Articles | Volume 21, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-949-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-949-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
21 Feb 2024
Research article |
| 21 Feb 2024
| 21 Feb 2024
Lawns and meadows in urban green space – a comparison from perspectives of greenhouse gases, drought resilience and plant functional types
Justine Trémeau
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
AgroParisTech – Institut des sciences et industries du vivant et de l'environnement, Palaiseau, France
Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Beñat Olascoaga
Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
School of Resource Wisdom, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Department of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Leif Backman
Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
Esko Karvinen
Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
Henriikka Vekuri
Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR), Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Cited
25 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Impact of changing urban typologies on residential vegetation and its climate-effects – A case study from Helsinki, Finland P. Leppänen et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128343
- Socio-Ecological Sustainability of Urban Parks in Linyi City: Carbon Sequestration, Carbon Resilience and Spatial Equity Y. Fan et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18104891
- Carbon sequestration in different urban vegetation types in Southern Finland L. Thölix et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-725-2025
- Barley intercropped with undersown species in northern Europe: a modest yet positive impact on carbon dioxide uptake during the shoulder seasons S. Gerin et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2026.110265
- Future climate impacts on carbon sequestration dynamics across urban ecosystem types in Finnish cities A. Koiso-Kanttila et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-026-01974-w
- Intercomparison of biogenic CO2 flux models in four urban parks in the city of Zurich S. Stagakis et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2133-2025
- Urban Green Infrastructure for Carbon Sequestration: Integrating Land Restoration, Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Mitigation A. Nandal et al. https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2026/v152i6A/171267
- Soil respiration across a variety of tree-covered urban green spaces in Helsinki, Finland E. Karvinen et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-381-2024
- Role of Fungi in N2O Emissions from Nitrogen-Fertilized Lawn Soil Z. Xun et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen6040090
- Small-Scale Microclimatic Temperature Variability Shapes Spring Green-Up of Cool- and Warm-Season Turfgrasses J. Marin et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci10060310
- Invertebrate higher taxa diversity in managed and unmanaged green spaces in the urban environment of Metropolis GZM (Poland) A. Poźniak et al. https://doi.org/10.2478/environ-2025-0008
- Urban flower meadows as a climate change adaptation measure: a pilot study from Olomouc, Czechia D. Novotný et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-026-02065-6
- How urban green infrastructure contributes to carbon neutrality R. Hautamäki et al. https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.586
- The impact of urban flower meadows on the well-being of city dwellers provides hints for planning biophilic green spaces K. Simonienko et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-16420-8
- Impact of peat depth on soil conditions, plant growth, and greenhouse gas emissions on a boreal agricultural drained peatland M. Niiranen et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2026.110400
- From boreal forests to boreal cities—assessing the applicability of a forest growth and carbon balance model to tree-covered urban green spaces E. Karvinen et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ae7253
- The potential of nature-based solutions for urban soils: focus on green infrastructure and bioremediation S. Celletti et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1634662
- Estimation of carbon fluxes in urban vegetation using machine learning emulators of the land surface model JSBACH V. Vasenkari et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/3049-4753/ae9e2f
- Optimizing mowing practices can mitigate the short-term negative impacts of mowing on insect diversity J. Shi et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130857
- Minimizing N2O and CO2 emissions from urban lawns through sustainable management strategies T. Künnemann et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-026-01929-1
- Effects of drought on ecosystem services of recreational and sport turfgrasses in urban environments F. Kazemi https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1429.32
- A socio-ecological study on a citizen-based initiative to transform urban lawns into meadows within the Helsinki metropolitan area B. Olascoaga et al. https://doi.org/10.3897/aca.8.e155791
- High respiration rates induce net CO2 emissions in an urban allotment garden in Finland P. Ke et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2025.128945
- Calibrating primary crop parameters to capture undersown species impacts Q. Bell et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2025.127676
- Spatial and temporal variability of CO2, N2O and CH4 fluxes from an urban park in Denmark X. Bai et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-3207-2026
25 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Impact of changing urban typologies on residential vegetation and its climate-effects – A case study from Helsinki, Finland P. Leppänen et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128343
- Socio-Ecological Sustainability of Urban Parks in Linyi City: Carbon Sequestration, Carbon Resilience and Spatial Equity Y. Fan et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18104891
- Carbon sequestration in different urban vegetation types in Southern Finland L. Thölix et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-725-2025
- Barley intercropped with undersown species in northern Europe: a modest yet positive impact on carbon dioxide uptake during the shoulder seasons S. Gerin et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2026.110265
- Future climate impacts on carbon sequestration dynamics across urban ecosystem types in Finnish cities A. Koiso-Kanttila et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-026-01974-w
- Intercomparison of biogenic CO2 flux models in four urban parks in the city of Zurich S. Stagakis et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2133-2025
- Urban Green Infrastructure for Carbon Sequestration: Integrating Land Restoration, Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Mitigation A. Nandal et al. https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2026/v152i6A/171267
- Soil respiration across a variety of tree-covered urban green spaces in Helsinki, Finland E. Karvinen et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-381-2024
- Role of Fungi in N2O Emissions from Nitrogen-Fertilized Lawn Soil Z. Xun et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen6040090
- Small-Scale Microclimatic Temperature Variability Shapes Spring Green-Up of Cool- and Warm-Season Turfgrasses J. Marin et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci10060310
- Invertebrate higher taxa diversity in managed and unmanaged green spaces in the urban environment of Metropolis GZM (Poland) A. Poźniak et al. https://doi.org/10.2478/environ-2025-0008
- Urban flower meadows as a climate change adaptation measure: a pilot study from Olomouc, Czechia D. Novotný et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-026-02065-6
- How urban green infrastructure contributes to carbon neutrality R. Hautamäki et al. https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.586
- The impact of urban flower meadows on the well-being of city dwellers provides hints for planning biophilic green spaces K. Simonienko et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-16420-8
- Impact of peat depth on soil conditions, plant growth, and greenhouse gas emissions on a boreal agricultural drained peatland M. Niiranen et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2026.110400
- From boreal forests to boreal cities—assessing the applicability of a forest growth and carbon balance model to tree-covered urban green spaces E. Karvinen et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ae7253
- The potential of nature-based solutions for urban soils: focus on green infrastructure and bioremediation S. Celletti et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1634662
- Estimation of carbon fluxes in urban vegetation using machine learning emulators of the land surface model JSBACH V. Vasenkari et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/3049-4753/ae9e2f
- Optimizing mowing practices can mitigate the short-term negative impacts of mowing on insect diversity J. Shi et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130857
- Minimizing N2O and CO2 emissions from urban lawns through sustainable management strategies T. Künnemann et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-026-01929-1
- Effects of drought on ecosystem services of recreational and sport turfgrasses in urban environments F. Kazemi https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1429.32
- A socio-ecological study on a citizen-based initiative to transform urban lawns into meadows within the Helsinki metropolitan area B. Olascoaga et al. https://doi.org/10.3897/aca.8.e155791
- High respiration rates induce net CO2 emissions in an urban allotment garden in Finland P. Ke et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2025.128945
- Calibrating primary crop parameters to capture undersown species impacts Q. Bell et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2025.127676
- Spatial and temporal variability of CO2, N2O and CH4 fluxes from an urban park in Denmark X. Bai et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-3207-2026
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 07 Oct 2026
Short summary
We studied urban lawns and meadows in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland. We found that meadows are more resistant to drought events but that they do not increase carbon sequestration compared with lawns. Moreover, the transformation from lawns to meadows did not demonstrate any negative climate effects in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Even though social and economic aspects also steer urban development, these results can guide planning to consider carbon-smart options.
We studied urban lawns and meadows in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland. We found that...
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