Flowering Phenology of Echinacea angustifolia in Minnesota Tallgrass Prairie Remnants Over Three Years

Sarah Baker St. Catherine University

http://echinaceaproject.org http://echinaceaproject.org

The Echinacea Project

• Long-term project studying Minnesota tallgrass prairie remnants

• Effects of prairie fragmentation

http://echinaceaproject.org/

Photo credit: Sarah Baker Photo credit: Sarah Baker

• Model organism –Common prairie plant

–Common plant family (sunflower)

– Taproot system

– Long-lived

–Many pollinators (bees)

Narrow-leaved Purple Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia)

• Self-incompatible

–Cannot fertilize own flowers

–Relies on pollinators for pollen dispersal between plants

Narrow-leaved Purple Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia)

tiee.ecoed.net

Tallgrass Prairie

Vertebrates

www.dnr.state.mn.us

http://echinaceaproject.org

Flowers Grasses

Insects

www.dnr.state.mn.us

www.dnr.state.mn.us

Tallgrass Prairie

<1% left as scattered fragments (remnants) (Wagenius and Lyon 2010)

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/mcbs/prairie_map.pdf

Fire

Natural Processes Needed by Prairie:

http://echinaceaproject.org www.dnr.state.mn.us

http://www.lternet.edu/

Natural Processes Needed by Prairie:

Bison

Agricultural development

Road development

Invasive species

Cattle overgrazing

Climate change

Agricultural development

Road development

Invasive species

Cattle overgrazing

Climate change

C O N F RO N T I N G C L I M AT E C H A N G E I N T H E G R E AT L A K E S R E G I O N

U n i o n o f C o n c e r n e d S c i e n t i s t s • T h e E c o l o g i c a l S o c i e t y o f A m e r i c a

2003

Climate Change

Research Questions & Hypothesis

• How do prairie plants respond to:

– climate change?

– weather patterns among years?

• I hypothesized that flowering phenology differs among populations due to variations in temperature among years.

Warmer Temp Earlier flowering

Cooler Temp Later flowering

Methods • Tracked flowering phenology of E. angustifolia in

six prairie remnants – Timing and duration of flowering, start to end – Calculated peak flowering date - date of highest overlap in flowering plants

• Compared 2013 with existing data from 2011 (Amber Zahler) and 2012 (Kelly Kapsar)

First day Last day

Photo credit: Sarah Baker Photo credit: Sarah Baker

Methods

Echinacea Project study area: Douglas County, MN

Staffanson Prairie Preserve 94 acres mostly undisturbed tallgrass prairie

West East

1 mi

1 km

Flowering phenology over 2011 season: Staffanson Prairie Preserve east (SPP east) N

um

be

r o

f Fl

ow

eri

ng

Pla

nts

# flowering plants on date

Flowering Season 2011

2011 peak Duration of flowering

SPP east

Peak flowering dates for 3 years Early spring

2012 Late spring

2013 2011

n = 16 n = 17 n = 13

Observed similar pattern across other remnants

Conclusion: Spring conditions affected peak flowering dates

Prescribed burn

SPP west

SPP east

Peak flowering dates for 3 years Early spring

2012 Late spring

2013 2011

n = 16 n = 17 n = 13

n = 31 n = 46 n = 44

Conclusion

• Flowering phenology likely coupled to weather, timing of spring

Warmer Temp Earlier flowering

Cooler Temp Later flowering

Conclusion

• Prescribed fire appears to delay flowering

Prescribed Fire Later flowering

Management implications

• Prescribed burning may be a tool to offset shifts in flowering caused by climate change

• Counteract plant-pollinator decoupling

http://botgarden.uga.edu/ http://echinaceaproject.org

Acknowledgements • Advisors

– Dr. Stuart Wagenius (CBG)

– Dr. Paula Furey (SCU)

• Echinacea Project – Amber Zahler (2011)

– Kelly Kapsar (2012)

– Team 2013

• Participating Institutions – University of Minnesota

– Chicago Botanic Garden

• Funding Sources – National Science Foundation:

Research Experience for Undergraduates

http://echinaceaproject.org