While I have written posts about the negative effects of residential lawns (Man and his Lawn, Lose some Lawn) the ecologic impact of these green carpets is even more dramatic along highways, around industrial parks and in the landscaping of commercial and residential developments. This fact became especially evident on our recent road trip to and from Florida, when we passed numerous mower crews along the Interstates, cutting miles of grass that often extended fifty yards or more from the edge of the road.
In like manner, massive, weed-free lawns front corporate office buildings and buffer the parking lots of retail centers. While pleasing to the eye for many humans, these manicured borders of grass consume large amounts of water, require regular mowing (including the fuel consumption and exhaust production that accompany that process) and involve the application of chemical fertilizers and herbicides to maintain the purity and luster of the lawn.
Lawns are not natural habitats. They are human imposed landscapes that consume vast amounts of water and fuel and, in the course of their lifetime, transfer a variety of pollutants to the soil, streams and groundwater. While the use of drought-tolerant lawns for parks and recreation fields is appropriate (assuming they are not doused with chemicals) the widespread use of these manicured carpets destroys natural habitat and pollutes the environment. Except where needed to improve visibility and access, lawns should be replaced with naturalized borders of native plants.
