Within the turfgrass ecosystem, there is a constant growth and death of roots and other plant tissues. This process provides organic matter that improves the physical condition and the fertility of the soil. In fact, a high proportion of the world's best cropland is the result of the organic matter produced by grasslands.

Turfgrass roots may extend from one inch to ten feet into the soil, depending on the grass species, the extent of mowing, and soil and environmental conditions. Generally, warm-season grasses produce deeper and more extensive root systems than cool-season grasses. The following example illustrates how this root mass contributes organic matter to the soil.

The root mass of a Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) lawn weighs from 9/814 to 14,364 Ibs/acre. Within the upper 6 inches of soil/ there are approximately 122,000 roots and 61 million root hairs in a space the size of a quart bottle of water. These roots have a combined length of 46 miles and a surface area of approximately 28 sq. ft. About 42% of these roots die and regenerate annually. This means that 6,032 Ibs of root mass per acre are added to the soil each year, enriching it with organic matter. This estimate may be low because it does not include the death and decay of fine roots and root hairs, root secretions, or the consumption of roots by soil organisms.

Turfgrass provides superior benefits to the soil through production of organic matter, especially when compared with other soil uses. Root productivity is higher for mowed grasslands than for ungrazed prairies. Regular mowing of turfgrass concentrates plant energy into increased vegetative (green) growth rather than reproduction (flowering). The result of regular mowing is a canopy of many dense, short, rapidly-growing plants with fibrous root systems. These plants help to loosen and enrich the soil as they grow. Today's turfgrasses have been developed to thrive under regular mowing. Prairie grasses, on theother hand, may suffer from regular mowing because their growing points are higher and may be removed during mowing.

Perennial turfgrasses can be a powerful tool in the restoration of blighted and environmentally damaged areas. Highly eroded landscapes, clear-cut or burned-over lands, landfills and mining operations are more than eyesores. They often are subject to further erosion and excessive runoff during storms.

There are several excellent examples of golf courses designed specifically to restore such damaged sites. Hamptons Road, Virginia; Industry Hills, California; and St. Lucie County, Florida represent locations where public courses have reclaimed landfills, as does the Santa Clara Golf and Tennis Club, California. The Black Diamond Ranch Golf and Country Club in Lecanto, Florida, was built on a reclaimed limestone quarry. The Links at Spanish Bay (California Del Monte Forest) was a former sand mine area. These courses, and others like them around the country, are now assets to the community -economically, environmentally and aesthetically.