The role of knowledge in residential lawn management

Martini, Nicholas F.; Nelson, Kristen C.

doi:10.1007/s11252-014-0415-7

Cited by 20 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Knowledge of the linkages between lawn management and downstream ecosystems and of best management practices for improving stormwater quality (56,57) could be enhanced by outreach and education efforts (58), although norms might be more challenging to change (59,60). Encouraging best practices by lawn care companies also could prove effective, because 78% of households in the study region that fertilized more than the recommended rate used a lawn care company (53), and these companies might be given incentives or regulated to reduce fertilizer use, with the added benefit of increasing profit margins.…”

Section: Household Actions and Storm Drain Exports Dominate Watershedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting nitrogen and phosphorus budgets in urban watersheds and implications for managing urban water pollution

Hobbie

Finlay

Janke

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

302

156

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Managing excess nutrients remains a major obstacle to improving ecosystem service benefits of urban waters. To inform more ecologically based landscape nutrient management, we compared watershed inputs, outputs, and retention for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in seven subwatersheds of the Mississippi River in St. Paul, Minnesota. Lawn fertilizer and pet waste dominated N and P inputs, respectively, underscoring the importance of household actions in influencing urban watershed nutrient budgets. Watersheds retained only 22% of net P inputs versus 80% of net N inputs (watershed area-weighted averages, where net inputs equal inputs minus biomass removal) despite relatively low P inputs. In contrast to many nonurban watersheds that exhibit high P retention, these urban watersheds have high street density that enhanced transport of P-rich materials from landscapes to stormwater. High P exports in storm drainage networks and yard waste resulted in net P losses in some watersheds. Comparisons of the N/P stoichiometry of net inputs versus storm drain exports implicated denitrification or leaching to groundwater as a likely fate for retained N. Thus, these urban watersheds exported high quantities of N and P, but via contrasting pathways: P was exported primarily via stormwater runoff, contributing to surface water degradation, whereas N losses additionally contribute to groundwater pollution. Consequently, N management and P management require different strategies, with N management focusing on reducing watershed inputs and P management also focusing on reducing P movement from vegetated landscapes to streets and storm drains.

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Section: Household Actions and Storm Drain Exports Dominate Watershedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting nitrogen and phosphorus budgets in urban watersheds and implications for managing urban water pollution

Hobbie

Finlay

Janke

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

302

156

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Targeted educational campaigns, combined with free garden soil testing, are needed to raise awareness among UA practitioners of the importance of avoiding excessive nutrient inputs. Similar campaigns have been effective in reducing excessive fertilizer inputs to urban lawns, especially due to 'spillover effects' where citizens share information they have learned with their neighbors (Martini et al 2014, Martini andNelson 2015). As many UA practitioners may already be interested in sustainability (McDougall et al 2019), this population may be amenable to making behavioral changes that decrease negative environmental impacts from their actions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Excess phosphorus from compost applications in urban gardens creates potential pollution hotspots

Small

Shrestha

Metson

et al. 2019

Environ. Res. Commun.

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Urban sustainability initiatives often encompass such goals as increasing local food production, closing nutrient loops through recycling organic waste, and reducing water pollution. However, there are potential tradeoffs among these desired outcomes that may constrain progress. For example, expansion of urban agriculture for food production may create hotspots of nutrient pollution if nutrient recycling is inefficient. We used gardener and urban farmer survey data from the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (Minnesota, USA) to characterize phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) inputs and harvest in order to determine nutrient use efficiencies, and measured soil P concentrations at a subset of these sites to test whether excess soil P was common. All survey respondents (n=142) reported using some form of soil amendment, with plant-based composts being the most common. Median application rates were 300 kg P/ha and 1400 kg N/ha. Median nutrient use efficiencies were low (2.5% for P, 5.0% for N) and there was only a weak positive relationship between P and N inputs and P and N harvested in crop biomass. Garden soils had a median Bray P value of 80 ppm, showing a buildup of plant-available P far exceeding recommended levels. Our results show that urban gardens are characterized by high nutrient inputs and inefficient conversion of these nutrients into crops, leading to buildup and potential loss of P and N from garden soils. Although urban gardens make up only 0.1% of land area in the Twin Cities, compost application to these urban gardens still constitutes one of the largest inputs of P to the watershed. In order to maximize desired outcomes from the expansion of urban agriculture (UA), it will be necessary to target soil amendments based on soil nutrient levels and crop nutrient demand.

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“…Few studies have examined factors influencing the adoption of stormwater management practices by households, even though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has acknowledged that residents' non-point-source pollution is a leading source of water quality degradation (Gilinsky et al 2009). The studies examined in this section were ones in which the dependent variable was actual adoption of stormwater management practices such as rain gardens (Shaw et al 2011), rain barrels (Bakacs et al 2013), and lawn care management practices (Blaine et al 2012, Brehm, Pasko, and Eisenhauer 2013, Martini and Nelson 2014). We also examine other studies that explore households' demand or preference for rain gardens and/or rain barrels (e.g.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Trialing a practice or seeing a demonstration before installing, can provide information that reduces uncertainty about the benefits of the practice or decreases information costs (Pannell et al 2006, Rogers 2010). Related to risk and uncertainty, a lack of information about the details of practices such as ‘how to install and use a rain barrel’ is a barrier to adoption of specific innovations because individuals must know how to implement particular environmental practices before they can intentionally act (e.g., Varlamoff, Florkowski, and Latimer 2002, Brehm, Pasko, and Eisenhauer 2013, Martini and Nelson 2014).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing Adoption Studies: The Case of Residential Stormwater Management Practices in the Midwest

Shin¹,

McCann²

2017

Agric. Resour. Econom. Rev.

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This study explores factors affecting adoption of two stormwater management practices, rain gardens and rain barrels. Mail survey data from Columbia, Missouri indicate adoption rates of 3.12 percent (rain gardens) and 7.47 percent (rain barrels). This unique dataset enables us to distinguish among nonadopters using knowledge levels, and to investigate the effect of practice-specific barriers. Clustered multinomial logistic regressions reveal serious gardeners are more likely to adopt both practices. Specific barriers differ by practice and type of nonadopter. Adding practice-specific barriers increased pseudo R 2 values from 0.12 to 0.22 for rain gardens and from 0.13 to 0.26 for rain barrels.

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The role of knowledge in residential lawn management

Cited by 20 publications

References 32 publications

Contrasting nitrogen and phosphorus budgets in urban watersheds and implications for managing urban water pollution

Contrasting nitrogen and phosphorus budgets in urban watersheds and implications for managing urban water pollution

Excess phosphorus from compost applications in urban gardens creates potential pollution hotspots

Enhancing Adoption Studies: The Case of Residential Stormwater Management Practices in the Midwest

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