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HOME > ABOUT OPEI > CARBON REPORT
Executive Summary from the Technical Assessment of the Carbon Sequestration Potential of Managed Turfgrass in the United States
Executive Summary: Download Full Report PDF here.
Managed turfgrass (i.e., residential lawns, golf
courses, parks, commercial landscapes,
greenbelts, and the like that are subject to regular maintenance) are
ubiquitous in the UnitedStates. Citizens clearly value such areas for
their aesthetic, recreational and utility benefits. This
independent study, which relied on peer-reviewed research and studies
conducted by others,
demonstrates that, within bounds of scientific certainty, managed turfgrass
is a viable foot soldier
in combating the environmental challenges of global climate change.
The study’s goal was to assess the carbon intake and net carbon
benefit of taking responsible
care of managed U.S. turfgrasses. While the overall response to increasing
carbon in the atmosphere will no doubt require many different prevention, stabilizing,
and mitigation
approaches, this study shows that even the household lawn, and other
managed turfgrass areas, if
properly cared for and maintained, provide significant carbon sequestration
benefits.
After reviewing the direct carbon sequestration of grasses and their
root systems, we found that
managed lawns sequester, or store, significant amounts of carbon, capturing
four times more
carbon from the air than is produced by the engine of today’s typical
lawnmower. The study also
finds that well-managed turfgrasses that are cut regularly and at the
appropriate height, fed with
nutrients left by grass clippings, watered in a responsible way, and
not disturbed at the root zone
actively pull pollutants from the air, creating a greater carbon benefit.
KEY REPORT STATISTICS
- Perennial managed grassland systems, such
as turfgrass with minimal disturbance (i.e.
residential lawns, golf courses, parks, commercial landscapes, greenbelts,
and the like),
sequester the greatest amounts of carbon; meaning, roots can grow deeper
and soak up
even more carbon.
- For an average, managed lawn, turfgrass captures four times
the carbon from the air than the carbon output of a typical mower.
- If
one compares a well managed lawn to a poorly managed lawn or unmanaged
grasslands, the net carbon intake of a well managed lawn is five to
seven times higher
than the carbon output of mowing.
- The largest amount of carbon
intake occurs with the recycling of nitrogen contained in
grass clippings; meaning, leave clippings on the ground to break down
and recycle.
- To maximize carbon intake benefits, lawns and other turfgrass areas must be managed by cutting grass, leaving grass clippings, and responsible watering. Note: The study does not delve into the strategies that could be developed and implemented in order to maximize carbon sequestration benefits; such strategies are best developed in more local or regional contexts.
