species.
For those maintaining some lawn space, several practices can make yards more environmentally friendly: raising mower blades allows deeper root growth; leaving grass clippings on lawns returns nutrients to the soil; and introducing clover provides a bee-friendly alternative that remains green throughout the season.
Additional information about reducing lawn size can be found at https://www.cuyahogaswcd.org/blog/2015/09/01/shrink-your-lawn and https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/smaller-lawns/5164.html.
