This document discusses sustainable vegetation management in golf courses. It addresses the importance of trees in golf courses, common vegetation disorders, and alternative approaches to vegetation management. Specifically, it emphasizes considering long-term costs and benefits when managing vegetation. Trees provide many environmental and economic benefits, but are threatened by factors like climate change, pests, and diseases. Diagnosing issues accurately is key to effective, sustainable management. Standards for areas like composting, tree protection, and pruning should also guide vegetation care.

1. Sustainable vegetation management in golf courses
Paul Barber
26 June 2013

2. Contents
• Why are trees in golf courses important?
• Vegetation Disorders in Golf Courses
• Alternative Approaches to Vegetation Management
• We All Have Standards
• In Conclusion

3. Why are trees in golf courses important?
•
Improved health and well-being
•
Increased biodiversity values and refuge (habitat, food, shelter)
•
Reduction of urban heat island effect (UHIE)
•
Increased carbon sequestration and climate regulation
•
Maintenance of heritage and cultural links
•
Increased noise and pollution capture
•
Improved stormwater management and flood mitigation
•
Increased house and course values
•
Increased safety to occupants and nearby commuters
•
Highly valuable asset – social, environment, economy
WHAT ARE THE COSTS:BENEFITS OF MAINTAINING YOUR VEGETATION?
ECONOMIC AND ENERGY COSTS MAY BE HIGH USING CURRENT APPROACH

5. Vegetation Disorders in Golf Courses – Devt & Overpruning
Yulia, Hardy, Barber and Dell (2013) A severe canker disease of Corymbia ficifolia caused by Quambalaria
coyrecup in native and urban forests Western Australia. Forest Pathology (submitted)
• Wounding is required for canker development to occur.
ECONOMIC AND ENERGY COSTS MAY BE HIGH USING CURRENT APPROACH

6. Vegetation Disorders in Golf Courses – Climate
Meineke, Dunn, Sexton and Frank 2013 Urban warming drives insect pest abundance on street trees. PLoS
ONE 8
• First evidence that heat can be a key driver of insect pest outbreaks on urban trees
• Urban warming similar in magnitude to predicted global warming over next 50 years

7. Vegetation Disorders in Golf Courses – Soil, Water, Nursery Stock
Ishaq, Barber, Hardy, Calver & Dell (2013) Seedling mycorrhizal type and soil chemistry are related to canopy health of
Eucalyptus gomphocephala. Mycorrhiza
Cai, Barber, Dell, O’Brien, Williams, Bowen & Hardy (2010) Soil bacterial functional diversity is associated with the decline of
Eucalyptus gomphocephala. Forest Ecology & Management

8. Vegetation Disorders in Golf Courses – Pests & Diseases

9. Vegetation Disorders in Golf Courses – Pests & Diseases
Barber, Paap, Burgess, Dunstan & Hardy (2013) A diverse range of Phytophthora species are associated with dying urban
trees in an Australian capital city. Urban Foresty & Urban Greening (submitted)

10. Vegetation Disorders in Golf Courses – Pests & Diseases
Predisposing Factors
• Urban Environment!
Inciting Factors
• Poor pruning
• Construction
• Mowers/Whipper Snippers
• Hail damage
• Golf Balls!
• Pathogens/Pests
Paul D. Manion 1991. Disease Decline Concepts
Contributing Factors
• Phellinus
• Phytophthora
• Stem-borers

11. Alternative Approaches – Diagnose & Treat
Pathogens/Pest
• Presence of pathogen/pest
• Pathogenic
• Adaptability
• Dispersal efficiency
• Survival efficiency
• Reproductive fitness
Pathogen/Pest
Environment
Disease
Host
• Susceptibility
• Growth stage and
form
• Population density
and structure
• General health
• Suitability to site
Disease Triangle
Host
Environment
• Temperature
• Rainfall
• Humidity
• Leaf wetness period
• Soil temperature
• Soil water content
• Soil fertility
• Soil organic matter content
• Wind
• Air pollution
• Herbicide damage
• Mechanical damage
• Pruning

12. Alternative Approaches – Diagnose & Treat
Same same but different....trees are complex!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Many endemic pathogens favoured by the
urban environment
• Irrigation, fertilisers, low soil microbial
activity, disturbance, mechanical
damage
New incursions a major threat
• Myrtle rust
Increased susceptibility to decay/failure
Water management is a major concern
for tree managers in Australia
South-west WA > 25% decrease in
rainfall over past 30 years
Climate change – more extreme weather
events
How do trees respond?
May be delayed in response, or other
inciting or contributing factors

13. Alternative Approaches – Diagnose & Treat

14. Alternative Approaches – Diagnose & Treat

15. Alternative Approaches – Diagnose & Treat

16. Alternative Approaches – Look down, not just up!
Monitoring change in canopy condition over space and time

17. Alternative Approaches – Look down, not just up!
Quantifying change in canopy cover, impervious layers, soil etc.
•
•
Model developed to select vegetation within scene.
Overlay of shapefile of vegetation (red) on highresolution true colour airborne imagery.
First version of model > 95% accuracy. Calculated
18.4% canopy cover within scene
500
Change
2010
to
2011
Soil
0
-­‐500
Vegeta Impervi
ous
&on
Shadow

18. Alternative Approaches – Look down, not just up!
Quantifying change in canopy cover and shadow
2009-­‐2010
2009-­‐2011

20. |

23. 2.5
2
801
1.5
802
1
803
0.5
0
2007
804
2008
2009
2010

24. Alternative Approaches – Costs:Benefits
Don’t just think short-term costs:benefits when considering your actions, but think
more broadly and longer term – client, society, environment, global community
Some Items to consider:
• Trees are long-lived
• Do you have a long-term plan for your course and the trees?
• Match species to site – also root volume & crown space
• Suitable nursery stock (tube stock V advanced), species to site
• Soil preparation, planting technique, timing of planting, irrigation

25. Alternative Approaches – Costs:Benefits
Some Items to consider:
• Formative pruning to minimise future management
• Adequate protection to minimise damage
• Is pruning really necessary? Would you scalp your turf
• Monitoring program – early diagnosis – pro-active
• Correct diagnosis = correct management

26. Alternative Approaches – Costs:Benefits
Aukema et al. 2011 Economic impacts of non-native
forest insects in the continental US. PLoS one 6:9
•
Costs largely borne by homeowners and
municipal governments
•
Wood-borers (e.g. Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) to
cause nearly $1.7 billion in local govt expenditure
& $830 million in lost residential property values
(replacement & treatment far more expensive
than containment)
McCullough & Mercader (2012) Evaluation of
potential strategies to slow ash mortality caused by
EAB. International Journal of Pest Management
58:1, 9-23.
•
Ash survival dependent on 1) early detection &
treatment, 2) # of trees treated, 3) distribution of
treated trees c.f. introduction point.

27. We all have standards
Three standards worth taking note of when it comes
to your trees
•
AS 4454 (2012) Composts, soil conditioners and
mulches
•
•
AS 4970 (2009) Protection of trees on
development sites
•
•
Will go a long way to minimising introduction and spread of
disease
Tree Protection Zone (TPS), Structural Root Zone (SRZ)
and lots more
AS 4373 (2007) Pruning of Amenity Trees
•
All your pruning should be carried out to this
standard….cheaper contractors may cost you more in the
long term

28. In Conclusion…
•
Golf courses are incredibly important refuges within the urban area, and the
trees within them provide a wide range of values – social, environment,
economy
•
Many predisposing, inciting and contributing factors can impact upon
vegetation health
•
•
Devt & overpruning, climate, soil, water, nursery stock, pests, diseases, pesticides
These disorders can be diagnosed
•
Accurate diagnosis is critical to the sustainable and cost-effective management
•
We must think outside the square when it comes to diagnosis, treatment,
monitoring, management – there are alternatives to current ‘business as usual’
•
Sit down and weigh up the long-term costs and benefits to different
approaches
•
Make careful decisions about how you manage the health of your vegetation –
there are standards and many different approaches

29. Acknowledgements
•
AGCSA
•
Darren Wilson & Adam Robertson
•
Contact details
•
Dr Paul Barber | email: p.barber@arborcarbon.com.au | Ph: +61 419 216 229 |
www.arborcarbon.com.au