Baltimore Ecosystem Study: Lawn productivity 2006-2007

Urban grasslands cover large land areas in human-dominated landscapes,
but little is known about how these landscapes cycle carbon (C). In
this study, we examine turfgrass biomass and productivity at
thirty-three urban grassland sites within the Gwynns Fall watershed
(Baltimore, MD). These sites are characteristic of residential
conditions in the region and were selected to provide contrasts in
urban ecosystem structure (density of coarse vegetation and built
structures) as well as historical (pre-development) land use.
Aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) was measured as the sum of
clipping production plus stubble, thatch, and moss production. This
work provides context for understanding the impact of urban expansion
on regional ecosystem C dynamics and identifies specific needs related
to standardized methods for measuring turfgrass ANPP in urban
grassland systems.