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From: seb@mtgzz.UUCP (s.e.badian)
Newsgroups: net.garden,net.consumers
Subject: Re: Grass
Message-ID: <923@mtgzz.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 12-Jul-85 20:38:36 EDT
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Posted: Fri Jul 12 20:38:36 1985
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	Grass is also good ecologically. I saw an article in 
Smithsonian a number of years ago that said that grass lawns
were a boon to many common animals. For instance, the robin
we all know and love is really a woodland bird, but it flourishes
in suburbia because of the grass lawns. The same could probably
be said of rabbits(though I bet a lot of people would like to get
rid of them). The article said that meter for meter the "suburban
grassland" was one of the richest ecosystems in North America.
Probably because of all that expensive fertilizer we dump on it!
	In a similar vein, the deforestation of the Northeast
was a boon to whitetail deer. Their population has steadily increased
since the pilgrams arrived. Deer obviously benefit from a nice
lawn, though they are limited mostly to rural lawns.
	So next time you talk about replacing your lawn with marble
chips think about all the poor robins, bunnies and field mice you'll
be upsetting!

Sharon Badian
ihnp4!mtgzz!seb