*Highlights*
*Research suggests residents seek to ‘fit in’ via establishing particular aesthetics.
*This explanation does not meaningfully grapple with back yards, which are more hidden.
*Lawns and nitrogen cycling processes were not different …
Although ecosystem services have been intensively examined in certain domains (e.g., forests and wetlands), little research has assessed ecosystem services for the most dominant landscape type in urban ecosystems—namely, residential yards. In this …