Open Collections

Description

Urban green space plays an important role in supporting ecosystem services and biodiversity. But the dominance of lawns is creating a series of environmental impacts, especially reducing urban biodiversity. However, the lawn dominance of urban green landscapes remains poorly understood in Canadian cities. This study examines the distribution and composition of lawns in three Southern Ontario cities: Ottawa, Mississauga, and Brantford. The objective is to quantify lawn coverage and evaluate how lawns relate to overall urban vegetation composition. Lawn areas were mapped using a combination of spectral and structural classification, integrating NDVI and LiDAR-derived height data to distinguish lawns from taller vegetation. Additional correction methods were applied to reduce misclassification caused by urban features. Lawn coverage and lawn dominance were calculated at the city, neighborhood, and land-use zone levels. Results show clear variation among the three cities. Brantford has the highest lawn coverage (42%), followed by Mississauga (33%) and Ottawa (31%), while Mississauga exhibits the highest overall lawn dominance (86%) and Ottawa shows the lowest (66%). These findings indicate that total lawn coverage alone does not fully reflect the dominance of lawns in urban ecosystems, as similar coverage levels can correspond to different vegetation compositions. The results highlight that lawns are more dominant in highly urbanized and non residential zones, while residential and natural zones tend to have lower lawn dominance. This study provides spatial evidence to support urban planning strategies aimed at reducing lawn dominance and promoting more diverse and resilient urban green spaces.