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Lawn-harvest method uses a solid medium (e.g., tryptic soy agar, TSA) to produce bacterial lawns and is widely accepted for the culture of microorganisms in microbial studies of low-moisture foods (LMFs, foods with water activity less than 0.85). It produces desiccation-tolerant cells with higher D-values in LMFs; however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying bacterial resistance. Salmonella enterica Enteritidis PT 30 (S. Enteritidis), the most pertinent pathogen in LMFs, was cultured in TSA and tryptic soy broth (TSB). Cells were harvested and inoculated on filter papers to assess their performance under a relative humidity of 32 ± 2%. Transcriptome analysis of cultured cells during long-term desiccation (24, 72, and 168 h) was conducted in TruSeq PE Cluster Kit (Illumina) by paired-end methods. Lawn-cultured S. Enteritidis cells have stronger survivability (only decreased by 0.78 ± 0.12 log after 130 d of storage) and heat tolerance (higher D/β value) than those from the broth method. More desiccation genes of lawn-cultured cells were significantly upregulated from growth to long-term desiccation. Differentially expressed genes were the most enriched in the ribosome and sulfur metabolism pathways in the lawn- and broth-cultured groups. This study tracked the transcriptomic differences between two cultured groups in response to long-term desiccation stress and revealed some molecular mechanisms underlying their different suitability in microbial studies of LMFs. • Bacteria gain desiccation tolerance during their growth on lawns. • Ribosome metabolism of lawn-cultured cells was most enriched during desiccation. • Broth-cultured cells had a non-linear survivor curve at 85 °C relative humidity of 32%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This opinion paper discusses urban lawns, the most common part of open green spaces and urban green infrastructures. It highlights both the ecosystem services and also disservices provided by urban lawns based on the authors’ experience of working within interdisciplinary research projects on lawns in different cities of Europe (Germany, Sweden and Russia), New Zealand (Christchurch), USA (Syracuse, NY) and Australia (Perth). It complements this experience with a detailed literature review based on the most recent studies of different biophysical, social, planning and design aspects of lawns. We also used an international workshop as an important part of the research methodology. We argue that although lawns of Europe and the United States of America are now relatively well studied, other parts of the world still underestimate the importance of researching lawns as a complex ecological and social phenomenon. One of the core objectives of this paper is to share a paradigm of nature-based solutions in the context of lawns, which can be an important step towards finding resilient sustainable alternatives for urban green spaces in the time of growing urbanisation, increased urban land use competition, various user demands and related societal challenges of the urban environment. We hypothesise that these solutions may be found in urban ecosystems and various local native plant communities that are rich in species and able to withstand harsh conditions such as heavy trampling and droughts. To support the theoretical hypothesis of the relevance of nature-based solutions for lawns we also suggest and discuss the concept of two natures—different approaches to the vision of urban nature, including the understanding and appreciation of lawns. This will help to increase the awareness of existing local ecological approaches as well as an importance of introducing innovative landscape architecture practices. This article suggests that there is a potential for future transdisciplinary international research that might aid our understanding of lawns in different climatic and socio-cultural conditions as well as develop locally adapted (to environmental conditions, social needs and management policies) and accepted nature-based solutions.

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of cut vegetative shoots of chosen lawn grass cultivars of Festuca being left on the lawn sward surface on the species composition, sodding and appearance, and over-wintering of the lawn. The influence of decomposing biomass was studied in a field experiment between 2008 and 2014. Each cultivar was sown as a monoculture on microplots with an area of 1 m2. The control consisted of sites from which the cut sward had been removed immediately after cutting. The results obtained may indicate an allelopathic effect of the cut sward of the cultivars left on the lawn surfaces. The following had the most negative effects on the species composition of the lawn sward (from greater to lesser negative impact): F. ovina ‘Espro’, F. rubra ‘Areta’, F. arundinacea ‘Asterix’, and F. ovina ‘Pintor’. With the exception of ‘Espro’, these cultivars also limited the presence of dicotyledonous plants in the lawn sward. The cover of dicotyledonous plants and other unsown grasses was also recorded on the sites with F. rubra ‘Olivia’ and ‘Nimba’. The greatest negative influence on the sodding of the lawn swards was demonstrated by the latter F. rubra cultivar, whereas F. ovina ‘Espro’ had the greatest negative influence on the appearance. However, no differences were found in assessments of over-wintering of the cultivars at the study sites. However, taking into account the scale of these impacts on the characteristics evaluated, the cultivars of Festuca species tested can be recommended for extensive use, where a cut sward can be left on the surface of the lawn. Some caution in this respect is recommended when it comes to F. ovina ‘Espro’ and F. rubra ‘Areta’ and ‘Nimba’.

The article is devoted to the results assessment of the influence of droughty periods which lead to parching of different intensity of nonirrigated lawns of different types for the period from 20 to 90 days. Parched lawns lose their decorative power and ability to form the environment: temperature on their surface is 6-9ºC higher then on the irrigated lawns and wetness is 20-29% lower.

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of cut vegetative shoots of chosen lawn grass cultivars of Festuca being left on the lawn sward surface on the species composition, sodding and appearance, and over-wintering of the lawn. The influence of decomposing biomass was studied in a field experiment between 2008 and 2014. Each cultivar was sown as a monoculture on microplots with an area of 1 m2. The control consisted of sites from which the cut sward had been removed immediately after cutting. The results obtained may indicate an allelopathic effect of the cut sward of the cultivars left on the lawn surfaces. The following had the most negative effects on the species composition of the lawn sward (from greater to lesser negative impact): F. ovina 'Espro', F. rubra 'Areta', F. arundinacea 'Asterix', and F. ovina 'Pintor'. With the exception of 'Espro', these cultivars also limited the presence of dicotyledonous plants in the lawn sward. The cover of dicotyledonous plants and other unsown grasses was also recorded on the sites with F. rubra 'Olivia' and 'Nimba'. The greatest negative influence on the sodding of the lawn swards was demonstrated by the latter F. rubra cultivar, whereas F. ovina 'Espro' had the greatest negative influence on the appearance. However, no differences were found in assessments of over-wintering of the cultivars at the study sites. However, taking into account the scale of these impacts on the characteristics evaluated, the cultivars of Festuca species tested can be recommended for extensive use, where a cut sward can be left on the surface of the lawn. Some caution in this respect is recommended when it comes to F. ovina 'Espro' and F. rubra 'Areta' and 'Nimba'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Progress in Plant Protection is the property of Institute of Plant Protection and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article focuses on need for a federal exemption to real covenants for environmentally conscious lawn alternatives, relying on history, science, and the law in the U.S. Topics include analysis of lawn history, required care, and environmentally responsible alternatives; conflicts between homeowner associations and homeowners with altered lawns; and enactment of Clean Air Act for the same. It also informs on the role of Environmental Protection Agency in maintaining environmental protection.

Knowledge of the ecology of pre-adult stages of an organism at its species’ range margins is a prerequisite for conserving species, especially for understanding its responses to future climate changes. Largely sedentary premature life stages require specific living conditions within a relatively small area. Such conditions are created by vegetation structure heterogeneity and a microclimate gradient, generated by varying microtopography. We investigated the microhabitat selection patterns of egg-laying females and overwintering caterpillars of peatland butterfly Coenonympha tullia relative to vegetation composition, water quantity and microclimatic conditions across microtopographic zones of transition mire at the species’ southern range margin. We showed that (1) small-scale variability in mire microtopography determines oviposition site selection and larval presence; (2) microhabitats of pre-adult stages were largely confined to the intermediate microtopographic zone of the transition mire (flats); (3) egg-laying females and overwintered larvae preferred microsites with high coverage of main hostplants (Trichophorum alpinum, Carex lasiocarpa, C. limosa, C. panicea), and those with more humid and cooler summertime conditions than on hummocks; (4) females and larvae avoided shallow hollows permanently filled with water. The vegetation structure of flats enables the females to select spots with sufficient humidity for egg development, and allows the larvae to change their location according to suitable thermal and moisture conditions. We also discuss poor prospects for species in view of impacts of future climate changes on mire ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban and suburban lawns make up a large share of land use in the US. Maintaining lawns to fulfill aesthetic norms has environmental consequences. In this analysis, we examine household decisions to apply nitrogen-containing lawn fertilizer. Using survey data of 298 households in Nashville, Tennessee, we first examine the prevalence of fertilizer use and the rate of annual nitrogen applied. We find that the resulting distribution is skewed, with the top 20% of the sample applying 56% of the total share of nitrogen. In contrast to this subset of “intensive” fertilizers, 93% of households applied at or below levels recommended by landscaping professionals, challenging the assumption that the over-application of fertilizer is widespread. We employed multi-level modeling to examine the relative importance of household- and block-level characteristics on fertilizer use and the intensity of use. Consistent with prior work, we find that the desire for a green lawn is a significant predictor of fertilizer use. However, we also find that living on a wealthy block and living near others who value a green lawn independently predict fertilizer use. In addition, we observe that intensive fertilizing households tend to be less wealthy than others on their block, suggesting the possibility of an aspirational dimension to fertilizer use. Finally, we find evidence that environmental concern is associated with less intensive fertilizer use, suggesting that households may be willing to take some steps to mitigate the impact of their lawn care on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper provides a critical assessment of geographic research on yards and private gardens, with a focus on how geographers study people's engagements with more than human organisms and surroundings. Geographies have come alive as assemblages of lively materials, distributed agencies, and animated political and material flows. At the same time, there is renewed interest on the part of geographers to better take into account lived experiences and the embodied politics of difference. Relations between people and their everyday surroundings are central to these critical analyses. This paper examines one such potent realm of these everyday engagements: the yard. These are spaces intimately bound up with uneven geographies of residential development, as well as places of creativity, care, and failure. Contemporary environmental efforts increasingly enroll the yard or garden as a crucial interface through which to refashion relations between water, infrastructure, particular species, chemical inputs, and food systems. This paper identifies two themes within contemporary yard and garden research, as well as ongoing tensions. I argue that the familiarity of such spaces to Anglophone geography challenges and invites further methodological experimentation and analysis. Yards and private gardens also provide purchase on pressing questions of social inequalities, property, and nature. Thus, I identify two directions for future yard research: developing more experimental methodological approaches beyond a focus on lawns and better situating yards within broader geographies of inequity and the production of geographic knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the deserts of Southern California, a series of climate crises has disturbed the form and content of the ordinary. In this context of unfolding change, Californians are experimenting with the spaces, surfaces, objects, and infrastructures of their homes, harnessing the material elements of the house as a site not only of repetition and reproduction but also of reinvention. At times, these experiments in the ecologies of everyday life unleash a range of transformative effects on both self and world, accreting into instances of cosmological reconfiguration. Rather than analyze such experiments as practices of adaptation or recovery, we can better understand them as attempts to cultivate alternative ways of feeling at home in the Anthropocene. Such experiments take up the relations among aesthetics, ethics, and affect as their primary site of improvisation and innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to assess soil conditioners' effects on the colour intensity of lawn grass. The field experiment was conducted in the experimental facility between 2013 and 2015 in Poland. The following grass species were used in the experiment (factor B): Lolium perenne, Festuca rubra, and Poa pratensis. Another experimental factor tested in the research was soil conditioners (factor A) as Substral, Humus Active Papka, Eko-Użyźniacz, UGmax. At the end of each growing season between 2013 and 2015 the colour of grasses was assessed in accordance with the methodology using a 9-point rating scale. This assessment was conducted in three seasons: spring, summer, and autumn. In all seasons of the year smooth-stalked meadow-grass had the most favourable colour when treated with Substral in spring and summer seasons, and with Eko-Użyźniacz in autumn. Comparing all soil conditioners, grass treated with UGmax had the best colour. From a practical point of view, of all grass species tested in the study, perennial ryegrass had the smallest, most favourable, colour variation during the whole period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field experiment was conducted in Poland between 2013 and 2015. The research was carried out in the split plot design with three replications. The following grass species were used in the experiment (factor B): Lolium perenne, Festuca rubra and Poa pratensis. Another experimental factor tested in the research was soil conditioners (factor A) as Substral (S), Humus Active Papka (HAP), Eko- Użyźniacz (EU), UGmax (UG). In each year of the experiment, among other things, grass growth, i.e. its slow rate of growth, was assessed. It was based on measurements of the height of plants before harvest. A 9-point scale was used. This assessment was conducted in three seasons (spring, summer, autumn). In all seasons red fescue had the most desirable intensity of growth (the slowest) and permanent ryegrass the fastest, both determined as an average effect of all soil conditioners. Of the applied soil conditioners, lawns treated with Humus Active Papka, grew the most slowly, taken as an average for all grass species and for all seasons. Of all grass species tested in the experiment red fescue had the smallest variation of growth intensity during the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Plant Production is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Dog (Canis familiaris L.) urine can cause severe injury to lawns. Despite the circumstantial evidence that salts from urine are responsible, there is no known connection between a particular component of dog urine and the cause of grass injury. The objective of this study was to evaluate cool-season lawn grasses in response to the major components of dog urine. Urea, uric acid, lactic acid, creatinine, and bilirubin were applied either separately or with auxin or kinetin to Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb), and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). A solution containing 20 g urea L-1 and 10 g ammonium sulfate L-1 was used to simulate the levels of salinity (~15 dS m-1) and total N in dog urine. This solution caused slight discoloration on leaf tips with phytotoxic levels ranging from 5 to 12%. Lactic acid at 3.5 g L-1 caused significant leaf injury on the three species, with phytotoxic levels ranging from 40 to 87%, and eventually the death of grasses and symptoms similar to dog urine patch. In conclusion, salts in dog urine caused injury, but the severity was not as high as that associated with lactic acid in dog urine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The replacement of living lawns with synthetic (plastic) grass seems to be on the increase in cities. This paper presents some environmental and societal considerations relating to the installation of artificial lawns to encourage research of the phenomenon at this early stage of emergence. After first discussing the development of ‘third generation’ synthetic grasses that have made artificial lawns more appealing, it then considers how the replacement of living lawns with plastic grass represents a potentially concerning step towards ecological simulation, or the replacement of real ecosystems with simulacra that address cultural desires but remove nature altogether. The paper then examines some of the possible environmental and societal impacts that may result from the replacement of living lawns with their artificial counterparts, and concludes with the presentation of a research framework for investigation of the emerging artificial urban lawnscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation in grass height is beneficial to biodiversity conservation in savanna landscapes. Theory predicts that small fires can promote short-grass areas within savannas. We experimentally assessed the influence of fire season and size on grass height and the resultant response of wild grazer communities and tested three hypotheses: (1) repeated small fires in tall-grass savannas increase short-grass grazer densities in the post-burn environment; (2) increased grazer densities maintain grass height in a short, palatable state and drive feedbacks that exclude fire; and (3) late-dry season burns concentrate grazers more effectively than early dry season burns., We repeatedly applied annual treatments (unburned, early- and late-burns) in 0.25-, 5- and 25-ha plots over a period of 3 years in a tall-grass savanna system in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Dung counts for grazer density and grass height data were collected along 50-m transects. Grass height was measured in paired 1-m2 herbivore exclosures on plots before and after applied fires., Dung data indicate that wildebeest occurred most frequently in grass heights below 5 cm. Their preference for plots regardless of fire size or season increased over time with each repeated burn. Zebra and buffalo favoured burns immediately post-fire, but buffalo did not actively select for burnt areas over longer time periods., By the second year of treatment, herbivory maintained 28% and 91% of the grass height below 10 cm in the early- and late-season burns respectively. In contrast, herbivory on the unburned treatments had no effect on grass height., Synthesis and applications. Fires less than 25 ha in size attracted sufficient grazing herbivores to shorten grass height. Repetition of the fire treatments resulted in the active selection of these areas in the longer term by wildebeest, impala and, to a lesser degree, zebra. Grazing pressure was high enough to initiate positive feedbacks and maintain lawns after only two seasons of burning and, depending on the season of burn, reduced grass height to a level that excluded repeat fires. Our study demonstrated that theory on grazer use of the post-fire environment can be implemented practically by applying small repeated burns to promote the formation of short-grass areas within savannas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]