The Sports Turf Research Institute

• Home
• Advisory
  • Intro
  • Agronomy
  • Irrigation
  • Sports Surface Construction
  • Golf Course Architecture
  • Ecology
  • Subscription Information
  • Recruitment Services
• Test & ID
• Research
• Trade
• Bookshop
• Training

• Login
• Register
• Help
• Contact

Wildlife guides

 

The Open Championship Wildlife guide for Royal Birkdale Golf Club

 

 

<img src="/images/ecology/wildlife.jpg">

 

The latest in a series of booklets on the wildlife to be found on Open Championship courses has been published by STRI for The R&A. It features the wildlife of Royal Birkdale and highlights the positive course management undertaken in protecting the wide diversity of plants and animals to be found on the fragile links environment.

The booklet is one of a series covering all of the Open venues with the aim of raising awareness of wildlife and the role golf is playing in managing and conserving the environment in which the game is played. Importantly they show just how golf and environmental bodies are working together to protect the natural heritage.

The R&A is aware of its obligation and has created a website – www.bestcourseforgolf.org - dedicated to producing best practice guidelines for course management that fully protect environmental and ecological concerns, proving that golf and wildlife can happily co-exist.

The booklet is  available free of charge while stocks last through the Ecology Department contact one of the team on 01274 518903.

 

 

 

Conservation Guides for Golf Courses

The latest in the STRI/Parsaver Golf series of conservation guides has been produced on behalf of the MacDonald Cardrona Hotel Golf & Country Club

Yardage Book & Conservation Guide - Cardrona Golf & Country Club

                   ______________________

 

Integrating Ecology into Golf Course Management: A Practical Approach

This years Ecology workshop is a standalone practical workshop and covers one and a half days.  Even with this extra half day the itinerary is packed as we have tried to incorporate all aspects of our work to help integrate ecology into golf course management. 

Wednesday 21^st November                  Start 9:00 – 5:10 End

 

Time slot	Topic
9:00 – 9:20	The relationship between golf and ecology
9:20 – 9:35	Basic Ecological principles
9:35 – 10:00	Widening the remit – environmental issues
10:00 – 10:15	Break
10:15 – 10:40	Establishment of wildflowers Guest Speaker: Richard Brown, British Seed Houses Ltd.
10:40 – 11:10	Grassland management
11:10 – 11:40	Ponds and water features
11:40 – 12:10	Trees and woodlands
12:10 – 12:30	Heather management and Introduction to the course walk
12:30 – 1:30	Lunch
1:30 – 4:45	Practical course walk – Bingley St Ives
4:45 – 5:00	Break
5:00 – 5:10	Conclusion to the day

 

Thursday 22^nd November                  Start 9:00 – 2:00 End

 

Time slot	Topic
9:00 – 11:00	Practical workshop – developing a management plan for Bingley St Ives
11:00 – 11:15	Break
11:15 – 11:55	Integrating ecology into golf course management – Wilmslow case study Guest speaker: Steve Oultram, Course Manager, Wilmslow GC
11:55 – 12:20	Methods of communication
12:20 – 12:30	Wrap up
12:30 – 1:30	Lunch
1:30 – 2:00	Informal Q&A session

                              ______________________

Land use Comparisons - Species Diversity

STRI’s Ecology & Environment Team recently produced a large and detailed report (an Environmental Statement) as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) concerning a proposal for a golf course extension into an area of mature woodland.  This afforded the rare opportunity to compare the breeding bird density and diversity of two adjoining areas of land – one a fully functioning 27-hole golf facility, and the other an area of mature beech, sycamore and pine woodland that has been left unmanaged for many years.

To support the Environmental Statement it was essential to determine the species diversity of the woodland site in order to assess what impacts were likely to arise following the ingress of the golf course.  It was also deemed useful to survey the existing golf course in order to compare the diversity of species and habitats on both sites and provide a contrast between the wildlife potential of both land uses.

Comparative surveys were carried out by independent assessors with the assumption that the results would show the relatively unmanaged woodland to be considerably more diverse than the managed, disturbed environment of the golf course.  But is this the case?

The results of the bird surveys are detailed in the table below:

The findings would surprise many wildllife enthusiasts, with the golf course not only being equally as diverse as the woodland, but more so.  The number of species identified, and the number of breeding pairs/territorial sites were higher on the golf course than in the woodland and five red list species (song thrush, starling, linnet, bullfinch and yellowhammer) and five amber list species (kestrel, green woodpecker, dunnock, mistle thrush and willow warbler) were identified on the golf course, compared to two red list (bullfinch and song thrush) and four yellow list (woodcock, dunnock, mistle thrush and willow warbler) within the woodland.

At this preliminary stage, it has not yet been determined whether the differences between the two areas are statistically significant, but the trends are clearly evident and the main point is that the presence of a golf course does not equal a reduction in the number or diversity of breeding birds.

So, how can these findings be explained?  Until 17 years ago, the land now occupied by the golf course was the same as the area of woodland in which it is proposed to be extended, so surely the fact that tees, greens and fairways have been carved through this habitat would leave make it a much less attractive proposition for bird life?

However, the most diverse area of a block of woodland is in fact the woodland edge.  This is where the majority of bird species can be found, with very few venturing deeper into the woodland itself.  The surveyors noted most of the woodland findings to be situated along the perimeter of the woodland or along the network of rides that run through it.  It is this principle that explains why the golf course contained more species and breeding pairs than the woodland.  The carving of fairways through woodland increases the extent of woodland edge considerably and therefore increases the habitat for breeding birds.  Moreover, golf courses will generally create a more diverse range of habitats, suitable for a greater number of species.  This can make them havens for wildlife and a golf course, when managed appropriately, can be akin to a nature reserve.

The findings of this study are invaluable as they show that alterations to a habitat for golf course development are not necessarily a bad thing.  Indeed, in the case of the woodland in this study, if the area were to continue as it is, with little or no management over the next 20-30 years, it would become dominated by sycamore and the beech element (which formerly dominated) would be severely reduced, making the site of much less ecological importance. 

The point here is that intervention is sometimes not only acceptable, but a necessity.

                                  ______________________

Doncaster Naturalists Society visits Wheatley Golf Club

In mid-July 2007 Bob led a foray for the Doncaster Naturalists Society on to the Wheatley golf course in Doncaster giving the naturalists a chance to record wildlife from areas normally inaccessible to anyone other than players and the associated staff.  Although almost four hours were spent on the course, less than three golf holes were surveyed such was the pace set by the group. 

              
Bob Taylor with representatives of the Doncaster Naturalist Society & Black Poplar on the Weatley golf course

The level of expertise of the naturalists varied considerably and although some people are clearly expert in their field, others are there to learn from the experts.  This makes for a very relaxed and informal setting from which to develop ecological interests.  I would certainly recommend anyone interested in learning more about wildlife to contact your local group.  Naturalist Societies and wildlife groups are present in all counties plus larger towns.  Contact your local museum services or library to find out more about the wildlife or naturalist groups within your region.  A summary of the species recorded during the day is included below.

General list of species recorded

Species list of Galls recorded 

                                   ______________________

Environmental Innovation and Technology Network for European Golf Sector

Golf Environment Europe, in partnership with the Sports Turf Research Institute, the Scandinavian Turfgrass Foundation and the University of Pisa is developing a new initiative to facilitate the coordinated pan – European production and exchange of technical information on environmental issues in golf.

GEE’s Innovation and Technology Network will be the first time that research, development and information exchange on technical environmental issues relating to golf will have been brought together in a single coordinated framework, with a centralised research agenda.

The network will provide industry manufacturers and suppliers with opportunities to fund research or exchange information across a number of different topics, through the three research centres.

Key issues to be addressed within the research agenda, by the research centres, will be:

Turfgrass Management

• Water Resource Management
• Golf Course Ecology
• Waste Management
• Energy Efficiency and Alternative Energies

Commenting on the Network, Gordon McKillop of the Sports Turf Research Institute said:  “The STRI are delighted to be at the forefront of this European wide initiative to bring together and better communicate technical guidance on a range of environmental issues that affect the management and development of golf courses.

“As Chair of the I&T Working Group, we will strive to set out a collective research agenda across those issues, which can be explored further between each of the research centres and commercial companies”.

Maria Strandberg of the Scandinavian Turfgrass Foundation, and Chair of Golf Environment Europe’s Forum added:  “It is vital that if golf facilities are to cope with ever changing environmental legislation, best practices and public expectations, that they need information on how to tackle technical issues and the products and services which provide the tools and environmental solutions”.

With the development of a single web based information centre, the outputs of the Network will be readily accessible to all practitioners within golf, and all those interested in the relationship between golf and the environment.

Visit www.golfenvironmenteurope.org for more information.

                                 ______________________ 

New Ecology DVD - Sustainable Golf Course Management

Optimising playing quality in harmony with the conservation of the environment is fundamental to the longer-term success and viability of the golf industry. Adopting Best Practice Guidelines involving economically sound and socially responsible management techniques provides the essence of Sustainable Golf Course Management.

Bob Taylor and Lee Penrose share their broad experience and in-depth understanding of ecological and environmental management through a series of individual accounts and case studies.

By way of a short film, this DVD provides a series of interviews with some of the golf industry’s leading experts and dedicated course managers. It illustrates that all golf clubs, no matter what size, do have an important role to play in ensuring the future of the industry as a whole. Comments from golf club officials, players and greenstaff demonstrate that sound environmental management is realistic, workable, worthwhile and necessary.

The CD Rom provides a whole series of chapters containing detailed information and discussion on a range of specific subject areas. It demonstrates that through simple changes major improvements can be realised on both a club and local level.

To buy now click on the link below! 

            ______________________

Field Guide to the Bumblebees of Great Britain and Ireland

Produced by Mike Edwards and Martin Jenner in the Countryside and Garden Conservation Series

This 108 page pocket sized handbook is without doubt the first ever comprehensive photographic field guide to British bumblebees that can be relatively easily understood, giving us all an opportunity to at least attempt to identify these fantastic and well-loved insects. All readers of Green Matters will no doubt have read our accounts in previous issues highlighting the decline of Britain’s native bumblebees. This decline has been measured for only a few rare species but it is clear from the surveys completed that even the most abundant species have suffered significant declines over recent years. Since the 1970s for example, some species have declined by over 60%, rarer species much more.

The book recommends a three-stage approach to identifying the bees. Step one: capture the bee in a test tube or similar vessel and look for the presence of a number of yellow bands on the thorax, check these with the colour charts on the individual pages. Step two: look for patterns on the abdomen and again cross-check with the colour charts in the guide. Step three: use the photographs and species accounts to confirm.

Both sexes of all 22 known species are illustrated and I particularly like the comments on similar species as this does tend to highlight those that may bear similar markings and so reduce the risk of confusion or incorrect identification. The book details individual life histories, conservation requirements and other interesting information such as how to attract bumblebees into the garden or, in our case, onto the golf course.

Purchase your copy of Field Guide to Bumblebees of Great Britain & Ireland from the STRI online Book Catalogue

                       ____________________________________________

The Social Bumblebees of Great Britain and Ireland

Syngenta's New Bumblebee Recovery Programme

Syngenta are currently pioneering a bumblebee recovery programme in the Agricultural sector and have produced what must be the msot comprehensive poster available covering the indentification of bumblebees in the UK.

The poster has been designed in a similar vein to the bumblebee book (see book review above). The photographs are superb and the methods for identifying bumblebees is straight forward if a little difficult out in the field. 

As STRI Senior Ecologist Bob Taylor notes, "The poster is a must for anyone with a passing interest in bumblebees and is very reasonably priced at £4.95. STRI are offering the poster and book as a combined package at a price of £13.00 which to me is superb value."

For more information contact Linda Gallagher on 01274 518908 or view online in the STRI Bookshop.

                        ____________________________________________

Rare Plants and Animals on the Golf Course

A regular sight throughout golf courses the length and breadth of the UK, bumblebees are often dismissed by golfers as pests that exist simply to annoy them and cause panic among the more delicate members of the group. Perhaps if a little more was understood about the essential role bees play in maintaining the wild flowers which every golfer wishes to see on the golf course and in their own gardens, then these unassuming insects would gain the respect they deserve.

Unbeknown to many, there are 16 different species of true bumblebees and six species of cuckoo bees (visually similar but parasitic cousins of the bumblebees). Of the 16 bumblebees only six are likely to be seen on the average golf course; the red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), the buff-tailed bumblebee (B. terrestris), the common carder bee (B. pascuorum), the white-tailed bee (B. lucorum), the early bumblebee (B pratorum) and the garden bumblebee (B. hortorum), with the other ten having suffered massive declines to the point of near extinction.

Bumblebees are the biggest pollinators of the majority of wild flowers and also UK food crops. Without bees, food production would greatly diminish and many of the flowers on your golf course would become extinct.

Every golf course, irrespective of size, location or status, can play an important role in maintaining the UK’s fragile bumblebee population. Intensification in agricultural practices is widely recognised as the major factor in the vast decline in bumblebee numbers over the past 50 years. However I, for one, find the “blame the farmers” excuse is wearing a little thin these days with agricultural techniques held responsible for every species decline except the dodo!

I think it would be far more positive for us, as the golf industry maintaining our 150,000 hectares of land, to look forward and ask “what can we do?”. Specially mixed wildflower seed preparations are available from many of the seed suppliers and advice is available on how to attract and provide food for bees from STRI and several other conservation organisations. Simple changes to the course, such as leaving buffer strips along sections of ditches or around water bodies, or as tracts of grassland between holes, will be immensely valuable. Even on the most sterile golf course, the clubhouse may provide opportunity for honeysuckle, rose, comfrey or foxglove to be introduced, whilst the course itself may offer grasslands capable of supporting knapweed, bird’s-foot trefoil or teasel (see photograph).

Hopefully, swatting a bumblebee with the nearest rolled up copy of Greenkeeper International or trapping one under an upturned coffee mug is a thing of the past and, as you will now appreciate, is not conducive to maintaining an aesthetically or ecologically impressive golf course!

If you want to learn more about bumblebees then check out the new Field Guide to the Bumblebees of Great Britain and Ireland produced by Mike Edwards and Martin Jenner as part of the Countryside and Garden Conservation Series.

                       ____________________________________________

Protected Species Surveying

STRI is now licensed to survey for European protected species including great crested newts, natterjack toads and bats.

These species, along with sand lizard, smooth snake and otter to mention just a few, are given special protection under the European Conservation (Natural Habitats & Conservation) Regulations 1994 which implement the EC Directive 92/43/EEC in the United Kingdom. This legislation gives recognition to the fact that certain species require a greater level of protection, primarily through licensing procedures. It is, for example, an offence under the above legislation to handle any European protected species or indeed deliberately disturb any animal or its breeding or resting place without an appropriate licence. Any activity that would result in a contravention of the above, i.e. through destruction or disturbance during management or construction practices, would require a licence so as to avoid committing an offence. This could include simple drainage or irrigation works through to the management or enlargement of ponds or, in the case of reptiles and bats, the removal of trees. The first stage must be to engage a consultant ecologist who would provide an unbiased and independent summary of whether, on balance, the proposed activity is reasonably "likely or unlikely" to result in an offence under the Regulations. Where European protected species are concerned, it is essential that the consultant is appropriately licensed so as himself not to cause any unwarranted disturbance or harm. STRI has recently undertaken great crested newt surveys in Cheshire and is actively involved in the conservation of natterjack toads on the Wirral. If you are unsure as to whether European protected species exist (and it is likely on most golf courses that bats do exist) then please contact STRI for guidance before embarking upon any activity that could not only result in a contravention of the Regulations and the committing of an offence but, more importantly, the destruction of habitat or direct or indirect harm to the species present.

It may be on many courses that although protected species exist, management work is still undertaken on an annual basis largely ignorant of the impact that this may be having on the habitat and on the species. Consider reptiles, for example. Grubbing out roots during the winter period may be removing hibernacula as well as killing the species involved. This has occurred on occasion on some of our most important southern heathland sites and, although not intentional or deliberate, is likely to have a serious impact given the fact that snakes tend to congregate in large numbers in just a few select places.

For more information contact Bob Taylor or Lee Penrose

             ____________________________________________

Outside Golf

We are increasingly getting reports from building contractors involved in the construction of housing projects that progress is being hampered by the presence of European protected species and in particular natterjack toads Gordon Mckillop has had direct personal communications with two contract firms over the single month of May alone. Sourcing licensed ecological specialists can be quite a task for those not regularly involved but information is available through the statutory agencies or The Herpetological Conservation Trust or through the ecology unit of STRI.

            ____________________________________________

Whinmulcher Makes Big Impression at Royal Troon

Gorse management has always been a relatively slow and laborious process, often involving considerable body armour and due care when cutting and during handling. That was until now! 

View the Whinmulcher in action at Royal Troon.

Clip 1 (3 MB)

Clip 2 (2.8 MB)

Clip 3 (3 MB)

Many thanks to Billy McLachlan (Course Manager – Royal Troon) for providing STRI with the information and video footage.  

The machine is available through Central Tree Surgeons, contact Billy Fergus on 07967 398375.  

Please contact Bob Taylor or Lee Penrose for further details and pricing