On the Disappearance of Lawn Areas in Urban Parks

Abstract

The investigated 17 parks in Tsukuba science city to learn about the disappearance of lawn areas. The purpose of this study is to clarify the sizes of lawn areas and to improve the management of lawn areas in urban parks. The study results will be used to establish a standard design for maintaining and repairing lawn areas. The field research showed the factors that cause lawn areas to disappear in parks. Some of the factors are tree shade, competition with weeds, and overuse. It was found that the greatest factor was tree shade. To analyze this phenomenon, the author investigated the relationship between the tree density and period of sunshine. It was confirmed that lawns only grew in lawn areas where the average daily duration of possible sunshine exceeded 300 to 400 minutes. Moreover, while the disappearance depended on the tree density, it did not depend on the park has been open to the public.