Evaluation of Buffer Strips on Golf Courses Located Throughout Northeast Illinois and Southeast Wisconsin in Comparison to Algal Growth in Local Ponds
Abstract
Today’s world has caused our soils to become degraded due to the extreme use of
synthetic fertilizers and heavy machinery. These degraded soils have led to an increase in
runoff into local waterways. Mass farming has increased the implementation of synthetic
fertilizers, however farmers are beginning to realize that there are ways in which they can
reduce the runoff into these local waterways. The most common method is through the
use of buffer strips. Although farming is a leading cause of synthetic fertilizer runoff, golf
courses across the country are putting more synthetic fertilizers into the ecosystem than
large-scale farm operations. With over 13,000 golf courses across the United States,
water features located within or adjacent to these courses are at extreme risk of
containing high nutrient levels. These high nutrient levels can lead to eutrophication,
which can cause a decrease in the ecosystem’s biodiversity. The objective of this study is
to test whether or not runoff of fertilizers into golf course ponds is decreased due to
natural buffer areas surrounding the pond, and if this reduction leads to a decrease in
algal blooms within these ponds. Three courses containing three similar pond types were
selected across Northeast Illinois and Southeast Wisconsin. Water and soil samples were
collected from the nine total ponds to determine if nutrient amounts found within the
ponds was affected by the use of a buffer strip that surrounded the ponds. Although many
of the statistically calculated results were not statistically significant, trends did show that
ponds containing no buffer strip had higher levels of nutrients than those that did not.
Description
Evaluation of Buffer Strips on Golf Courses Located Throughout
Northeast Illinois and Southeast Wisconsin in Comparison to Algal
Growth in Local Ponds