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A multifunctional alternative lawn where warm-season grass and cold-season flowers coexist

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Abstract

Lawns provide green infrastructure and ecosystem services for anthropized areas. They have a strong impact on the environment in terms of inputs (water and fertilizers) and maintenance. The use of warm-season grasses, such as Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., provides a cost-effective and sustainable lawn in the dry summers of the Mediterranean. In winter, Bermudagrass is dormant and brown, which instead of being a problem could be an opportunity for biodiversity through the coexistence of flowering species. This study assesses the possibility of growing autumn-to-spring-flowering bulbs and forbs with Bermudagrass, to provide ecosystem services in urban areas. Eight geophytes and 18 forbs were incorporated into a mature turf of hybrid Bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis cv. “Tifway”. At the same time, a commercial flowering mix was sown in the same conditions. Two different soil preparations, scalping and turf flaming, and two different nitrogen doses, 50 and 150 kg ha−1, were carried out before sowing and transplanting. The flowering plants were counted. All the bulbs and six of the 18 forbs were able to grow and flower in the first and second years. The commercial mix was in full bloom from April until the cutting time for the hybrid Bermudagrass, at the end of May. Adding the flowering species did not affect the healthy growth of the warm-season grass. The fertilization dose had no effect, while turf flaming led to a wider spread of Bellis perennis L. and Crocus spp. Several flower-visiting insects were observed in the spring.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Marco Fornaciari for identifying the insects, Marco Fontanelli for the flaming equipment, and Grena Concimi for providing the Grena Ultra micro fertilizer. The authors declare that the experiments complied with the current Italian laws.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto di Ricerca Sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri (IRET), CNR, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Francesca Bretzel

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Agro-Ambientali, Università di Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Monica Gaetani, Nicola Grossi, Simone Magni, Lisa Caturegli & Marco Volterrani

  3. Istituto di Scienze della Vita, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy

    Francesca Vannucchi

  4. Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell’Informazione “A. Faedo” CNR, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Claudia Caudai

Authors
  1. Francesca Bretzel
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  2. Monica Gaetani
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  3. Francesca Vannucchi
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  4. Claudia Caudai
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  8. Marco Volterrani
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Correspondence to Francesca Bretzel.

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Bretzel, F., Gaetani, M., Vannucchi, F. et al. A multifunctional alternative lawn where warm-season grass and cold-season flowers coexist. Landscape Ecol Eng 16, 307–317 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-020-00423-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-020-00423-w

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