News – ToBeLawn

At first glance, lawns are just plants and green spaces – often treated as purely aesthetic environmental features. But what happens under the soil surface determines the quality and sustainability of the entire lawn ecosystem, where soil microorganisms – bacteria, fungi, nematodes, actinomycetes, and many other invisible soil inhabitants – play a key role.

How does mowing affect soil life?

Frequent mowing reduces biomass that can be converted into humus – the main food source for microorganisms. A low, frequently cut lawn produces fewer roots and a limited amount of organic residue, which causes depletion of the soil’s microbial structure.

On the other hand, due to less frequent mowing (e.g., only 1-2 times a season) plants produce more above- and below-ground biomass, bloom, and produce seeds. Therefore, more organic matter goes into the soil, providing valuable food for microorganisms. As a result, it increases:

the biodiversity of the soil microbiome,
the soil enzymatic activity,
the cycling of elements (e.g. carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus),
and the soil’s ability to retain water and nutrients.

Why does it matter?

Soil microorganisms are the invisible scaffolding for the entire green ecosystem of the urban areas. They are responsible for:

the decomposition of plant residues,
the formation of humus,
the protection of plants from pathogens,
and even the improvement of their growth and drought resistance.

Destruction of this community (for example, by mowing and compacting the soil too often) causes a domino effect: soil fertility decreases, plants become weaker, and the lawn loses its resilience, requiring more frequent maintenance (fertilizing, watering, reseeding).

What does it mean for cities?

Reducing the mowing frequency in selected areas of cities can be a low-cost way to improve soil health and develop more sustainable urban greenery. This is not only good for nature, but also for city budgets and the overall quality of life.

From a scientific point of view, it is a healthy, microbiologically active soil that should be the foundation for greenery planning, not just its aesthetics.

Last Monday, November 18, 2024, the ToBeLawn team conducted an online workshop titled “Less is more: A lesson plan on mowing urban lawns for students”. The workshop was designed for teachers of grades 1–8, educators, and anyone interested in the principles of sustainable resource use and eager to share this knowledge with young learners.

The workshop was divided into two parts: theoretical and practical. During the theoretical part, participants had the opportunity to listen to three brief presentations on: 1) contemporary urban ecology challenges, with a focus on dilemmas related to managing urban greenery (including regular lawn mowing), 2) the goals and initial results of the ToBeLawn project, and 3) the lesson plan for students developed by ToBeLawn. In the practical part, participants worked in small groups to refine specific elements of the proposed lesson plan. They contributed ideas on how to make the topic of biodiversity protection engaging and accessible for young learners.

We sincerely thank all participants for joining the workshop and collaborating on the lesson plan!

On October 8, 2024, the lecture entitled “Towards better management of urban greenery – the impact of mowing on the ecosystem of roadside lawns”, the last one within the Botanists for Krakowians* Krakowian project, took place. The meeting was hosted by Dr. Małgorzata Stanek and Prof. Anna Stefanowicz, who outlined the theoretical background and then presented the results of research carried out as part of the ToBeLawn project. The speakers presented how various mowing practices affect biodiversity and ecosystem processes. The lecture’s participants had the opportunity to learn that even small changes in mowing practices can significantly improve the condition and natural value of urban greenery and, thus, the entire urban environment.

The lecture, delivered in a hybrid mode (for in-person and online participants), proved to be very popular. The audience liked the topics and the results of the research, as confirmed by the long and interesting discussion that took place at the end of the meeting. It involved such issues as optimal mowing frequency, the advantages and disadvantages of reduced mowing frequency, and the challenges of implementing new management practices.

We would like to thank all participants for their attendance and taking part in the discussion!

* Botanists for Krakowians is a two-year educational project run by the W. Szafer Institute of Botany of the Polish Academy of Sciences, aimed at popularizing botany among the residents of the city of Kraków. It is meant to raise awareness, promote the protection of biodiversity, and integrate the local community interested in the natural environment. The project includes lectures, workshops, and field trips on urban vegetation, environmental protection, and the importance of botanical collections. These activities are intended to inspire residents to discover the beauty of plants and actively engage in the protection of urban greenery. For more information, please visit the project website.

On September 19, the employees of municipalities affiliated with the Kraków Metropolitan Area Association gathered for one of their regular meetings called the Climate Forum. The event, aimed at developing strategies for adaptation and mitigation of climate change, provided valuable insights, inspiration, and practical solutions for local authorities striving for climate neutrality.

A lecture presenting the preliminary research results of the ToBeLawn project was one of the main points of the meeting. It was met with sincere interest and a lot of positive feedback from the participants. This indicates that the demand for knowledge and scientific support in the field of climate change adaptation among Kraków municipalities is constantly growing. Their representatives also expressed a desire for further cooperation with the Institute of Botany of the Polish Academy of Sciences and its specialists.

The Climate Forum was also an opportunity to learn about other initiatives supporting eco-friendly and sustainable solutions at the local level: including an educational board game about climate challenges and a project to create metropolitan rain gardens, as part of the INTERLACE program. Topics related to rainwater management and the implementation of metropolitan retention standards were also discussed.

We were delighted by the warm reception of our research results and numerous inquiries about further activities within the ToBeLawn project. We would also like to encourage other municipalities to engage in the Climate Forum initiatives and continue to collaborate in pursuit of the goals of the Climate Strategy of the Kraków Metropolis for 2024–2030 and the Integrated Territorial Investment Strategy for 2021–2027.

For more information about the Climate Strategy and the Integrated Territorial Investment Strategy visit the Kraków Metropolis Association’s website (Climate Strategy of the Kraków Metropolis, ITI Strategy).

In May and June 2024, we organized an educational workshop “The world around us – become an explorer of biodiversity in your city. Take care of your environment and act!”, for the second time. The workshop was a series of five meetings, during which the participants —school children and their teachers — took part in a variety of laboratory and field activities. Pupils from Biskupice Elementary School learned how to distinguish between meadows and city lawns. During the field activities, they turned out to be efficient insect hunters and keen observers. Students from Nielepice enjoyed the quest to find and learn about the small inhabitants of meadows, while our guests from Elementary School No. 2 in Niepołomice as well as from the Elementary School in Rzeszotary, explored the world of living creatures under their feet. They were fascinated by earthworms and other soil organisms observed under the microscope. We were surprised at how well they coped with the complex topics presented, such as the effect of mycorrhiza on plant growth and diversity, and the impact of mowing intensity on the soil. The weather was excellent, and there was plenty of time to play in the garden and admire the beautiful flower meadow, which was particularly lush this year.

Huge thanks to all the participants!

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Observations of soil organisms / photo by Joanna Bokalska-Rajba

Have you ever wondered what lies beneath the surface of your lawn? It turns out that microorganisms, which are invisible to the naked eye, play a key role in maintaining a healthy, green lawn. They are a real arsenal of beneficial fungi, bacteria and even viruses. They work constantly to support the flow of essential nutrients from the soil to the lawn vegetation.

The main/the most important player in this microscopic world is humus – the organic material derived from decaying roots, leaves and branches, which provides a natural food for the microorganisms in the soil. That is way in order to maintain a healthy plant growth it is essential to regularly enrich the lawn in compost.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the main characters of this microscopic show. Beneficial bacteria play an important role in breaking down humus and natural components in the lawn, making nutrients available to plants. In addition, they can produce the so-called chelating compounds, which bind some of the nutrients available in the soil, thereby helping plants to absorb them.

Representatives of the protozoa have another important function in the soil microbial community. They eat bacteria, thus contributing to the release of nitrogen in the form of ammonia into the soil. Although plants are not capable of consuming it as it is, this process is a key step in the life cycle of soil microorganisms. The ammonia left behind by the protozoa is then converted by nitrifying bacteria into nitrate, which can be directly used by plants.

This invisible cycle of microorganism dependences is invariably important for the proper development of lawns. For this reason, it is important to ensure the right conditions for the optimal functioning of this friendly group of microorganisms. Avoiding chemical fertilizers in favor of natural composts is a key step in maintaining the balance of this microscopic ecosystem. Let’s give these little helpers a chance so we can enjoy a beautiful green lawn for a long time!

Based on: How Healthy Soil Microbes Can Benefit Your Lawn and Landscape | (yourgreenpal.com)

We are pleased to announce the results of the competition carried out as part of the ToBeLawn project.

The competition was addressed to children and teenagers in two age groups. It consisted of making an artwork titled: “From urban lawns to urban meadows – activities for biodiversity in the immediate area.”

We are very pleased to announce that after long deliberations, our jury has selected the winners:

in the first age group (grades 1–3), the awards were given to Blanka Szromnik and Emilia Włodarczyk from the second grade of the Tadeusz Kościuszko Primary School in Chechło;
in the second age group (grades 4–8), the award was given to Natalia Brodzińska from the eighth grade of the Primary School in Ryczówek.

On January 23, the award and diploma ceremony took place in the schools mentioned above. Joanna Bokalska-Rajba presented the diplomas on behalf of the ToBeLawn team.

We would like to thank all participants of the competition and congratulations to the authors of the awarded works!!! We would also like to thank the Municipal Greenery Board in Kraków for sponsoring the main prize – a trip to the SYMBIOZA Ecological Education Center.

ToBeLawn Team

Gallery:

Awarding diplomas to the competition winners (Primary School in Chechło) / photo by Paweł Feledyk

Not everyone had a break this summer. We had our hands full. Fieldwork, which we have been conducting since spring this year at several sites in Kraków and Katowice, has become particularly intense in recent months, at the height of the growing season. We mowed the study plots (some once, others several times), listed the plant species growing in them, and collected soil samples. These samples are currently being analyzed in our laboratory – the Laboratory of Ecochemistry and Environmental Engineering of the Institute of Botany PAS. We measure a number of soil physicochemical parameters, including pH, macroelement content, and accumulation of various pollutants, including heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and petroleum derivatives. We also study soil microbiological properties, e.g. the activity of enzymes involved in the decomposition of dead organic matter, or the biomass of fungi and bacteria. This year’s autumn field and laboratory work is still ahead of us. After it is completed, we will already have the first set of data for analysis.

Gallery:

The first collection of soil samples at the site in Katowice / photo: Małgorzata Stanek

In order to familiarize the residents of Kraków (and not only) with the idea of our project, we have prepared a popular science article entitled “Frequency of mowing and the ecosystem of urban lawns”, which has just appeared in the pages of Metropolitan Magazine (in Polish).

We invite you to read it!

We would like to thank the children and their teachers from the John Paul II Elementary School in Klucze (grades 8a and 8c), the Maria Curie-Skłodowska Elementary School No. 10 (grades 6 and 7), the Myślenice Elementary School No. 3 (grade 2c) and the Cardinal A.S. Sapieha Elementary School No. 156 (grades 7b and 7c) for taking part in the educational workshops held at the Ecochemistry and Environmental Engineering Laboratory IB PAS in Szarów. We hope that the knowledge gained during the lectures, the visit to the laboratory rooms, and the educational games in the garden will serve them well in their daily lives and better understanding of nature.

We must admit that the participants of the workshops made a great impression on us. It was amazing how easily and naturally the children absorbed knowledge and found contact with nature, how enthusiastically they discovered the secrets of the meadow and later told us about it. Sometimes even seemingly trivial things were able to make them curious and surprised. Interestingly, not only the students but also their teachers let themselves be swept up in a whirlwind of fun, especially when solving the “Quest”. There were plenty of surprises during the practical activities. When examining the soil, its inhabitants – earthworms – began to crawl out of trays and had to be caught. A lot of excitement for the youngest workshop participants came from grabbing insects and spiders into special containers with magnifying glasses and observing them. The lively interest of the children and their active participation in the activities gave us, the organizers, a lot of joy and satisfaction.

We are very pleased that doctoral student Miron Gieniec joined the ToBeLawn team for the duration of the workshops. We would like to thank him for his assistance in teaching!

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