The extensive natural border areas on the golf course provide a natural buffer zonethat separates the golf course from some of the nearby housing developments.

The Bird Communities of Prairie DunesCountry Club and Sand Hills State Parl{

'~ll wilderness areas, no matter how small orimperfect, have a large value to land-science."

- Aldo Leopold, wildlife biologist

by MAX R. TERMAN, Ph.D.

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TABLE!Site Descriptions and Overall Bird Census Numbers

Prairie Dunes Country Club Sand Hills State Park

Description Naturalized, links-style Natural prairiegolf course surrounded with public trailsby a natural buffer zoneand housing development

Human use 35,000 rounds of golf/year Light-moderate usehighly maintained by hikers, horseback

riders455 (1,123 acres)56.7 (140 acres)3.5 (3,820 yards)63

Size of total area (hectares) 105 (260 acres)Size of survey area (hectares) 64.8 (160 acres)Transect surveyed (kilometers) 4.4 (4,812 yards)Number of bird species 57

(10/93-10/95)Species/hectareTotal number of birdsBirds/kilometer

INTHE WAKE of alarming declinesin the populations of wild birds,wildlife experts and other con-

cerned persons are calling for increasedefforts to incorporate more wildlifehabitat into managed landscapes.Many golf courses, both old and new,have incorporated wild areas into theirdesigns. This is, in part, due to a desireto give the course more character, butmore recently, to meet the growingpublic desire for environmentally re-sponsible golf developments.

How effective are the habitats on agolf course in promoting bird diversity?One way to answer this question is tocompare the birds using a naturalizedgolf course with a similar nearbynatural area. While golf courses are notnatural areas, this kind of study mayinform us about what kinds of birdsutilize golf courses and which do not.This in turn may lead to more informeddecisions about how to promote ahigher diversity of birds on human-dominated landscapes.

Study Areas and MethodsThis article reports the results of a

three-year study of the birds found on

10 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

the ,Prairie Dunes Country Club inKansas and a nearby natural area,Sand Hills State Park. This study is partof an innovative cooperative arrange-ment between Prairie Dunes CountryClub and Tabor College. Sponsored bythe USGA Green Section, this uniqueteam approach combines the resourcesof the academic and golf communitiesin the important endeavor to under-stand and preserve biodiversity onhuman-dominated landscapes.

Prairie Dunes and Sand Hills presentan ideal situation for an ecologicalstudy of this type. With the exceptionof tees, fairways, greens, and buildings,Prairie Dunes is very similar to SandHills State Park in topography andvegetation. Both have native prairieplants and rolling dunes typical of thesand hills biotic region of Kansas. Thepublic trail used for the bird census inthe park is approximately the sameshape and distance as a loop throughboth nine-hole layouts of the golfcourse.

Prairie Dunes is a highly regarded,intensively managed golf course thathosts more than 35,000 rounds ofgolf per year. Approximately 74 percentof the country club property is in anatural state, with native plantsgrowing not only in the roughs and out-of-play areas, but also in a naturalbuffer zone that partially surroundsthe course, separating it from some ofthe nearby housing developments.Under the leadership of superinten-dent ~ Stan George, C.G.C.S., PrairieDunes has achieved full certification inthe Audubon Cooperative SanctuaryProgram administered by AudubonInternational for its efforts to beenvironmentally responsible. Evenprescribed burning of on-course grassareas is carried out when conditionsallow.

Sand Hills State Park is a valuablenatural area under the control of theKansas Department of Wildlife andParks. To control woody plant in-vasions and maintain the dominantherbs and grasses, the park is burnedperiodically. Local residents treasurethe natural beauty of the sand dunes,grasslands, wetlands, and woodlands.Located approximately four miles fromPrairie Dunes, its 1,123 acres containpublic walking trails accessible onlyto walkers and permitted horsebackriders. Compared to the golf course, thepark is a low-impact area with minimalhuman disturbance to the wildlife.

Birds were censused in good weatheron transects (paths) located on the

TABLE 2Numbers (birds/kilometer) and Relative Abundance (percent of total)

for Birds at Prairie Dunes Country Club (PD) and Sand Hills State Park (SH)Arranged in Descending Order of PrairieDunes Bird Numbers

Birds/Kilometer Relative AbundanceSpecies PD SH PD SHAmerican robin 91.6 26.0 20.0% 9.1%European starling 70.5 2.6 15.3% 0.9%American tree sparrow 51.1 8.0 11.1% 2.8%House sparrow 23.9 0.0 5.2% 0.0%Harris sparrow 21.8 10.6 4.8% 3.7%Barn swallow 17.0 0.9 3.7% 0.3%Eastern kingbird 16.8 12.0 3.7% 4.2%Common grackle 15.5 4.6 3.4% 1.6%Mourning dove 12.7 8.3 2.8% 2.9%Northern cardinal 12.7 12.6 2.8% 4.4%Blue jay 12.5 8.9 2.7% 3.1%Black-capped chickadee 9.3 20.3 2.0% 7.1%Dark-eyed junco 8.0 8.9 1.7% 3.1%House wren 7.7 10.3 1.7% 3.6%American goldfinch 7.0 15.1 1.5% 5.3%Northern oriole 7.0 5.4 1.5% 1.9%Bell'svireo 6.8 4.3 1.5% 1.5%Field sparrow 6.1 4.0 1.3% 1.4%Western kingbird 6.1 1.1 1.3% 0.4%Northern flicker 5.2 16.6 1.1% 5.8%Brown-headed cowbird 4.1 2.6 0.9% 0.9%Cattle egret 3.4 0.3 0.7% 0.1%Northern bobwhite 3.4 9.4 0.7% 3.3%Eastern meadowlark 3.2 4.3 0.7% 1.5%Red-winged blackbird 3.0 11.7 0.6% 4.1%Canada goose 2.7 1.4 0.6% 0.5%Killdeer 2.5 0.3 0.5% 0.1%Chimney swift 2.3 0.3 0.5% 0.1%Gray catbird 2.3 5.7 0.5% 2.0%Brown thrasher 2.0 3.7 0.4% 1.3%Song sparrow 2.0 0.6 0.4% 0.2%American crow 1.8 13.4 0.4% 4.7%Franklin's gull 1.8 0.0 0.4% 0.0%Red-headed woodpecker 1.6 2.9 0.3% 1.0%Wild turkey 1.4 0.0 0.3% 0.0%Common yellowthroat 1.1 6.0 0.2% 2.1%Eastern bluebird 1.1 1.7 0.2% 0.6%Grasshopper sparrow 0.9 5.1 0.2% 1.8%Orchard oriole 0.9 0.3 0.2% 0.1%Red-tailed hawk 0.9 4.3 0.2% 1.5%Yellow-rumped warbler 0.9 0.6 0.2% 0.2%Downy woodpecker 0.7 1.7 0.1% 0.6%Great blue herron 0.7 0.6 0.1% 0.2%Upland sandpiper 0.7 0.0 0.1% 0.0%American kestrel 0.5 0.0 0.1% 0.0%Belted kingfisher 0.5 0.0 0.1% 0.0%Mississippi kite 0.5 0.9 0.1% 0.3%Ring-necked pheasant 0.5 0.0 0.1% 0.0%Yellow-billed cuckoo 0.5 0.6 0.1% 0.2%Chipping sparrow 0.2 0.0 0.0% 0.0%Dickcissel 0.2 9.4 0.0% 3.3%Great crested flycatcher 0.2 1.1 0.0% 0.4%House finch 0.2 0.0 0.0% 0.0%Northern harrier 0.2 0.6 0.0% 0.2%Northern mockingbird 0.2 0.3 0.0% 0.1%Red-bellied woodpecker 0.2 2.3 0.0% 0.8%Turkey vulture 0.2 2.0 0.0% 0.7%Bewick's wren 0.0 0.3 0.0% 0.1%Blue grosbeak 0.0 0.3 0.0% 0.1%Carolina wren 0.0 0.6 0.0% 0.2%Rufous-sided towhee 0.0 3.1 0.0% 1.1%Eastern wood-peewee 0.0 0.6 0.0% 0.2%Hairy woodpecker 0.0 0.6 0.0% 0.2%Indigo bunting 0.0 0.3 0.0% 0.1%Lark sparrow 0.0 0.3 0.0% 0.1%Least flycatcher 0.0 0.6 0.0% 0.2%Rose-breasted grosbeak 0.0 0.6 0.0% 0.2%N. rough-winged swallow 0.0 0.3 0.0% 0.1%Vesper sparrow 0.0 0.9 0.0% 0.3%White-breasted nuthatch 0.0 0.3 0.0% 0.1%White-throated sparrow 0.0 2.3 0.0% 0.8%Yellow-breasted chat 0.0 0.6 0.0% 0.2%TOTALS 459.1 285.7 100.0% 100.0%

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1996 11

Native prairie vegetation lines the golf holes at Prairie Dunes Country Club inHutchinson, Kansas.

TABLE 3Summary of Statistics

Sand Hills6328634.120.9640.541

5745919.590.9120.343

Prairie Dunes

Yesand no - There are no significantdifferencesin the number of species in the two areas. However,they do differin the specifickinds and relativeabundance of the birds. The community similarityand species diversityindices indicate that the twoareas are moderately similar.The golfcourse has differentspecies and higherdensities in fewerkinds. The natural area has fewerindividualsbut they are more evenlyspread amongmore kinds. The natural area has 15 species that didnot occur on the golfcourse. The golfcourse has 9species that did not occur in the natural area.Because the golfcourse has natural habitat, itsupports almost as many bird species as the naturalarea (but not the same kinds in the same proportions).

How are they the same?

How do they differ?

SummaryAre the areas the sameregardingthe birdcommunities?

Statistical Tests for Significant Differences1. Chi-square contingency table analysis for differencesin kinds and numbers of

birds in the two sites. Chi-squarevalue = 195.73, df = 27, p<.OOI(statisticallysignificantdifferences).

2. Chi-square contingency table analysisfor differencesin species richness betweenthe two sites. Chi-squarevalue = 13.286, df = 11, p>.l0 (no statisticallysignificantdifferences).

Community Similarity Indices (0 = no similarity,1 = nearly the same)Jaccard Coefficient 0.680Horn Index 0.721Morisita's Index 0.566Proportional Similarity 0.504

Species Diversity IndicesSpecies richnessNumber of individuals/kilometerNumber of equallyabundant speciesSimpson diversity(range 0-1)

Sheldon evenness (range0-1)

public trail in Sand Hills and on thegolf course proper at Prairie Dunes.Another trained observer, Paul}antzen,and I counted and recorded by speciesall birds seen along the public trail inthe park and near the tees, fairways,roughs, and greens on the golf courseproper. To adequately sample all birdsusing the areas in different seasons, weperformed a total of 12 censuses overthree years, with five censuses occur-ring during the autumn, one duringwinter, two during spring, and fourduring summer.

The off-course natural areas atPrairie Dunes were not censused, andall Prairie Dunes bird observations arerestricted to the golf course proper.Future studies will census the naturalareas at Prairie Dunes.

ResultsTables 1, 2, and 3 provide an overall

synopsis of important statistics andcomparisons. Both the golf courseand the natural area supported com-plex bird communities, sharing manyspecies in common (Table 2). In termsof the number of species using the twoareas (species richness), the golf coursecompared favorably to the natural area,and a statistical comparison indicatedno significant differences in thismeasure of species diversity. However,there were significant differences inother measures. Statistical tests com-paring indices of relative abundance(the specific kinds, numbers, and pro-portions of the total in each kind) re-vealed that the kinds of birds and thenumbers per species were differentbetween the two areas. Measures ofcommunity similarity and speciesdiversity also indicated noticeabledifferences.

Sand Hills had more species of birdsthan Prairie Dunes, but fewer indi-viduals. Figures 1 and 2 graphicallyillustrate the comparisons in speciesrichness and relative abundance. SandHills had 15 species that did notoccur on Prairie Dunes and 9 speciesoccurred on the golf course but not inthe park (Table 2). For the most part,birds with larger natural habitat re-quirements and perhaps less tolerancefor disturbance (e.g., least flycatcher,yellow-breasted chat) occurred morefrequently in the state park, while thosewith less restrictive habitat needs andhigher tolerances for disturbance fre-quented the golf course (e.g.,Americanrobin, common grackle, eastern king-bird).

12 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

FIGURElNumber of Species Per Census

10/93 11/93 1/94 3/94 5/94 8/94 11/94 6/95 7/95 8/95 9/95 10/95 TOTALDATE

• Prairie Dunes Sand Hills

Discussion

Is it worthwhile to include naturalhabitat areas on golf courses? If pro-viding a home for a significant numberof birds is important, the answer is yes.Fifty-seven species of birds used PrairieDunes in my survey, and knowledge-able observers have added 15 to 20more species to the list. Some birdsusing Prairie Dunes, such as the grass-hopper sparrow, yellow-billed cuckoo,and Mississippi kite, have experiencedsignificant regional declines in theirpopulations. My students have studiedother golf courses (unpublished data)without wildlife habitat in the area,and seldom does the species countexceed 27, and rarely do we find asmany sensitive species such as theyellow-billed cuckoo, grasshoppersparrow, and dickcissel. In truth, thebird community on Prairie Dunes dif-fers from these conventional courses in

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much the same way that Sand Hillsdiffers from Prairie Dunes. On natural-ized golf courses, the occurrence ofsensitive species is much more frequentand the distribution of individualsamong the species is more even andstable. Providing habitat on privatelymanaged landscapes does attract anexceptional number of birds. Further-more, these areas may be especiallyimportant to migratory birds needinga place to stop and refuel (yellow-rumped warbler) or to spend the winter(Harris sparrow).

Are naturalistic golf courses' naturalareas the same in the kinds of bird com-munities they support? The answerhere is no, since there are many birdsthat require the larger, less-fragmentedand impacted habitats found in un-disturbed areas away from humanactivities. The large amount of patchi-ness and edge habitat on golf coursesis problematic for many birds that

preferentially choose large, connectedhabitats. For this reason, natural areasmay lose many species of birds,depending on the type of golf courseconstructed on the site. This is animportant consideration in decisionsregarding the siting of golf courses. Itis unknown whether golf courses thatinclude larger areas of undisturbedhabitat (such as the approximately 100acres of natural area on Prairie Dunes)will lose fewer numbers of bird species.Our future studies of these undisturbedareas on Prairie Dunes should providemore information in this regard.

Naturalistic golf courses (those usingthe natural environment of a regionas a development template) offermuch promise in the larger struggleto preserve plant, animal, and eco-system diversity. If managed correctly,naturalistic courses fit well into theemerging new philosophy of ecosystemmanagement that recognizes the im-mense potential of smaller parcels ofpublic and private lands for preservingnature. With the involvement of ecolo-gists, golf courses - commonly thoughtto be environmental problems - cannow become ecological assets in theeffort to increase the survival chancesof many plants and animals. Especiallyattractive in this regard are the natural-ized golf courses built on alreadydisturbed land such as old mines,landfills, and highly eroded or other-wise negatively impacted landscapes.

In theory, the ecological role of golfcourses and smaller habitat parcelsmay be to serve as population sinksfor the population sources of naturalareas. Larger natural areas such asSand Hills State Park give a widevariety of species a chance to repro-duce, and individuals spread out acrossthe countryside from these reproduc-tive fountains. Dominant individualssecure territories on the natural areaand younger individuals then moveout as the area fills up with offspringdispersing from the nests. Prairie Dunesthen receives these dispersing indi-viduals (like a sink) and provides thema home if they can adapt to the smallerhabitat patches and human activity ofthe golf course. Not all the species canadapt, but a good number do find ahome. How to increase this numberis the critical question engaging ecolo-gists. Answers await more ecologicalresearch. However, the stakes are highas the fate of many of our favorite birdsand other wildlife hangs in the balance.

Undisturbed, pristine habitats com-monly are the choice of ecologists insearch of knowledge about the machin-

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1996 13

Sand Hills State Park is 1,223 acres of sand dunes, grasslands, wetlands, andwoodlands. The habitat is very similar to Prairie Dunes Country Club.

FIGURE 2Number of Species Per Density Category

25

20NUMBER 15

oF

SP 10ECIES

5

o<1 1-5 5-10 10-15 15-20 20-25 25-30 30-35 35-40 45-50 50-55 >55

DENSITY CATEGORY (BIRDS/KILOMETER)• Prairie Dunes Sand Hills

14 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

ery of nature. However, with the spreadof urbanization, it is time for ecologicalscientists to also study human-domi-nated landscapes such as golf courses.Many opportunities exist for helpingthe golf community make ecologicallysound decisions. This present study isan example of one cooperative effortbetween a golf course and an academicinstitution, and a rewarding relation-ship has developed which benefits usboth. Another cooperative effort sup-ported by the USGA is the arrangementbetween Sienna College and SchuylerMeadows Country Club in New York.

For ecologists who happen to begolfers, the relationship betweenscience and golf is quite natural. Bothcultures have become intertwined inmy life (see Terman, M. 1996, MessagesFrom An Owl, Princeton UniversityPress) to where ecology is more thanjust a career and golf more than just agame. Both activities bring to my lifethe best in human relationships -friendship, honesty, integrity, a respectfor tradition, a sense of fair play, anddecision-making based on objectiveevidence. With these shared ideals, thecommon ground between the scienceof ecology and the golf communitybecomes fertile soil for future coopera-tive efforts to protect our commonnatural heritage. In the final analysis,we are both stewards of the same giftsof creation - those special places forwhich John Muir so eloquently pleadedwith these words:

"Man needs beauty as well asbread, places to play in and prayin where nature can heal andcheer and give strength to bodyand soul alike. "

- John Muir, naturalist

AcknowledgmentsI would like to thank Tabor College

and the USGA for supporting thisstudy, which is part of a larger coopera-tive project to produce a book on GolfCourse Ecology with Audubon Inter-national and Ann Arbor Press ofChelsea, Michigan. My thanks also goto lJ. Stan George, superintendent ofPrairie Dunes Country Club; PaulJantzen, friend and naturalist; andBrent Konen, wildlife technician,Kansas Department of Wildlife andParks, for their assistance in this study.

DR. MAX TERMAN is a professor in theDepartment of Biology at Tabor College,Hillsboro, Kansas.