Size and phenotypic structure of microbial communities within soil profiles in relation to different playing areas on a UK golf course

Summary Amenity turf accounts for up to 4% of land-use in urban areas, providing key refuges for both above- and below-ground biodiversity. Golf courses occupy the largest surface area of all sports facilities; however, only a limited amount of microbial ecology has been carried out to investigate differences in the size and structure of microbial communities of the soil. The soil microbial community is a key agent in nutrient cycling and delivery of other ecosystem goods and services; however, there has been little work focused on amenity turf ecosystems in the UK. A study of soil microbial community size and structure, on the range of playing areas maintained for the game of golf at a single golf course in relation to depth through the soil profile, was carried out. Soil from different playing areas showed significant differences in the size (measured using chloroform fumigation extraction) of the microbial community (P < 0.01), with a greater concentration of microbial biomass at 0–75 mm from the surface, compared with deeper zones (P < 0.01). Principal component analysis of phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomarkers indicated that the community structure was significantly different at 0–75 mm from the surface on all areas of the golf course investigated (P < 0.05, in all cases). The PLFA biomarkers consistently associated with such discrimination were 16:0 and 18:1ω9 c. These findings suggest that there is a consistently larger and similarly structured microbial community associated with the surface thatch layer, commonly found in amenity turf.