Bee Lawns: A Turf Alternative for Low-traffic Areas at Golf Courses By: James Wolfin and Hannah Ramer
Issue The population status and health In many cases, turf lawns in golf of pollinators is a hot-button is- courses are the largest green sue in the United States that is space in a community. While causing land managers across these turf areas already provide the country to reconsider how a number of ecosystem services they plant like carbon their landsequestrascapes. tion and the One form conversion of landcovof carbon er that is dioxide into currently oxygen, it is being exstill importplored is ant to recturfgrass, ognize that which acthere are counts some disfor greatadvantages er than to having 2% of the large areas continenof highOsmia leafcutter bee on self-heal. Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota Bee Lab tal United ly manicured States by area. lawns, like Turf is most prevalent in urban those seen on golf courses. and suburban communities, Many golf course managers have where they are commonplace in already started to tackle these home lawns, store fronts, parks, issues by incorporating low-inand of course, golf courses. put fescues into the out-of-play 16
