prairie restoration - where to from here - dr. daryl smith - univ. northern iowa

The Tallgrass Prairie Center develops research,

techniques, education and source identified seed for

restoration and preservation of prairie vegetation in

rights-of-way and other lands.

TallgrassPrairie

240 million acres

grass - wind - sky

Less than 1-2 % of tallgrass prairie remains

Scenes of the Prairie

Isolated Prairie Remnants

Prairie Remnants

Prairie Remnants

Rocky Outcrops

Sandy Soils

Losses from prairie conversion

• Species richness & diversity

• Capacity to adsorb and

infiltrate water

• Capability to hold soil

• Ability to form soil

• Wildlife habitat

• Indigenous cultures

Conversion of prairie to agriculturewas rapid and extensive

Clements’ Climax Community

A plant community composed of species best adapted to the climatic conditions of a region that developed through succession over time as the vegetation reached equilibrium with the environment

If a community is disturbed it will re-equilibrate and return to the climaxstate through secondary succession

Continued deterioration

Requires human intervention

Less than 0.1% Iowa prairie remains as isolated islands awash in a sea of agricultural )

Remnant surrounded by cropland

Interpreting prairie

People pasture

Prairie is a part ofour cultural and biological heritage

Prairie Restoration

No prairie species Degraded remnant withpresent – cropland relict prairie species

Reconstruction Remnant Restoration

Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide

to Prairie Restoration in

the Upper Midwest

Daryl SmithGreg HousealDave WilliamsKirk Henderson

Prairie Reconstruction History

Curtis Prairie 1936Greene Prairie 1945Green Oaks Prairie 1955Schulenberg Prairie 1962Fermilab Prairie 1974Neal Smith NWR 1991Midewin Project 1996

North American Prairie Conferences (Midwest Prairie Conferences)

North American Prairie Conferences 1978-2010

Midwest Prairie Conferences 1968-1976

Advances in prairie reconstruction1970-2010

• Reduced seeding quantities from 30-40 lbs/acre

of grasses to 6-8 lb/acre of grasses and forbs

• Specially designed seed mixes of grasses, forbs

& sedges at 40-50 seeds/square foot

• Frequent establishment mowing at 3-6 in. has

replaced one time mowing at 12-14 in.

Advances in prairie reconstruction1970-2010 (continued)

• Glyphosate application has replaced extensive

tilling for site preparation

• Much more attention to depth of seed drilling

• More fall seeding, but still much spring seeding (

• Source identified seed available at reasonable

cost

!"e goal of res#ra$on must b% &atural recovery.…a'empt # (es#re in an ecologica)* appropria+ manner…..species, ,ommuni- .nc$ons an/ 01uctures…….guard agains2 human abuses and let nature ru3 her course4 Sayen 1989

Challenges in Prairie Restoration

Concerns Related to Restoration

• Little information available on pre-settlement plants and animals• Remnants not representative of the pre-settlement prairie• Restoration may not be possible if prairies can’t recover with human-assisted succession• Perpetuates “wilderness myth” that Native Americans had no impact on their environment • Difficult to mimic landscape scale processes of fire and herbivory

Fire is anessentialrestoration and management tool

Grazers

Herbivores

Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie

Demise of coastal prairie

• Conversion to cropland• Overgrazing• Fire suppression• Urban sprawl & development for other uses• Invasion of exotics including Chinese tallow tree

Biggest roadblock to coastal prairie reconstruction is the lack of available native plant materials

Compass plant

Concerned About Cost and

Availability of Native Seed

for Roadside Plantings

Available seed• Native cultivars of western origin and limited genetic variability

• Limited amounts of expensive hand-collected local Iowa seed

IOWA ECOTYPE PROJECT

Iowa Ecotype Project

Established in 1990

• To increase availability

of Iowa origin seed

• Provide regional Iowa-origin seed at

economically competitive prices

Added in 1996

• Source-Identified Seed Certification

Standards

Seedbank accessions from remnant prairies

Transplant seedlings

into seed production

plots plot

Start seedlings

in greenhouse

Pale purple coneflower

Prairie blazing star

Seed Production

Plots

Harvesting bluejoint grass seed

A small modified plot combine is used to harvest native grasses and flowers

New use for old technology

Westrup seed cleaning equipment

Bagging foundation seed for release to commercial producer

IOWA ECOTYPE PROJECT

GROWER LOCATIONS

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

WG Species CG Species Shrub Species Leg Species Forb Species

ReleasedDeveloping

Number of Species Released/Developing

REMNANT POPULATION

Original Seed

Sampleseed

First Regeneration of

Original Seed Sample

Regeneratio

n 1

TPC

Private

com

merc

ial p

roducers

Regeneration of Second Regeneration

Regeneration 2

Continue Increaseor

Market

collect

Factors Affecting Remnant Restoration

• Type and extent of disturbance• How to halt degradation• Avoiding harm to native conservative species• Control of invasive and aggressive species• Whether to replace extirpated species

Factors Affecting Reconstruction

• Soil structure and temperature• Existing vegetation• Site preparation• Weed control• Seeding mix• Seeding rate and time• Seed viability and germinability• Pre- & post-planting weather

Practitioners and

Restoration ecologistsneed to work together

Tallgrass PrairieA Vanishing Ecosystem

Prairie is important for many reasons, it takes all kinds

ROADSIDE PROGRAM

(Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management)

Benefits of prairie

• Native out compete weeds

• Less mowing & herbicide use

•!Improved wildlife habitat

• Reduction in stormwater

runoff and soil erosion

• Reduced snow drifting and

increased snow storage

• Visually interesting

wildflowers and grasses

Comprise 65-90%of total prairie plant

Extensive root hairs on all rootlets

Prairie Roots

Reduce Soil Erosion

rill erosion

stream bank cutting

gully formation

Habitat for Wildlife

Butterflies

Small mammals Grassland birds

Larger mammals

Tilman et al. showed increased biomass

Steps to Prepare Prairie

Biomass for Burning

Transport Store

CubeShred prior to cubing

Harvest

Prairie Power Project TreatmentsMonocultureSwitchgrass

Native grassesSwitchgrass +Big bluestemLittle bluestemIndian grassSideoats grama

Biomass mixNative grasses+11 species of forbs, grassesand sedges

Prairie mixBiomass mix+16 species offorbs, grassesand sedges

Prairie

Prairie

Prairie

Landscaping

Prairie

Prairie

July 4th floral display breath taking

Something of value is being lost

5e res#re prairie remnants an/ (econs1uct prairies because we valu% 6e ta)grass prairie ecosys+m and 7% organisms 7at inhabit it, knowing a) 6e while 7at we can never achieve 8 ,omple+ replica+ of 7e his#ric landscape, and knowing 7at ou9 (esponsibili- is perpetual. :::::::::::: Jordan 2003

Prairie remnant restoration and reconstruction are worth the effort

Arnold WebsterCedar Hills Sand Prairie

Cedar Hills Sand Prairie

The Tallgrass Prairie Center develops research,

techniques, education and source identified seed for

restoration and preservation of prairie vegetation in

rights-of-way and other lands.