About

Michael Barnes is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota. He holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resources Science and Management from the University of Minnesota, obtained in 2020. His work specializes in utilizing interdisciplinary approaches to understand complex socio-ecological-technological systems, focusing on the intersection of social science, sustainability, and health. For the past decade, Barnes has sought to understand the relationships, ideas, and beliefs that influence the decisions of homeowners, land managers, and public officials regarding urban vegetation, with a particular emphasis on turfgrass. Recently, his research has expanded to include human-nature interactions with artificial turf surfaces and aspects of seasonality, especially winter. He teaches courses such as ESPM 3271 - Environmental Policy, Law, and Human Behavior, and APS 5105 - Where People & Plants Meet: Social Science Dimensions of Horticulture.

Research topics

• Geography
• Environmental resource management
• Sociology
• Environmental planning
• Ecology
• Engineering
• Environmental science
• Business
• Economics
• Civil engineering

Selected publications

• Identifying challenges in establishing pollinator lawns among current and potential owners

  Agricultural & Environmental Letters · 2025-12-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract Interest in alternatives to traditional turfgrass lawns is growing, with pollinator lawns emerging as a popular option. Although these lawns offer some advantages over traditional ones, such transitions present challenges for homeowners. This study aimed to identify the most common obstacles encountered by current and prospective pollinator lawn owners and understand how individuals define pollinator lawns. Two primary areas of concern emerged: costs of establishing pollinator lawns and issues related to soil conditions/proper site preparation. Potential owners had higher levels of concerns overall compared to current owners. Alleviation of both actual and perceived challenges is needed on the production and distribution side (new lower cost mixes), and for homeowners through accessible guidance on common pitfalls and best practices for establishing and maintaining pollinator lawns to make transitions more successful to increase pollinator habitat in urban areas.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Seasonal impressions of nature: Creatively exploring phenology through an intuitive learning activity

  NACTA Journal · 2025-03-04

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Horticulture industry awareness and use of lawn and landscape Cooperative Extension education resources

  Natural sciences education · 2025-09-21 · 1 citations

  article

  Abstract Little research has been conducted on Cooperative Extension Service resource use and consideration among horticultural professionals. A multistate survey was created and shared through 12 University Extension programs at in‐person Extension events (i.e., field days, conferences, and workshops) in the Central United States to attain a better understanding of how horticultural industry practitioners (e.g., golf course superintendents, sports field managers, lawn and landscape contractors, sod producers, nursery and greenhouse growers, tree care, and retailers) are using Extension resources, their challenges with Extension, and considerations for future use. Most professionals (74%) who attended in‐person Extension events were aware of Extension resources and indicated that it was either their primary (23%) or secondary (16%) source of plant health‐related information. Practitioners suggested that resources being easy to find and updated in the past 5 years were the two most important considerations for future use. Professionals who attend in‐person events prefer more in‐person Extension events and online Extension publications and they are more likely to use video resources and emailed newsletters compared to other educational methods. More research is needed to determine if the less‐used tools indicated in our survey (social media, Extension website blogs, mailed newsletters, and phone calls or phone‐based apps) are favored by professionals who do not regularly attend in‐person events. Regardless, updating and creating new resources through multiple avenues that practitioners prefer to use can help increase awareness and use of Extension materials.

  PublisherDOI

• Sports field users in Minnesota support herbicide use for weed‐free recreation

  Crop Forage & Turfgrass Management · 2024-03-31

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Plain Language Summary Weeds on sports fields pose a continuous challenge, requiring effective management to address impacts on aesthetics, playability, performance, and safety. Weed control involves various approaches, including herbicide application. However, concerns about human and environmental health have led to increased regulation. Unlike prior research on herbicide perceptions in home lawns and parks, this study focuses on sports fields. Participants preferred weed‐free fields and more effective control methods, despite acknowledging potential harms. Findings highlight the importance of aligning maintenance practices with user preferences for weed‐free surfaces and effective control methods in managing turfgrass sports fields.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Cultivating connections: Framing turfgrass as a thriving social–ecological–technological system

  Crop Science · 2024-10-08 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract Turfgrass systems are some of the most ubiquitous forms of perennial agricultural systems. People interact with them on a daily basis, and they provide a wide variety of social and environmental benefits. Over the past two decades, turfgrass systems have been increasingly seen as coupled human‐natural systems, which has prompted new avenues of research across multiple areas from breeding to management. While this human‐natural systems framework has been helpful, the rapid development and integration of technology (e.g., smart sensors, robotic mowers) and the push for nature‐based solutions and green infrastructure have changed the landscape significantly for turfgrass systems. With this in mind, the current work advocates for the adoption of a new framework, social–ecological–technological systems (SETS), to better understand where turfgrass systems research is situated now and, more importantly, what directions it could go in the future.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Winter–Nature Interactions Elicit Positive Sentiments in Urban Millennials: A Cross-Cultural Analysis in Minneapolis-St. Paul, USA, and Stuttgart, Germany

  Ecopsychology · 2024-02-22 · 1 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Interactions with nature are critical to our well-being and in the development of nature connectedness to subsequently promote proenvironmental behaviors and develop stewardship values. Despite the significant amount of research conducted on human–nature experiences, rarely is this study focused on the winter season. This study aimed to understand common elements of winter experiences, the overall sentiment of experiences, and how experiences differed according to stage of life (i.e., childhood versus adulthood). Narratives were collected during winter 2021/2022 from millennials in two locations (Minneapolis-St. Paul, United States and Stuttgart, Germany) about their notable outdoor winter experiences, both as children and adults. Thematic analysis identified four main themes: winter activities, socializing in winter, natural elements, and nature. Narratives were broadly positive across both times of life (childhood and adulthood), as well as across geographic regions. These results are important for the development of winter-focused interventions to enhance engagement with and connection to nature in the winter season to promote well-being and stimulate interest in ecoconscious efforts.

  PublisherDOI

• Unearthing green potential: Assessing the state of managed urban landscape curricula in Minnesota's higher education institutions

  Natural sciences education · 2024-02-27

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract As urbanization increases, managed urban landscapes are frequently the mode through which people experience nature and where careers in natural resources are increasing. There is a lack of knowledge related to curricula and programs where students are exposed to managed urban landscapes and careers related to them. We aimed to evaluate the current status of managed urban landscape curricula (MULC) in undergraduate programs in Minnesota through a systematic investigation of programs and courses at higher education institutions. All undergraduate courses offered by included higher education institutions were reviewed to determine the presence, absence, or possibility of MULC based on the course's publicly available descriptions and were combined with departmental and institutional characteristics to identify patterns of MULC across the state. Only about 1% of over 50,000 courses reviewed contain MULC. Courses with MULC were concentrated in public doctoral‐level institutions and in departments such as biology and environmental studies, however MULC courses were found at 94% of included institutions and across 60 different departments. While the number of courses with MULC was minimal, courses with the possibility of including MULC show there are ample opportunities for MULC to be added to existing courses, especially core requirements such as introductory biology or a survey of environmental science in the state of Minnesota and more broadly.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Winter-human-nature interactions: A scoping review for a neglected season

  Global Environmental Psychology · 2024-02-08 · 5 citations

  reviewOpen accessSenior author

  Nature interactions are associated with numerous positive physical, social, and mental health benefits. However, most human-nature interaction research is conducted in spring and summer, with little insight into autumn or winter-human-nature interactions. We therefore conducted a concise scoping review to explore the current state of winter-human-nature interaction research by examining common emergent themes and types of winter-human-nature interaction. Few studies (N = 28) met the inclusion criteria of our review (i.e., primary studies that examined explicit human-nature interactions in winter that reported outcomes for participants). Three main winter-human-nature interaction research topics emerged in the course of this review: winter recreation and tourism, winter and health, and winter and culture. Regarding typology, most studies considered more immediate, conscious, and intentional winter-human-nature interactions. Additionally, few studies considered the outcomes of interactions for both people and nature. More broadly, the general lack of studies involving winter-human-nature interactions is concerning given the depth of research in other seasons connecting humans and nature. Winter-nature interactions are even more important to understand given the ongoing changes in the characteristics of winter due to climate change that are likely to affect people’s relationships with nature in the winter and the potential nature-derived benefits of winter-human-nature interaction.

  PublisherDOI

• Longevity of rain gardens in Minnesota (US) as a stormwater solution: a question of homeowner motivation and satisfaction

  Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · 2023-11-03 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Rain gardens are gardens with a specific purpose. Designed as a shallow depression that captures stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces, rain gardens are planted with deep-rooted, wet/dry-cycle tolerant plants that enable the water to slowly permeate and be filtered by the soil. They are used as stormwater best management practices by municipalities and organizations as part of their overall plans to meet water quality goals as mandated by the United States (US) Clean Water Act. City and watershed administrators are counting on these rain gardens to be durable, effective solutions for managing stormwater runoff. But when the rain gardens are installed in the yards of privately owned homes, control of these solutions lands on the homeowners' shoulders. How effective are the rain gardens years after installation? How do the social factors of motivation and satisfaction relate to the longevity of the rain gardens? The objective of this case study was to determine the perceived performance of residential rain gardens as well as homeowner motivation and satisfaction with them over time. Data was collected via an email survey from homeowners located in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN, US that had installed a rain garden. Key findings include (1) almost all rain gardens performed effectively, though some were not seen as successful, (2) motivations for installing rain gardens differ widely for successful vs. challenged gardens and (3) satisfaction with the rain gardens decreases over time.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• “Nothing Beats Nature”: Park Visitor Preferences for Natural Turfgrass and Artificial Turf: A Case Study

  HortScience · 2023-03-14 · 7 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Green spaces comprising natural turfgrass are ubiquitous in urban areas globally and allow for a variety of ecosystem services that benefit nature and people. However, traditional natural turfgrass is often critiqued for the number of inputs (e.g., fertilizer, water) required to maintain it. With those critiques in mind, some cities have turned to artificial turf as an alternative groundcover despite environmental and human health concerns (e.g., heavy metal leaching, volatile organic compounds). Research of artificial turf has been minimal compared with that of the growth of installations, especially related to social aspects of the surface. The current research used an in-person experiential case study of park visitors in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area of Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN, USA, to investigate how individuals perceived artificial turf compared with natural turfgrass as it relates to potential uses (e.g., resting/relaxing) and beliefs about sustainability (e.g., environmental impacts). Overall, participants preferred natural turfgrass across all uses but two (recreational and organized sports). The largest differences were observed for the use for picnic areas and the use for play areas for pets. Participants also perceived natural turfgrass as more sustainable than artificial turf, corresponding to the contribution to human health and well-being. In contrast, participants equally perceived the use of these surfaces in terms of natural resources. These findings have implications for public land managers, urban planners, city councils, and other stakeholders because they consider the adoption of artificial turf or other possible alternatives (e.g., low-input turfgrasses, bee lawns) to traditional turfgrass in the communities and their sustainability, maintenance, and cost-savings.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Eric Watkins

  38 shared

• Chengyan Yue

  University of Minnesota

  22 shared

• Xiangwen Kong

  Renmin University of China

  18 shared

• Yufeng Lai

  University of Minnesota

  17 shared

• Kristen C. Nelson

  Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

  12 shared

• Ming Kuo

  5 shared

• Amanda Meyer

  University of Wisconsin Health

  4 shared

• Tara Zarrin Mohtadi

  Earth Island Institute

  4 shared

Labs

• Michael Barnes LabPI

  Not provided