Developing a framework for evaluating tallgrass prairie reconstruction methods and management

The goal of this project is to improve the practice of prairie reconstruction by developing criteria by which success can be measured and related to reconstruction methodology. To achieve this goal, two teams of two botanists will document plant species present on previously reconstructed prairies at two national wildlife refuges, Neal Smith in Iowa and Glacial Ridge in Minnesota. This information will be used to evaluate the methods used on those reconstructions to determine which methods result in relatively greater presence of desirable planted prairie species and less invasion by exotic species. Field work is slated to begin in 2015.

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Evaluation of methods for Canada thistle-free habitat restoration

Tallgrass prairie is one of the most imperiled ecosystems on Earth, and nowhere more so than in the upper Midwestern United States. The persistence of tallgrass prairie, and the species it supports, are increasingly dependent on management actions to restore and reconstruct native prairie plant communities. The goal of this study was to improve the practice of prairie reconstruction on former cropland by experimentally testing the effects of seeding method (broadcast or drill), planting time (dormant or growing season), and seed mix diversity (10, 20 or 32 species), on cover and diversity of native prairie plants and cover of invasive exotic plants, especially the noxious weed, Canada thistle ( Cirsium arvense)....

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Plant community and ecosystem responses to nitrogen deposition in two northern Great Plains national parks

Studies from around the world have shown shifts in plant community composition, reduced plant diversity and increased abundance of invasive species in response to nitrogen addition. These results may indicate that increasing atmospheric nitrogen deposition caused by fossil fuel combustion and agricultural activities will adversely affect northern Great Plains ecosystems. However, nitrogen addition studies that have been completed in the northern Great Plains used nitrogen addition levels far above that expected from atmospheric deposition. This project partnered with Colorado State University to experimentally investigate the effects of realistic nitrogen deposition on a wide variety of plant and soil parameters...

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Plant-soil feedback as a driver of plant invasions of mixed-grass prairie

Control of invasive plants does not always result in return of a native plant community. The reasons could involve a depleted seed bank, changes in communities of mutualists either aboveground (e.g., pollinators or seed dispersers) or belowground (e.g., arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi), or changes in the identity or quantity of pathogens in the soil. In a series of linked studies, we have examined soil occupancy effects of leafy spurge, smooth brome, and crested wheatgrass and compared them with those of native plants. Our results suggest that invasive plants can change live components of soils in such a way as to reduce the vigor of native seedlings and improve establishment of invasive species. We have also examined...

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Native species richness and diversity ranges of variability in Central United States grassland plant communities

Plant species richness and diversity influence ecosystem functioning; therefore, they are important indicators of ecosystem health. To be useful to managers and decision-makers, though, the natural range of variation for the indicators must be known, and an understanding of how various natural and anthropogenic forces affect the indicators must be had. This project compiled published literature and analyzed data from available long-term studies to provide this information for Great Plains grasslands, one of the most threatened ecosystems in North America.

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