Possibility of ponds in golf course as an aquatic plant habitat

In Japan, Satoyama has become a habitat for many organisms, including endemic and rare species, by forming a unique secondary natural environment, contributing significantly to biodiversity. However, the satoyama environment has decreased and deteriorated recently. Reservoir ponds, one of the most important components of satoyama, have been decreasing significantly due to disaster prevention measures. In this study, we focused on six golf course ponds as an alternative to reservoir ponds. The six ponds were divided into deep and shallow ponds, and both environments were compared. The average number of aquatic plant species was 2.5 in the golf course ponds, comparable to the number of species in reservoir ponds reported by a previous study. Aquatic plant species appeared in shallow ponds but were not observed in deep ponds. The number of emergent plants was explained by the depth and dissolved oxygen. These results indicate that even shallow and small ponds, which tend to be removed from Satoyama, are important habitats for aquatic plants. The lack of artificial transportation of animals and plants would also affect the existence of aquatic plants. Therefore, it is necessary to proceed with golf course management as an alternative to Satoyama.