Ecosystems

Everywhere on the face of the earth lies an ecosystem. An ecosystem can be defined as a biological community of interacting organisms and their environment. Within each ecosystem lives a large variety of native plants that play a key role in the survival of that ecosystem.

Absolutely everything we do as humans has either a positive or negative effect on our ecosystem.

As you may know, golf courses are often regarded as villains for their perceived crimes against the environment. It is now more important than ever for the industry to ensure that maintenance programs take great care to protect the ecosystems in which they exist.

To do this, golf superintendents must first identify the larger ecosystems that their golf course is a part of. By identifying their ecosystem a superintendent will be able to recognize the plants that are native to the area. Native plants that are found on the golf course should be protected from harm caused by golfers or maintenance practices. Native plants are a direct link to the natural surroundings of a golf course that existed before the course was built.

The best part of protecting native plant species is that they require little to no resource inputs (water, fertilizers, pesticides) in order for them to thrive. It is a good idea for a superintendent to create a native garden on the property in an out-of-play area as they are attractive and easy to maintain with limited expense.

Understanding the ecosystem in which a course is located will help the superintendent to create a more natural setting for the golf course. In these times of environmental peril it is critical that golf superintendents take the time to learn about their ecosystem so they can protect and enhance the natural environment in which they work.