As farming across Europe becomes more intense, wild plants are being pushed close to extinction, and conservation biologists are seeking refuge for threatened species in the most unexpected places. New research suggests that carefully managed golf courses could help saving wildflowers that are struggling to survive in Europe’s farmed landscapes.
The study, just published in Annals of Botany, focuses on the common primrose (Primula vulgaris), a spring-flowering woodland plant that has declined dramatically across much of Western Europe.
“The unpredictability of landscape management, in particular the ever on-going conversion of meadows and surrounding verges to maize arable fields, is leading to the extirpation and decline of the extant primrose populations, potentially compromising restoration efforts,” explains Dr. Fabienne Van Rossum, one of the study’s authors.
The researchers Ludwig Triest and Fabienne Van Rossum transplanted primrose seedlings to five carefully selected locations within a golf course in northern France. These weren’t just any seedlings but specifically grown from seeds collected from fragmented wild populations in the surrounding agricultural landscape.
They tracked not only how well the transplanted primroses survived but also conducted some genetic analysis of both the transplanted and wild populations. Using 13 genetic markers called microsatellites, they compared adults and juveniles across the region both before and after the transplantation experiment.
The results were encouraging. The golf course populations nearly doubled the local number of primroses in the area and provided about a third of the breeding plants. Importantly, these transplanted populations maintained similar genetic diversity to the wild populations from which they originated.
“Recreational infrastructures, because of the better control of land management that reduces the risk of population destruction and provides some long-term stability, might be a good alternative for creating genetically diverse populations,” says Van Rossum. “These can not only preserve the regional genetic pool of the species but can also contribute to rescue extant populations through enhanced genetic connectivity.”
This enhanced connectivity could be crucial for the primrose’s long-term survival. The study found worrying signs that most local populations, including some large ones, were aging without sufficient regeneration. Over time, all populations showed some degree of genetic erosion, a gradual loss of genetic diversity that makes them more vulnerable to disease and environmental change.
The study identified several factors associated with genetic decline, including the size of flowering populations and the proportion of “pin” morph flowers. Interestingly, genetic erosion was more pronounced in juvenile plants than adults, suggesting that the problems are accelerating.
The researchers emphasize that while golf course translocations can help, they aren’t a silver bullet. Effective conservation requires broader landscape management to safeguard existing wild populations and ensure balanced sex ratios and population rejuvenation.
“Restoring extant populations is of course the first and best option for species conservation,” Van Rossum emphasizes. “But when this isn’t possible, finding alternative locations and developing partnerships with land users implying long-term guarantees of population preservation becomes crucial.”
The study offers practical guidelines for conservation using recreational lands. Transplantations should involve sufficiently large numbers of plants, be carefully placed at distances that enable effective pollen flow with existing populations and include a balanced mix of flower morphs.
As farmland intensification continues to squeeze out wildlife across Europe, creative approaches to conservation may become increasingly vital for the survival of species like the humble primrose, proving that sometimes, conservation success can come from the most unexpected places.
Van Rossum hopes that in the future, “Population genetic and evolutionary concepts become systematically incorporated in conservation and restoration projects of critically endangered species,” highlighting the importance of scientific approaches to preservation efforts.
READ THE ARTICLE
Triest L. and Van Rossum F. (2025) When Recreational Infrastructure Contributes to Endangered Species Conservation: Genetic Evaluation of Translocated Primula vulgaris (Primulaceae) Populations in a Golf Course Area. Annals of Botany. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcaf066
Cover image: Research at a golf course. Photo: Van Rossum
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