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Green Landscaping: Greenacres

Natural Landscaping Tool Kit

An Annotated Slide Collection - Slide 20


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Native prairie plants typically have deep and extensive root systems which help them survive dry conditions and which effectively hold soil. By comparison cool season turf grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass at the far left in the photograph, have very shallow root systems which are much less effective in controlling erosion and withstanding severe drought. 

The prairie root systems are a major part of the biomass provided by prairie vegetation. Through photosynthesis these plants use carbon dioxide to create complex hydrocarbons, thereby enriching the soil and reducing the "greenhouse effect" of carbon dioxide.


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