Carabid beetle assemblages associated with urban golf courses in the greater Helsinki area

Jarmo Saarikivi,Laura Idström,D Kotze,Stephen Venn,Jari Niemelä

doi:10.14411/eje.2010.064

Abstract

Golf is a popular sport, with increasingly large areas of urban and peri-urban land being designated for golf course development. Yet, more than half of the land area of a typical golf course is considered rough and out-of-play areas that can, if managed appropriately, provide habitats for wildlife. Using pitfall traps, 6944 carabid beetles belonging to 72 species were collected from five urban golf courses and three areas designated for golf course development around the city of Helsinki, Finland in 2007. The courses were rich in carabid species and distinct in their species assemblages. Golf courses were dominated by habitat generalists, species capable of flight and medium to large-sized species. The three courses with areas designated for further golf course development showed that the assemblages of beetles associated with these golf courses have retained many elements from the pre-existing habitats. The oldest golf course is characterised by a more evenly distributed and diverse carabid beetle assemblage, probably due to its higher habitat heterogeneity and longer successional development. However, even this golf course is dominated by generalist species, implying that golf courses may not provide suitable habitats for specialists. It is assumed that the high species richness of golf courses is attributed to the high habitat diversity of these environments, ranging from the strongly human-modified to more natural patches, which provide habitats for many generalist and open-habitat species. Golf courses may, however, with the appropriate management of out-of-play areas provide an opportunity for conserving biodiversity.

Highlights

Worldwide, 55 million people play golf on over 30 000 golf courses (Farrally et al, 2003)
Carabid beetles found at the golf courses were primarily medium to large in size, capable of flight and generalist or open habitat species
In terms of their species assemblages, Tali and Vuosaari were most distinct while the areas into which the other courses are to be extended were more similar to that recorded at their nearby courses than that recorded at the full-size courses or at any of the other courses studied

Summary

Introduction

55 million people play golf on over 30 000 golf courses (Farrally et al, 2003). An average 18-hole golf course comprises 54 ha of land (Terman, 1997) and approximately 70% of that area is considered rough or out-of-play areas that could be used to create significant wildlife habitats (Tilly, 2000; Santiago & Rodewald, 2004). Golf courses are typically heterogeneous, characterised by various types of soil, small water bodies, forest patches, sand bunkers and vegetation of variable height from highly managed greens and fairways to roughs and fields that are often left in an almost unmodified state (e.g. Santiago & Rodewald, 2004). This habitat heterogeneity may influence biodiversity at the local scale of the golf course. Small animals, such as insects benefit from the variety of habitat types found on a golf course, enhancing local biodiversity (e.g. Lopez & Potter, 2003; Daniels & Emmel, 2004; Porter et al, 2004; Tanner & Gange, 2005)

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