A big topic of discussion in the sustainability community is monocultures. This type or agriculture can be defined as the practice of producing one singular type of crop. (Cambridge dictionary). Along with a lack of biodiversity, singular crop production negatively impacts native flora and fauna, soil health, and fresh water sources.
You don’t have to drive down a dirt road and past acres of corn to view these kinds of operations; you can take a look right in your backyard. Turf grass monocultures are the most popular type of traditional landscaping across the United States (Baldi et al.). As the climate crisis builds, the need to implement sustainable practices within everyday life becomes more dire than ever. Homeowners in Michigan have been making the decision to reduce their consumption of resources and protect native species by implementing grass-alternative plants and restoring their lawns biodiversity. City and neighborhood regulations for lawn maintenance provide a battle for homeowners to face while attempting to achieve these goals by limiting the height and species of ground cover allowed (Regulations laws rules and policies).
As we move towards an uncertain environmental future, we need to take immediate action and implement sustainable practices in ways that we already know provide positive results. Minimizing the consumption of resources, reintroducing native plant species, and eliminating the use of harmful chemicals are all practices that have proven beneficial for people, and the planet. These goals can be achieved through the emerging efforts homeowners are making by eliminating non-native turf grass yards and moving towards alternative landscaping methods.
“Grass” is not all bad. What I am referring to in this paper are popular non-native species of turf grass found in your traditional Midwest yard. These monocultures of grass require large amounts of resources such as time, energy, and water to achieve desired results. (Simmons et al.). Watering, mowing, irrigating, weeding, reseeding, and fertilizing are just a few jobs that homeowners are all too familiar with spending their Saturdays doing. There are numerous native species of low maintenance grasses and flowering ground cover that could reduce the use of resources and maintenance time (Ignatieva et al).
The application of herbicides and pesticides is a standard practice for traditional turf lawns. These chemicals, along with the lack of biodiversity within the landscape, have negative impacts on keystone environmental insects such as pollinators (Schueller et al., 2023). Habitat fragmentation within urban development reduces the populations of pollinators, and the use of non native plant species drives native insects away (Ignatieva et al).
The chemicals used for lawn maintenance have shown concerning risks to humans as well, with more studies being conducted on the topic (Mostafalou, S., & Abdollahi, 2013). Along with the excessive use of water for irrigation, herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers pollute groundwater and cause additional environmental issues due to runoff.
The background information is important for understanding the desire homeowners have to restore their lawns into grass-alternative areas. This practice can be seen as a sustainable approach to traditional landscaping. Unfortunately, There are neighborhood and city regulations implemented that interfere with the practices of non-traditional landscaping. Types of ground cover species that are approved, and the height in which you need to keep your lawn are just a few regulations proposed. (mi.gov). The Norton Shores Code of Ordinances for example requires all grasses and noxious weeds to be less than six inches high. This requires mowing maintenance and limits the homeowners ability to utilize taller, pollinator friendly plants.
Operating under the socio-ecological framework, the theory provides explanation for the research topic at hand. Individuals have personal interests and knowledge about the maintenance of traditional turf grass lawns, and are influenced and validated by their interpersonal relationships about these beliefs. The homeowners associations, city regulations and ordinance codes influence homeowners behaviors when implimenting grass alternatives for their yards. These are all upheld by the legislation in place that would permit or restrict the use of alternative flora for a yard in the state of Michigan.
With legislation in place that opposes grass-alternative landscaping, it is important to determine the perceptions of Michigan homeowners achieving eco-friendly grass alternatives for their yards, and how city and neighborhood regulations compare to these practices. Traditional landscaping contains many unsustainable practices such as excessive resource use and reduction of biodiversity. How can homeowners achieve more sustainable landscaping practices with the current restrictions in place?
Baldi, D. S., Humphrey, C. E., Kyndt, J. A., & Moore, T. C. (2023). Native plant gardens support more microbial diversity and higher relative abundance of potentially beneficial taxa compared to adjacent turf grass lawns. Urban Ecosystems, 26(3), 807–820. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-022-01325-5
Code of Ordinances of the City of Norton Shores, Michigan, (Code 1975, § 1-1). State Law reference— Codification of ordinances, MCL 117.5b
Ignatieva, M., Haase, D., Dushkova, D., & Haase, A. (2020). Lawns in cities: From a globalised urban green space phenomenon to sustainable nature-based solutions. Land, 9(3), 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/land9030073
Marinelli, J. (2024). Reimagining the American Lawn. National Wildlife, 62(3), 12–13.
Mostafalou, S., & Abdollahi, M. (2013). Pesticides and human chronic diseases: Evidences, mechanisms, and perspectives. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 268(2), 157–177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2013.01.025
Monoculture | definition in the Cambridge english dictionary. Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/monoculture
Regulations laws rules and policies. State of Michigan (SOM). (n.d.). https://www.michigan.gov/egle/regulatory-assistance/regulations
Schueller, S. K., Li, Z., Bliss, Z., Roake, R., & Weiler, B. (2023). How informed design can make a difference: Supporting insect pollinators in cities. Land, 12(7), 1289. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071289
Simmons, M., Bertelsen, M., Windhager, S., & Zafian, H. (2011). The performance of native and non-native turfgrass monocultures and native turfgrass polycultures: An ecological approach to sustainable lawns. Ecological Engineering, 37(8), 1095–1103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2011.03.004