Did You Know? Facts about Turf

March 2010

• A square metre of turf contains 150,000-200,000 blades of grass.
• Grass is the third most important source of Oxygen behind trees and algae.
• An acre of turf produces more Oxygen than an acre of Rain Forest.
• An area of turf that is 50 feet x 50 feet can produce enough O2 for a family of four an acre and the turf can produce enough O2 for 64 people per day.
• An acre of turf can absorb hundreds of pounds of fossil fuel air pollutants.
• Turf helps purify water entering the ground because the root mass and microbes act as filters and capture and breakdown many pollutants.
• Turf absorbs noise.
• Turf prevents soil erosion.
• Turf has a cooling effect – the temperature over a turfed surface on a hot summer’s day will be 10-14 degrees cooler than over concrete or tarmac – beats air-conditioning!
• The net carbon intake of a well managed lawn is 5-7 times higher than the carbon output of mowing it.