Trees improve soil health and biodiversity on a golf course

Abstract

Currently, golf courses often remove trees and use unnatural methods to maintain turfgrass, such as using pesticides. Previous research has primarily focused on the benefits of trees in areas other than the golf course and has shown that trees are important for maintaining soil health and biodiversity. In order to determine the impact of trees on soil nutrients, soil structure, and biodiversity on a golf course, soil cores were collected from 1m, 5m, and 10m from the base of five mature trees on a golf course in Princeton, New Jersey, U.S. The soil samples were tested for pH, nitrogen/potassium/phosphorus content, water stable aggregates, and soil color. The percentage of weeds at each distance was also recorded in a 1m x 1m plot. It was found that as the distance from the tree increased, water-stable aggregates and the percentage of weeds  decreased. Soil brightness tended to increase as the distance from the tree increased. Soil nutrients (N/P/K) and soil pH did not change significantly across the different distances from the trees. In summary, this study found that, consistent with previous research, trees on the golf course did improve the overall health of the soil by increasing the amount of water stable aggregates and organic matter, accommodating a higher biodiversity belowground and aboveground. Based on the results, it is recommended that trees are planted and maintained on golf courses to keep the soil healthy longer so that less unnatural maintenance is required.