Environmental Studies Program
Date of this Version
2023
Citation
Environmental Studies Undergraduate Student Thesis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023
Abstract
The considerable maintenance and irrigation required of turfgrass lawns can often be seen as a fruitless endeavor, as it consumes substantial resources but yields minimal economic benefit. The goal of this paper is to highlight the resource needs of traditional turfgrass lawns and identify and test alternative lawn types that are still aesthetically pleasing while being more sustainable than traditional turfgrass. To obtain the results, the experiment was conducted in Alda, Nebraska employing a randomized complete block design, which tested four entries at two separate locations, each with three replications. The entries include: 1. Buffalograss, 2. Tall Fescue, 3. White Clover, 4. Native Mix. With the two locations representing different levels of solar exposure: 1. full-sun and 2. partial-shade. To determine the performance of each entry, each plot was observed for: height, temperature, water usage, density, and pollinator frequency. However, the plots failed to properly establish so the collection of desired data was unable to be collected, instead a visual assessment of percent coverage for each entry was done. Buffalograss had the highest percent coverage with 13% and the native mix had the lowest with just 4%. Several limitations led to the incomplete establishment of plots.
Included in
Environmental Education Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Sustainability Commons
Comments
Copyright 2023, John Lonowski