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The use of bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] and hybrid bermudagrass (C. dactylon x C. transvaalensis Burtt Davy) in lawns is rapidly increasing in Mediterranean Europe; however, the identification of optimal N fertilization practices is needed to shorten the long dormancy periods some cultivars undergo in these environments. A 2‐yr study was conducted at the agricultural experimental farm of Padova University from May 2016 until June 2018 to compare the effects of three N fertilization rates (160 kg N ha−1 without clippings returned, 80 kg N ha−1 with clippings returned, and 80 kg N ha−1 without clippings returned applied with a controlled‐release fertilizer) on two bermudagrass cultivars ('La Paloma', 'Yukon') and two hybrid bermudagrass cultivars ('Patriot', 'Tifway') by measuring summer and fall quality, spring green‐up, and root morphology. Bermudagrasses fertilized at 160 kg N ha−1 without clippings returned slightly increased turfgrass quality in the summer, but higher turf quality was recorded in plots fertilized at 80 kg N ha−1 with clippings returned after weekly mowing events in the fall. The same N rates had a positive effect on spring green‐up for 'La Paloma' and 'Tifway'; however, no benefits of increased N rates were detected on root morphology. Results suggest that returning clippings can be a powerful tool for reducing mineral N applications and increase growing season length in northern Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since October 2019, chinch bugs have been detected in large sunken dead patches of St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) lawns in different locations of Lisbon and Setubal districts, in Portugal. Based on morphological and molecular studies, using mitochondrial Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, the collected insects were identified as Blissus insularis (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Blissidae). This is the first record of this noxious chinch bug species in Europe and in the Palaearctic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel anti-seepage method used LID constructions in an area of collapsible loess was proposed. • The performance of the VSSL was investigated with infiltration experiments and HYDRUS-2D software. • The HYDRUS-2D software could accurately describe the hydraulic behavior of the VSSL system. • The VSSL exhibited a significant anti-permeate and directed penetration capacity. The use of a sunken lawn is an emerging Low Impact Development (LID) technique to effectively control storm runoffs. However, the random infiltration of rainwater that occurs due to the construction of a sunken lawn in an area of collapsible loess seriously threatens the safety of buildings around it. Setting up a vertical soil sand layer (VSSL) structure next to a sunken lawn as an anti-permeate method has been proposed in this study. To analyze the lateral anti-seepage effects of a VSSL, a sunken lawn model around a building was established based on soil physical parameters, and water seepage in the sunken lawn was investigated using a infiltration experiment and HYDRUS-2D software. The results show that the anti-seepage effects of a VSSL can significantly reduce the average wetting front migration length and water content at the observation points behind the sand layer. The Nash-Sutcliff Efficiency (NSE) index was used to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the HYDRUS-2D model. The values of the NSE index obtained were greater than 0.82 (varied between 0.82 and 0.98) which confirmed the applicability of the HYDRUS-2D software in accurately describing the hydraulic behavior of the lateral anti-seepage effects of the VSSL in a sunken lawn. Simulation infiltration tests showed that, on the side of the VSSL, the wetting front migration length was reduced by 55.5% on average, and the water content of the observation points behind the sand layer was reduced by 40.5%, increasing the stability of the loess around the building infrastructure. The results are of value in practical applications, such as for devising engineering or non-engineering measures to avoid loess collapsibility around sunken lawns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prediction of effective rainfall, rainfall which contributes to the plant available water content, for lawns remains a challenge despite its critical role in accurately estimating a soil water balance and irrigation water requirement. The objective of this research was to validate simple runoff models for estimating effective rainfall on St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walter) Kuntze 'Raleigh'] turf managed under varying irrigation strategies. A field experiment was conducted at Texas A&M Urban Landscape Runoff Facility in College Station, TX, USA. Effective rainfall during the irrigation season was approximately 16% of measured rainfall but varied with rainfall depth and irrigation management. Methods which accounted for initial abstraction and subsequent rainfall independently were more accurate than simple coefficient models which only accounted for runoff as a percentage of daily rainfall depth. In general, St. Augustinegrass lawns can abstract 12.5 mm of water before rainfall becomes ineffective (runs off). These findings suggest accurate estimates of effective rainfall can be achieved using readily-available methods such as the SCS Curve Number model with adjustments for irrigation management strategy. Implementing more accurate effective rainfall estimates may reduce irrigation applied without decreasing turf quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In semi‐arid cities, urbanization can lead to elevated baseflow during summer months. One potential source for additional water is lawn irrigation. We sought to quantify lawn irrigation contributions to summertime baseflow in Denver, Colorado, USA using water‐stable isotope (δ18O and δ2H) analysis of surface water, tap water, and precipitation. If lawn irrigation contributed significantly to baseflow, we predicted the isotopic composition of Denver's urban streams would more closely resemble local tap water than precipitation or streamflow from nearby grassland watersheds. We expected tap water to be distinctive due to local water providers importing source water from high elevations. Thirteen urban streams and two grassland streams were selected for sampling. None of the streams had high‐elevation headwaters or wastewater effluent, and the grassland streams did not receive irrigation. Tap water was sampled from five water service areas. The grassland streams flowed for 60% of summer 2019 while urban streams flowed for 90%–100% of the summer. An isotope mixing analysis using tap and precipitation end‐members over a two week antecedent period estimated that tap water contributed 65% ± 10%–93% ± 3% with a mean of 80% of urban baseflow on specific days in late summer. After taking contributions from infrastructure leakage into account, we estimated that lawn irrigation return flows made up 32% ± 10%–82% ± 21% of analyzed baseflow. Quantifying lawn irrigation contributions to urban baseflow provides a basis for understanding how changes to lawn irrigation efficiency would affect water yield in the Denver metropolitan area. Plain Language Summary: Excess lawn irrigation may contribute to flow in urban streams when more water is applied than plants can use or when sidewalks or driveways receive water from mis‐aimed sprinklers. We have applied a new approach to estimating how much flow in streams originally came from excess lawn irrigation by using a tracer that is different between tap water in the Denver, Colorado USA area and local rain. We applied this approach to 13 urban streams and two grassland streams in the Denver area. We found that, on the dry weather days analyzed, over 65% of flow in urban streams was from tap water, and lawn irrigation was a larger source of water in the streams than leaking water pipes. This work gives a new way to analyze how much flow is coming from different sources in urban areas, which is important for understanding consequences for water quality and water rights for downstream users. Key Points: δ18O and δ2H have summer values in tap water distinct from local precipitation in the Denver areaMost urban baseflow in 13 urban streams in the Denver area was sourced from tap water based on water stable isotopesTap water contributions to the streams were mostly from excess lawn irrigation as determined using infrastructure leakage reports [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three‐year experiment dealt with 12 lawn grass mixtures with different composition of species and varieties. Two sowing rates were applied: N1‐25 g/m2 and N2‐35 g/m2. Lawn colors were assessed in spring, summer and autumn with the visual method, with a 1–9 scale assigning a score to each plot of grass according to the Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart. It was found that in the spring the mixtures with the highest proportions of Festuca rubra L. and in the summer and autumn those where Poa pratensis L. dominated had the best color. The effect of the sowing rate was studied only in the summer and autumn. On average, the best and darkest color was reported in the spring and summer. The least intense color of the lawns was in the second year of the studies due to weather conditions during that growing period, affecting the level of chlorophyll in plant leaves. It was found that a definite choice of a lawn mixture was extremely difficult and should be preceded by a detailed analysis of local conditions. The species and varieties selected for a lawn should ensure the right color as long as possible during the growing season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential fertilization effect of the decomposition of periodical cicadas on plant growth has been often discussed, but little quantified. I demonstrated this effect in an urban context by examining the effect of decomposing cicada carcasses and commercial lawn fertilizer on the growth of lawn grass in an 80-day greenhouse experiment. Deposition of cicada carcasses benefited aboveground growth of several lawn grasses in a dose-dependent manner, as did lawn fertilizer addition. The effect of cicadas at high levels of deposition was similar to that of the application of lawn fertilizer at half recommended rates. Notable increases in plant height and greenness were also observed in grasses given either treatment indicating the decomposition of cicadas can benefit growth in ways similar to lawn fertilizer, at least during the season following emergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This paper is aimed at studying the relative light conditions (RLC) for lawns in the crown shade of light‐requiring and shade‐tolerant trees from the landscaping sites of Stavropol.Methods. The illuminance incident on the lawn surface was measured using a TKA‐LUX light meter from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., every two hours.Results. It is shown that lawns under the crowns of light‐requiring tree species (Larix sibirica), received the highest RLC. During three calendar periods (22.05–15.06–18.09.2017, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.), its value amounted to 8.2‐9.2% (9.2% – at 1 p.m.); 4.6‐6.8% (6.8%); 7.0‐12.9% (12.9%). The projective cover of the lawns reached 75‐90%. In case of Betula pendula, the RLC values were as follows: 2.6‐3.7% (3.7%); 1.9‐3.2% (3.0%); 3.6‐5.7% (5.6%), with the projective cover amounting to 75‐90%. Under the crowns of shade‐tolerant species, Abies nordmanniana, the RLC values reached 1.0‐1.5% (1.0%), 0.6‐1.5% (0.6%), 0.7‐3.0 (0.7%), with the projective cover of lawns amounting to 10‐25%. For Aesculus hip‐ pocastanum, these values were equal to 0.6‐0.8% (0.6%); 0.6‐0.8% (0.6%); 9.0‐11.5% (11.2%), with dead patches being frequently formed. Projective cover values for shaded lawns correlate with the RLC value (r = 0.89).Conclusions. Under present conditions, ground covers consisting of Vinca minor shrubs and Hedera helix vines can be used in urban greening for intensively shaded sites.

Conservation efforts in rural landscapes seek to improve the multifunctional nature of land uses for people and the biotic communities that support them. In these environments, existing turfgrass lawns mowed routinely through the summer present an opportunity where changes in management from intensively managed monocultures to diverse native perennial vegetation can stack environmental benefits by improving soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat. Conversion of lawns to pollinator habitat can help achieve continental goals of reversing declines in high-profile species such as the monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus and native bees. Here, we examine the financial implications for landowners and managers considering conversion of lawns to pollinator habitat in rural landscapes. We examined financial factors over a 10-y management horizon in three unique scenarios with a range of expenses: self-maintenance of lawns, contracted maintenance of lawns, and establishment and management of pollinator habitat. Our analyses indicate conversion to pollinator habitat was appreciably less expensive ($54–$167·acre−1·y−1) than continued self-care ($637–$1,007·acre−1·y−1) or contracted care ($326–$1,034·acre−1·y−1) of lawns over a 10-y period. These results establish the financial benefits for landowners or land managers considering an alternative management paradigm of existing lawns. These financial benefits complement existing literature, demonstrating multiple ecological benefits of diverse native perennial vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We contrast the response of arthropod abundance and composition to bison grazing lawns during a drought and non‐drought year, with an emphasis on acridid grasshoppers, an important grassland herbivore.Grazing lawns are grassland areas where regular grazing by mammalian herbivores creates patches of short‐statured, high nutrient vegetation. Grazing lawns are predictable microsites that modify microclimate, plant structure, community composition, and nutrient availability, with likely repercussions for arthropod communities.One year of our study occurred during an extreme drought. Drought mimics some of the effects of mammalian grazers: decreasing above‐ground plant biomass while increasing plant foliar percentage nitrogen.We sampled arthropods and nutrient availability on and nearby ("off") 10 bison‐grazed grazing lawns in a tallgrass prairie in NE Kansas. Total grasshopper abundance was higher on grazing lawns and the magnitude of this difference increased in the wetter year of 2019 compared to 2018, when drought led to high grass foliar nitrogen concentrations on and off grazing lawns. Mixed‐feeding grasshopper abundances were consistently higher on grazing lawns while grass‐feeder and forb‐feeder abundances were higher on lawns only in 2019, the wetter year. In contrast, the abundance of other arthropods (e.g., Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and Araneae) did not differ on and off lawns, but increased overall in 2019, relative to the drought of 2018.Understanding these local scale patterns of abundances and community composition improves predictability of arthropod responses to ongoing habitat change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective tests are not widely used to guide fall N fertilization of turfgrasses, and N is applied at predetermined rates regardless of plant‐N status. This study was conducted across 3 yr in Connecticut to determine if fall verdure concentrations of total N, dry‐tissue extractable nitrate (NO3)–N, and fresh sap NO3–N could guide fall N fertilization for a mixed‐species, cool‐season turfgrass lawn. Field experiments were set out with varying fall N rates and verdure samples were collected weekly in October and November. Verdure tissue‐N test concentrations in response to N rates were analyzed with polynomial (quadratic or cubic) and linear‐response and plateau (LRP) models. Models were significant (P <.0001) for all tissue concentrations in response to N rates and estimates were comparable between models. When referenced to expected responses from the commonly recommended fall N rates of 24.5, 49, and 98 kg ha−1, there would be no need for N fertilizer when concentrations of fall verdure total N are ≥22, ≥25, and ≥30 g kg−1; dry‐tissue extractable NO3–N are ≥119, ≥193, and ≥840 mg kg−1; and fresh sap NO3–N are ≥94, ≥115, and ≥171 mg L−1, respectively. Variability of the verdure tissue‐N tests was no greater than most routine soil and tissue tests currently used to monitor nutrient status in turfgrasses. The results suggest that verdure tissue‐N tests have potential in guiding fall N fertilization of cool‐season turfgrass lawns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses The habitat of the Coturnix wheat quail coturnix on the Causse de Sauveterre (Lozère, France) which includes on the Caille de Sauveterre, the singers of Caille des blés mainly frequent the largest cultivated plots and sinkholes. Twenty years later, the increase of cultivated areas favored their frequency of encounter, because they are rarely contacted on lawns.

In savannas, ruminant herbivores can have divergent impacts on tree recruitment and subsequent woody cover. Whereas heavy grazing by cattle results in woody thickening, intensive grazing by wildlife instead tends to be associated with lower woody cover.To disentangle why woody cover is low in areas heavily grazed by wildlife, we investigated (a) whether grazing lawns attract indigenous mammalian browsers, and if a preference for short‐grass habitat decreases with browser body mass as predator susceptibility decreases; and (b) whether browser attraction to grazing lawns translates into the suppression of woody plants, including seedlings and saplings, thus maintaining the openness of heavily grazed short‐grass areas.In Kruger National Park, South Africa, we contrasted browser abundance (using dung counts) on grazing lawns and on low‐herbivory sites characterised by tall grass. Additionally, a herbivore exclosure experiment was set up to investigate the combined impact of browser removal and grass height habitat type on seedling survival and sapling growth of a dominant woody plant species. Finally, in Hluhluwe‐iMfolozi Park (HiP), we examined the long‐term (10 years) impact of browser removal on the growth rates of a range of woody species, monitored across ten sites along a gradient of herbivory ranging from grazing lawn to tall grass.Steenbok and impala selected short‐ over tall grass as preferred browsing sites, while elephant preferred tall grass. Browser abundance on short grass decreased with browser body mass, indicating that predator avoidance might be a key factor driving mesoherbivores to utilise grazing lawns.Seedling survival was lowest on grazing lawns when browsers were present, with mortality occurring in two out of every three seedlings. Similarly, sapling growth was lowest on grazing lawns, although browser removal had no significant effect. Evidence for increased browser impact on grazing lawns was clearest from our long‐term herbivore exclosure experiment in HiP, which demonstrated that browsers strongly modify the growth rates of woody plants in short‐grass habitats.Synthesis. These results provide support for the hypothesis that browsers, particularly browsing mesoherbivores and mixed feeders, are attracted to short‐grass habitats, and that they help maintain grazing lawn openness by suppressing seedling survival and woody plant growth where grass is kept short by grazers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal environment and microclimate of heritage sites has been severely impacted by rapid urbanization. This study collected various meteorological measurement data as a reference for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation settings. Then CFD was applied to simulate the impact of lawns on the thermal environment and microclimate of Fuling Mausoleum. We found that lawns and soil can cool the air through evaporation, and thus have a specific cooling effect on the bricked ground. Simulations with the lawns, the bricked ground temperature decreased by 1.56–17.54 °C than that simulations without the lawns at 14:00, a decrease of 2.68%–24.20%. Under normal circumstances, when the wind speed or relative humidity increased, the ground temperature dropped. Greenbelt vegetation can adjust the microclimate and human thermal comfort indicators. The consistency of the difference between the actual measurement and the CFD simulation results shows that CFD simulation can thus accurately reflect the internal temperature field distribution if the selection of simulation parameters is reasonable. Theoretical calculation and analysis, experimental measurement research, and modern computer simulation analysis methods applied together constitute a complete system for studying modern physical environmental problems and can provide reliable and economic results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fall N fertilizers are applied to turfgrass at predetermined rates instead of being based on plant‐N status. Normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) and the sufficiency index (SI) concept are used to assess plant‐N status in some agronomic crops but has not been evaluated for turfgrass. This study was conducted across 3 yr in Connecticut to determine fall and spring NDVI SI values in a mixed species, cool‐season lawn. Field experiments were set out with varying fall N rates with NDVI measured weekly in October and November, and in late April. Quadratic and Linear‐Response and Plateau (LRP) models were significant (P <.0001) for all fall and spring SI values in response to fall N rates. Fall SI was maximized between 140 and 155 kg N ha−1 for the quadratic model and plateaued between 79 and 102 kg N ha−1 for the LRP model. Spring SI was maximized at 189 and plateaued at ≥116 kg N ha−1 for quadratic and LRP models, respectively. In relation to commonly recommended fall N rates of 24.5, 49, and 98 kg N ha−1, the models suggest that no supplemental N is needed when SI is ≥92, ≥95, and ≥99% of the N‐rich reference in the fall, respectively. Late April SI >89% of spring N‐rich reference would indicate that excess fertilizer was applied the previous fall at rates >49 kg N h−1. The NDVI SI can provide site‐specific fall N fertilization guidance of cool‐season turfgrass lawns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lawns are a common ecosystem type in human-dominated landscapes which can have negative impacts on water quality due to fertilizer applications, but also host a range of ecosystem services. While many studies have addressed water and nitrogen (N) dynamics in lawns, few have considered how topography interacts with human behaviors to control these dynamics. Our overarching objective was to determine if mesoscale topography (hillslopes within lawns) interacts with human behavior (fertilizer use) influencing patterns of N mobilization and removal in lawns. To that end, we measured several hydrobiogeochemical characteristics associated with N dynamics along topographic gradients in fertilized and unfertilized residential and institutional lawns. We found topographic gradients affect the hydrobiogeochemistry of lawns, with significant effects of landscape position (top versus toe slope versus bottomland swales), but with direction and strength of the effect often varying among different lawn types (exurban versus suburban front yards versus suburban backyards versus institutional). Fertilizer application did not affect the hydrobiogeochemical properties of lawns. Rather, results from this study suggest lawns in suburban front yards were at greatest risk of N mobilization due to a complex suite of characteristics including proximity to impervious surfaces, swales with low saturated infiltration rates, and potential vulnerability to N deposition from vehicles. This study highlights the need to consider landscape controls of water and N fluxes and how they interact with human behaviors to better understand how these landscapes function. These results contribute to the emerging understanding of the structure, function and environmental impacts of lawns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay addresses a relatively untouched topic in the field of Brian O'Nolan / Flann O'Brien studies: the Irish-language "Tales from Corkadorky" vignettes published during 1941-42 in the "Cruiskeen Lawn" column O'Nolan wrote as Myles na gCopaleen for the Irish Times. This essay builds on the brief existing critical remarks about this series of columns by exploring, in unprecedented detail, Breandán Ó Conaire's suggestion that the "Tales from Corkadorky" are modelled on the Sgéalta Mhuintir Luinigh (Munterloney Folktales) collected by Professor Éamonn Ó Tuathail and published in 1933. After summarising existing criticism, the essay presents the wider context of folklore collection for O'Nolan's work in Irish, the background linking him to Ó Tuathail's Sgéalta Mhuintir Luinigh, and proceeds to conduct a comparative reading of O'Nolan's use of dialect features and themes from this source material in the "Tales from Corkadorky". Facilitated by its analysis of the first tale to appear, the essay traces the origin and development of the tale format as it interacts with other recurring elements in "Cruiskeen Lawn". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]