This quote is a popular cliché in the turf grass industry, and I don't know an original reference that supports it. The statement does not originate with International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI).
I was involved in the review of the CFI document in question, and I chose to leave the statement as is, since it can be justified as follows:
1. Both turf grasses and rainforests are plant ecosystems that take carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and release oxygen (O2) to the air, by the process of photosynthesis.
2. In turf grass and rainforest ecosystems, the opposite process - respiration - is occurring in and above the soil, when dead plant materials decompose, and this process absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide.
3. The oldest rainforests have been around for a long time, and they are considered to be in "equilibrium" -- respiration balances photosynthesis -- and so on a net basis produce no oxygen. Most turf grasses are more recently established on soils that still have capacity to store more organic matter, and on a net basis are taking carbon dioxide from the air. Therefore they are also releasing oxygen on a net basis, since photosynthesis of the grass exceeds the respiration from the organic matter in the system.
So, taken in the right way, the statement has public educational merit since it raises awareness of the gas exchanges associated with photosynthesis occurring in their home lawns. It should not, however, be taken to imply that turf grasses can entirely replace the many ecological functions of rainforests.
Tom Bruulsema, PhD, CCA
Director, Northeast Region, North America Program
International Plant Nutrition Institute
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