prairie restoration - where to from here - dr. daryl smith - univ. northern iowa
DESCRIPTION
Renowned prairie restorationist Dr. Daryl Smith of the University of Northern Iowa shares his expertise on prairie restoration at the 2010 State of the Prairie Conference held in Houston, Texas on November 4, 2010.TRANSCRIPT
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.