DURHAM, N.H.-不喜欢修剪草坪? Good news, cutting the grass less may be better for the environment. 减少你在院子里开割草机的次数, known as “low mow”, 能帮助减少碳排放吗, build soil organic matter and even enhance pollinating habitats for bees.

“People may not think the small ecosystem in their own yard - the grass, soil and vegetation – is that important to the health of the whole planet,亚历山德拉·康托斯塔说, research assistant professor at UNH’s Earth Systems Research Center. “但是采取重要的小步骤, 比如不经常割草, can have a big impact on things like carbon storage and carbon emissions which can influence climate change.”

想成为一个“懒惰的割草机”? Contosta, who has done research on low mow options as well as carbon storage in the backyards of New England cities, offers these tips:

• 每两周修剪一次 -少割草可以让草坪自然开花, 像三叶草和蒲公英, 为蜜蜂提供重要的花蜜, which are in decline and perform vital ecosystem services such as the pollination of food crops.
• Try a “no mow” area – for larger yards, 考虑创建一个切割较少的区域, or not at all, providing time savings as well as a beneficial habitat for butterflies. This can be useful for hard to mow areas or parts of the property that are not utilized.
• 让耙子歇一歇 - skip raking grass clippings - returning them to the soil provides high-quality, carbon-rich leaf litter that organisms can break down and store in soil organic matter. This keeps the carbon out of the atmosphere, where it contributes to warming temperatures.
• 拿剪刀，而不是链锯 - pruning trees rather than cutting them down helps store carbon rather than release it into the atmosphere. If you need to cut down a tree, try to replace it with another one.
• 让邻居参与进来 – propose no and low mow months on your block (in the early spring or late fall), create a community garden and in the fall transform leaves into valuable mulch.

Mowing less also means less emissions, decreasing a household’s carbon footprint. 低成本的方法是经济的, practical and a timesaving alternative to replacing a lawn or even planting pollinating flower gardens. 研究人员表示，如果低工资越来越被社会所接受, it could be a great way to do more for the environment by doing less.

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