Raw soil area: a hotspot for biodiversity
Special features are also often hidden on golf courses. Bare ground areas in particular are usually barely noticeable to the golfer on a round of golf. The barren habitats with open, often nutrient-poor, vegetation-free or sparsely vegetated areas of ground are inconspicuous. Despite their seemingly unspectacular appearance, they are among the most species-rich and ecologically valuable biotopes in Central Europe.
At Würzburg Golf Club, there is such an area between holes nine and 14, hidden behind bushes and trees. Small herbs, tiny ferns and purple sage can be found on the ground. The area is one hectare in size and was created by the first head greenkeeper Marius Cazan and is now looked after by his successor Jaqueline Siegel. The club is certified with gold in the DGV environmental program Golf & Nature, has received an award from Blühpakt Bayern and maintains a cooperation with the Landesbund für Vogelschutz Unterfranken. The topic of environmental protection therefore plays an important role here.
Scrub clearance of invasive species
Raw soil areas provide a refuge for specialized animal and plant species that depend on low competition, high light availability and low-nutrient substrates. Invasive species are a constant threat to these sites. “The black locust trees became overpowering and really had no place here,” summarizes Siegel, looking at one half of the area, which now consists only of topsoil. It was completely mulched in the spring and is now to be replanted by seeding the neighboring plants and sowing them with suitable regional seeds in the fall.
Plant and care
The targeted creation of raw soil areas is an effective means of nature conservation. Suitable measures include the removal of topsoil, the creation of sand lenses or tillage, as in this case. It is important that the area is regularly cleared of bushes. “We have to pull out small pine trees immediately,” Siegel states expertly, looking at the remaining half of the area and the variety of plants. Bare ground areas are hotspots of biodiversity and are vital for the survival of many specialized and endangered species. Dragonflies are on the move here and two lizards are disappearing into the shade of the deadwood pile.
Incidentally, anyone who thinks that golfers always overlook such inconspicuous areas is mistaken. At the reception desk of the golf club, we meet a golfer who declares the rough to be “one of my favorite areas”. Not least because “it smells so great of sage.”
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