Leaving Leaves and Other Garden Debris Are Beneficial to Backyard Biodiversity and Soil Health, Research Says

Every year, Danes transport roughly a million tons of yard trash from their gardens.

According to the estimates of University of Copenhagen scientist Per Gundersen, we would be doing the environment a great service if we just left it alone.

At the same time, leaves and other garden debris are beneficial to soil and biodiversity in the backyard.

leaving garden waste alone, we could store 600,000 tons of CO2 per year

(Photo : John Silliman/Unsplash)

As trees shed their golden brown and yellow robes in the fall, the sound of a leaf blower blasting leaves into piles or the sight of a queue of garden waste-packed trucks at the recycling center is all too typical, as per ScienceDaily.

The majority of Danes are content to "tidy up" their gardens.

According to figures from the Ministry of Environment, Danes disposed of 983,000 tonnes of garden waste in 2019, all of which is transported, sorted, and processed by municipal waste management systems.

Small branches, leaves, and grass clippings are composted, while larger branches and trunks are burnt for bioenergy.

However, we should probably leave more of our garden alone.

According to Per Gundersen, a professor of forest ecology at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, there are significant CO2 reductions to be had.

Professor Gundersen analyzed the consequences for Denmark's national climate account if Danes just let their garden trash decompose rather than burning it.

My estimates show that if everyone went all-in and learned how to manage their garden's branches and twigs, for example, we could store around 600,000 tons of CO2 yearly, he adds.

The calculations are based on a straightforward model that includes the various breakdown processes for leaves, twigs, and branches.

Autumn leaves are beneficial to the garden and biodiversity. At this time of year, leaves are flying around and filling up yards.

But, rather than gathering them up and bringing them to a recycling facility, there are several compelling reasons to leave them in the yard.

Leaves feed a vast ecology of decomposers, which helps to nurture the garden.

Fungi, bacteria, tiny, invisible soil animals, as well as earthworms and roly-poly beetles, all contribute to the breakdown and metabolization of organic matter, allowing nutrients to be released into the soil.

According to Per Gundersen, these decomposers ultimately provide a major food source for bigger creatures such as hedgehogs and birds.

As microbes, worms, and other decomposers battle the leaves, a considerable portion of the biomass is converted into CO2, which is slowly released into the atmosphere over time.

A small fraction of the gnawed leaves decompose into soil humus, a complex organic compound that takes a long time to disintegrate but is vital to plant health.

Linden and ash tree leaves are particularly adept at dissolving fast in gardens.

Oak and fruit tree leaves degrade more slowly, making them perfect for soil insulation around bulbous plants or vegetables.

Also Read: Researchers Discovers Importance of Carbon Cycle in Predicting Climate Change

potential benefits of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies have the potential to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions, allowing utilities to continue generating dependable and inexpensive power from abundant and efficient fossil fuels, as per Border states.

While renewable and nuclear power generation continue to play an important role in reducing carbon emissions, fossil fuels tend to respond to changes in electric demand more quickly, which is why industry professionals are looking for a more conservative option that both reduces emissions and maximizes power output.

Increase your power output: CO2-based steam cycles, in which CO2 is pressured into a supercritical fluid, may transfer heat more effectively and need less energy to compress steam, allowing power production turbines to function more efficiently.

Furthermore, geologically stored CO2 might be utilized to retrieve geothermal heat from the same areas where it is injected, resulting in sustainable geothermal energy.

Make more gasoline: CO2 may technically be converted into a fuel. There are several ways to achieve this, but they are both costly and time-consuming.

Enhance concrete: Captured CO2 might be utilized to reinforce concrete, increasing the durability of infrastructure.

Improve manufacturing operations: CO2 might be utilized to manufacture chemicals and polymers like polyurethanes, which are used to make soft foams like those used in mattresses.

Related article: Gaming's Carbon Footprint: Are Downloaded Games Actually Worse Than Disks?