Revisiting Lawns
Because of intensive management, many ecologists
have criticized lawns as biological deserts and dismissed
their habitat potential. However, given their ubiqui-
tous presence in urban and suburban landscapes, it
is practical and wise to consider alternative manage-
ment practices that could enhance their habitat value.
Research from Springfield, Massachusetts demon-
strated that mowing lawns less frequently—i.e., every
two weeks rather than weekly—increases the abun-
dance of floral resources such as dandelion and clover
and in turn, bee abundance. Results highlight the
benefit of a "lazy lawnmower" approach to providing
bee habitat while demonstrating how individual house-
holds can contribute to urban conservation (Lerman
et al. 2018). Householders and other lawn stewards
can mow their lawns less frequently, which saves time
and money and doesn't require new knowledge.
Additional research demonstrated that the taller grass
from less frequent mowing did not result in more black-
legged ticks—a valid concern when promoting alternative
lawn management. Although ticks are present in resi-
dential landscapes, they are not detected in the lawn
portion of a private yard (Lerman and D'Amico 2019).
Bottom line findings from our research: When
we manage for habitat and biodiversity in our
urban landscapes, we are more likely to succeed
in our efforts to sustain our community trees and
forests, and the people who live nearby.
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Adalsteinsson SA, Shriver WG, Hojgaard A, Bowman JL,
Brisson D, D'Amico V, et al. 2018. Multiflora rose inva-
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D'Amico, V. 2012. FRAME study looks
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Kane B, Warren PS, and Lerman SB. 2015. A broad
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To mow or to mow less: Lawn mowing frequency
affects bee abundance and diversity in suburban
yards. Biological Conservation 221: 160–74.
Lerman SB and D'Amico V. 2019. Lawn mowing fre-
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Borrelia spp. vector Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae)
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Lerman SB, Nislow KH, Nowak DJ, et al. 2014. Using urban
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urban-forestry.com 37
Researchers have found that lawns cut every two
weeks support the highest abundance of bees. This
sign is available for download from USFS.
Black-capped chickadees are among the bird species that
nest in the dead and decayed stems and branches of trees.
Research suggests partial pruning rather than complete removal
of dead or decaying trees might strike a balance between
reducing risk and retaining habitat. Photo by James P. Smith
