PARTNERSHIP FOR POLLINATOR FRIENDLY LAWNS By Jay McCurdy, PhD, and Isadora de Souza There are an estimated 40 to 50 million acres of turfgrass in the United States, approximately 40 percent of which is maintained lawn around homes, places of business, and institutions. These living systems play an important role in society by providing places of gathering, recreation, and community cohesion. Turfgrass also provides important ecological services, such as carbon sequestration, noise abatement, and temperature moderation. Unfortunately, because the modern “American lawn” is often maintained as a monoculture, it lacks species richness and habitat for pollinating insects. However, ongoing USDA ARS studies are exploring turfgrass’ role as a pollinator food source. (See the report on turfgrass being rethought as pollinator food source on page 36 of this issue.)
Our research will address the following:
1. Pollinator habitat and pollinator visits on common turfgrass weeds and other amenity turfgrass forbs of the southeastern United States. 2. Effects of turfgrass species selection and cultural practices on forb establishment and persistence, as well as effects upon pollinator visits. 3. Stakeholder preference for pollinator habitat within maintained turfgrass systems.
In addition, Mississippi State University, Auburn University, and the University of Georgia are partnering to enrich lawns through best management practices (BMPs) and inclusion of amenity plant species that will attract and sustain pollinating insects. In April 2020, we proposed a project to create BMPs and stakeholder training that will result in more sustainably managed turfgrass systems for the improvement of pollinator habitat. The USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture funded our $493,000 project in the beginning of 2021. The project will employ at least three graduate students (one at each institution) for the project. At Mississippi State, coauthor Isadora de Souza will manage much of our state’s research responsibilities.
Refuge Lawn investigators (left to right): Dr. David Held (Auburn University), Dr. Edicarlos de Castro and Dr. Jay McCurdy (Mississippi State University), and Dr. Gerald Henry (University of Georgia).
As part of the project, we will identify pollinator friendly turfgrass alternatives and amenity forb species that meet the societal and cultural demands of traditionally maintained southeastern United States urban greenspace while also increasing pollinator habitat resources. The project will disseminate findings through a comprehensive Extension outreach program designed to be delivered by specialists and county agents. This program will include field days, small-group trainings and webinars, publications, and other outreach activities (e.g., master gardeners, regional and national stakeholder meetings). A website (RefugeLawn.com) will be created for stakeholder interaction, and we also are assembling a stakeholder advisory board. Follow our progress on Twitter: @RefugeLawn. Spring “ephemerals” such as the native spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) and the introduced hairy buttercup (Ranunculus sardous) are common in southeastern lawns, but little is known about their contribution as pollinator habitat, nor is much known about their cultivation.
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TPI Turf News September/October 2021
