Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - Grass and Lawns

Starting point is 00:00:00 One of the most common types of plants in the world is grass. Grass is almost everywhere. An enormous part of the landmass of Earth is covered with grass. Grass isn't just stuff in a field that cows eat, however, although that's a big part of it. Grass also includes some of the most economically important plants in the entire world. On many different levels, our civilization wouldn't exist if it weren't for grass. Learn more about grass, what it is and its important role on this episode of Everything, Where Daily.

Starting point is 00:00:43 What if your perceptions about the past were wrong? ThruLine is a podcast that takes you back in time to uncover the parts of the story that may have gone unnoticed. It effectively turned day into night. And how it shaped the world now. Time travel with us every week on the ThruLine podcast from NPR. You probably think that you know grass. I say the word grass, then something very specific probably.

Starting point is 00:01:16 tops in your mind. However, the typical grass that you might see in a field or on a lawn is only a small part of the world of grasses. Grasses actually compromise a large number of things that you probably have never considered to be grasses. Grasses generally refer to the large and diverse group of flowering plants belonging to the family, Poaceae. Poaceae is an enormous taxonomic family consisting of 780 genera and over 12,000 different species. Grasses are monocots, meaning that they sprout with a single seed leaf and typically have narrow leaves growing from the base. Beyond that, grasses have an enormous amount of diversity. There are both C3 and C4 grasses. The term C3 and C4 refer to two different pathways

Starting point is 00:02:05 that plants use during photosynthesis, the process by which they convert sunlight carbon dioxide and water into energy. The number of plants that are categorized as grasses includes wheat, rice, barley, rye, sugar cane, and even bamboo. And this is on top of the grasses that you might see in a lawn or a field. Grasses, in the form of grains, are directly responsible for slightly over 50% of all the calories consumed by humans in the world. Indirectly, they're responsible for even more. Approximately 40% of the land area on Earth is covered by grass. As such, it serves as a foundational layer of the ecosystem,

Starting point is 00:02:46 for herbivores and ruminants. Cows, sheep, goats, chickens, and many other animals all rely on grasses for their primary feed. Most of that land is considered to be marginal land, which means that it isn't satisfactory for cultivation or farming. It could be mountainous, rocky, or just dry. While it might not be suitable for growing crops, it's perfectly fine for growing grass. Grass is what allows marginal lands to become productive. Grasses also play a crucial role in carbon sequestration by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Starting point is 00:03:21 through photosynthesis and then storing it primarily in their extensive root systems. Unlike trees which store much of their carbon above ground, grasses can deposit carbon deep into the soil as organic matter, where it can remain stable for decades or even centuries. This underground storage makes grasslands and prairies especially resilient carbon sinks, because they're less vulnerable to disturbances like wildfires or logging. Perennial grasses, particularly those in native ecosystems, contribute significantly to soil carbon accumulation

Starting point is 00:03:53 because their roots grow deep and persist year-round. Given how seemingly simple and basic grasses are, you might think that they were one of the first forms of plant life to have ever evolved. However, that is incorrect. Grasses evolved relatively late in the history of plant life, but they rapidly became one of the most successful, and widespread plant groups on Earth. Their evolutionary origins date back to the late Cretaceous period, approximately 66 to 80

Starting point is 00:04:21 million years ago, at the end of the age of dinosaurs. Fossil evidence, including microscopic silica structures called phytoliths and even fossilized dinosaur dung, suggests that some dinosaurs may have grazed on primitive grasses, although grasses were not yet dominant in any ecosystem in the planet at that time. The true rise of grasses came after the mass extinction that ended the Cretaceous, as the Earth's climate and ecosystems underwent dramatic change. During the paleogene and neogene periods, particularly over the last 20 to 30 million years, global temperatures cooled and forests began to recede in many regions.

Starting point is 00:04:59 Open, arid landscapes expanded, creating the ideal conditions for grasses to flourish. Grasses evolve key adaptations that gave them a competitive edge in these new environments. narrow leaves at reduced water loss, deep root systems for surviving drought, and the ability to regrow quickly. This adaptation made them resilient to both grazing and fire. It should come as a surprise then that the rise of grasses coincided with the rise of mammals. Grasses and ruminants such as cattle, bison, deer, and antelope have co-evolved in many ecosystems, particularly in prairies, savannah and the steps. Grasses tolerate and even benefit from grazing because their growth points are located at or

Starting point is 00:05:42 below the soil surface, allowing them to regrow rapidly after being eaten. In return, ruminants help grasses by trimming competing vegetation, stimulating new growth through regular grazing, spreading seeds via hooves and dung, and fertilizing the soil with nutrient-wrench manure, especially nitrogen, which supports further grass growth. Some grasses are also highly adapted to periodic fire, which is common in many natural grassland ecosystems. Fire clears away dead plant material, suppresses shrubs and trees that would otherwise out-compete grasses, and release nutrients back into the soil. Many grass species have evolved traits such as fire-resistant root systems, allowing for rapid regrowth after a burn, highly flammable dry leaves that actually promote fire spread, and seasonal growth cycles that

Starting point is 00:06:30 sink with fire regimes, ensuring resilience. Now I'd like to focus this conversation on a particular type of grass. I mentioned before that grasses are an enormous part of the global economy. Yet there is one particular category of grass that, at least in the United States, is the largest irrigated crop by area covering over 40 million acres. Despite the enormous resources devoted to it, it produces no food whatsoever. I am, of course, talking about turf grass, or lawns. Cultivated grass for ornamental purposes goes back a very long time.

Starting point is 00:07:10 In ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, archaeological evidence suggests wealthy households maintain small grass courtyards watered by irrigation systems. In ancient Greece and Rome, wealthy citizens created outdoor spaces with short grass for recreation and ascetic purposes. Persian gardens incorporated grass as ground cover in their famous four-part layouts. These influenced later European garden design through Islamic Spain and returning crusaders. Likewise, in medieval Europe, castle courtyards and monastery gardens featured grass areas that were kept trimmed by livestock raising. However, the modern concept of a lawn didn't really develop until the Renaissance. The French developed the concept of the parterre, intricate patterned,

Starting point is 00:07:54 gardens featuring closely cropped grass areas. Louis XIV's Palace of Versailles featured vast lawns that required armies of workers equipped with sives to maintain. These workers, called Fusiers, would arrive before dawn to cut the grass with long-handled sives, creating the smooth, carpet-like appearance that became the gold standard for European aristocracy. The landscape architect of Versailles, André Le Nort, popularized the idea of tapie verre, or green carpet, which was exactly amplified in the expanse of lawn areas of Versailles. English nobility adapted French ideas but developed their own aesthetic preferences. In the 16th and 17th centuries, bowling greens became popular, smooth grass areas used for

Starting point is 00:08:39 lawn bowling. Grass walks were created, which were maintained pathways through gardens and parks. The primary method of keeping the grass in these areas short was simply to allow sheep to graze. Lancelot, Capability Brown, revolutionized garden design, in the mid-18th century. He replaced formal partairs with sweeping grass landscapes and created the English landscape garden, featuring vast lawns punctuated by trees. His idea of the English garden influenced wealthy landowners all across Europe. Technical developments also influenced the ability to

Starting point is 00:09:15 sustain these vast lawns. Better metallurgy produce sharper or more efficient cutting tools to keep the grasses trim, and the development of specific grass varieties for ornamental use, made such lawns easier to grow. Wealthy American colonists imported European lawn concepts. Virginia plantations such as Mount Vernon and Monticello featured extensive grass areas. Boston and Philadelphia merchants also created lawn-centered gardens. Americans experimented with native grasses and also tended to use their lawns for both grazing and ornamentation.

Starting point is 00:09:48 However, high maintenance costs restricted lawns at this time to just the wealthy. The Industrial Revolution fundamentally transformed lawn care by making it accessible to a much broader segment to society. The most important single innovation was Edwin Bunnings' mechanical lawnmower, patented in England in 1830. Budding's inspiration came from observing machines used to cut the nap on velvet and textile factories. He realized that similar rotating blade technology could be adapted to cut grass uniformly and efficiently. Thomas Green brought mower technology to the United States. in the 1850s, and by 1885, several American companies were producing affordable mowers that middle-class homeowners could purchase. This democratization of lawn maintenance technology

Starting point is 00:10:33 meant that maintaining a lawn no longer required hiring a team of workers with size. A single homeowner could now maintain a respectable lawn with a few hours of work each week. Cultural shifts during this period were equally important in promoting lawn culture. Andrew Jackson Downing, an influential American landscape, designer promoted lawns as democratic ideals that could beautify ordinary homes and neighborhoods. Frederick Law Olmstead's design for Central Park in New York in 1857 showcased large public grass areas that demonstrated how lawns could serve community needs while still being aesthetically pleasing. The early 1900 saw a dramatic expansion of lawn culture as it moved from being primarily

Starting point is 00:11:15 associated with the wealthy to becoming a middle-class aspiration. Streetcar suburbs allowed middle-class families to reside in residential neighborhoods with small lots, typically featuring front and back lawns. Power equipment began transforming lawn maintenance during the 1920s. Gasoline-powered motors made it possible to maintain larger lawn areas with less physical effort. Automated irrigation systems became available to wealthy homeowners, while rotary mowers with more efficient cutting mechanisms were developed. These technological advances made lawn ownership more attractive by reducing the time and effort required for maintenance. The period following World War II witnessed the most dramatic expansion of lawn culture and history. Post-war America experienced

Starting point is 00:12:00 unprecedented suburban development driven by several converging factors that made lawns standard features of middle-class life. The 1950s and 60s brought a chemical revolution in lawn care. Herbicides developed in the 1940s allowed selective weed control without killing grass, simplifying lawn maintenance significantly. Pre-emergent herbicides made it possible to prevent crab grass and other weeds before they could even germinate. Water issues became increasingly prominent concerns. The droughts of the 1970s questioned the wisdom of water-intensive lawn practices, particularly in arid regions.

Starting point is 00:12:37 Municipal water restrictions began regulating lawn watering, ushering in the Xeroscaping movement. Zeroscaping is a landscaping approach designed to reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water from irrigation, making it especially useful in arid and drought-prone regions. The term comes from the Greek word Xeros, meaning dry, and emphasizes the use of water-efficient plants such as native grasses, succulents, and drought-tolerant shrubs, as well as strategic design elements like mulch and rock gardens. Grass is so plentiful and common in our world that few people ever bothered to think about it. Yet it's the lowly grasses that are responsible for the world we live in. They feed us, enrich the soil, provide the basis for entire ecosystems,

Starting point is 00:13:20 and make our world a more beautiful place to live in. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Austin Oakden and Cameron Kiefer. I want to thank everyone who supports the show over on Patreon. Your support helps make this podcast possible. I'd also like to thank all the members of the Everything Everywhere community who are active on the Facebook group and the Discord server. If you'd like to join in the Discord. there are links to both in the show notes. And as always, if you leave a review or send me a boostagram, you two can have it read on the show.

Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - Grass and Lawns

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