Conservation & Ecology


Golden Rod moth caterpillar (Eupithecia virgaureata)


False Brome (Brachypodium pinnatum)


Nettles - useful for insects


grazing animals on the course, you perhaps won’t need to remove all the ragwort. Ragwort has bright yellow daisy like flowers and is usually found in dry open places. It is an important food source for around thirty species of invertebrates, including butterflies and moths. It is particularly important as it is the sole food plant of the Cinnabar Moth; other moths that use it include the Ruby Tiger Moth, Goldenrod Pug Moth and the Sussex Emerald Moth. If you hear the faint sound of “ouch, that


hurt” or similar out on the course, then it could be someone getting attacked by thorns whilst clearing bramble. This can be an extremely invasive plant, with long trailing stems and hooked thorns enabling it to scramble over anything. It can often completely overtake some areas and has to be controlled. It thrives in most soils and light conditions. It sounds like a nightmare, but bramble does have its uses as it provides a home for a lot of different animals. The flowers (May to September) provide a good source of nectar for many pollinating insects such as bees, wasps and butterflies, whilst spiders spin webs to catch insects. Moths, such as Buff Arches and Peach


Blossom, lay their eggs on bramble as it is the food plant of their caterpillar. Various animals, such as blackbirds robins, foxes and small mammals, eat the fruits (August to October). It also provides a protective home from predators for many species of birds and small mammals. It is probably one of the most wildlife friendly weeds on the golf course. Grass is probably the most common plant on the golf course, covering most of the course, but grass too can be a weed, especially if you get the wrong species growing on a green or tee. Yorkshire Fog can be a particular problem for golf greens and has to be controlled in that scenario but, like other grasses, if it is allowed to grow then it provides a food source for several species of butterfly, such as Speckled Wood and Small Skipper. Fescues, Bents and Meadow grasses provide


a food source for the Meadow Brown. The rather striking Marbled White is often found in a grassland habitat; Red Fescue, Sheep’s Fescue and Tor-grass provide suitable food plants. Other grasses used by butterflies include Cocksfoot and False Brome (Large Skipper) and Tufted Hairgrass and Common Couch (Ringlet). Allowing areas of rough grass to grow long


Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)


might be annoying to some golfers if they lose their ball, but it provides a valuable home for insects, small mammals and, in turn, a food source for birds such as the Spotted Flycatcher and Barn Owl. One last rather prickly weed to mention is


the thistle. There are numerous species of thistle, but two in particular can be a problem in a grassland habitat; the Creeping Thistle and Spear Thistle. Thistles are often considered unsightly and the first thought is just to cut them down, but think again; even thistles are good for wildlife. Birds like the Goldfinch and Siskin will feed on the seeds, the caterpillars of the Painted Lady Butterfly use them as their foodplant and the Peacock, Meadow Brown and White Letter Hairstreak use the nectar from the flowers. Bees and other pollinating insects can also be found feeding on thistles. So, when you’re thinking about providing a


wildlife habitat on the golf course, pause for a moment and give some thought to weeds. They’re not as bad as you think.


PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016 I 97


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