Articles | Volume 21, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-949-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-949-2024
Research article
 | 
21 Feb 2024
Research article |  | 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, Beñat Olascoaga, Leif Backman, Esko Karvinen, Henriikka Vekuri, and Liisa Kulmala

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Cited articles

Ahongshangbam, J., Kulmala, L., Soininen, J., Frühauf, Y., Karvinen, E., Salmon, Y., Lintunen, A., Karvonen, A., and Järvi, L.: Sap flow and leaf gas exchange response to a drought and heatwave in urban green spaces in a Nordic city, Biogeosciences, 20, 4455–4475, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4455-2023, 2023. 
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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. 
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