The Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide to Prairie Restoration in the Upper Midwest (Bur Oak Guide) - Softcover

Smith, Daryl; Williams, Dave; Houseal, Greg; Henderson, Kirk

Softcover

ISBN 10: 158729916X ISBN 13: 9781587299162

Publisher: University of Iowa Press, 2010

Synopsis

Although less than 3 percent of the original vast landscape survives, the tallgrass prairie remains a national treasure, glowing with a vast array of colourful wildflowers in spring and summer, enriched by the warm reds and browns of grasses in fall and winter. This comprehensive manual, crafted by the staff of the Tallgrass Prairie Center at the University of Northern Iowa, will be an essential companion for everyone dedicated to planning, developing, and maintaining all types of prairie restorations and reconstructions in the tallgrass prairie region of Iowa, northern Illinois, northwestern Indiana, southwestern Wisconsin, southwestern Minnesota, eastern South Dakota, eastern Nebraska, northwestern Missouri, and northeastern Kansas. Focusing on conservation plantings, prairie recovery, native landscaping in yards and at schools, roadside plantings, and pasture renovations, the authors― who collectively have more than a hundred years of experience with prairie restoration―have created a manual that will be particularly useful to landowners, conservation agency personnel, ecosystem managers, native seeding contractors, prairie enthusiasts, teachers, and roadside managers. A wealth of colour and black-and-white photographs taken in the field as well as checklists and tables support the detailed text, which also includes useful online and print sources and references, a glossary, and lists of common and scientific names of all plant species discussed.

About this title

About the Author

Daryl Smith is a life-long Cincinnati Reds fan who attended the first game at Riverfront Stadium and World Series games in 1970, 1972, and 1975. He is director of the Organizational Leadership program at Mount St. Joseph.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide to Prairie Restoration in the Upper Midwest

By DARYL SMITH DAVE WILLIAMS GREG HOUSEAL KIRK HENDERSON

University of Iowa Press

Copyright © 2010 Tallgrass Prairie Center
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-58729-916-2

Contents

Acknowledgments.................................................................................ixWhy This Manual? Daryl Smith....................................................................xiIntroduction: Returning Prairie to the Upper Midwest, Daryl Smith...............................xvii1 Preparing and Planning for a Reconstruction, Daryl Smith......................................32 Seed Source and Quality, Greg Houseal.........................................................123 Designing Seed Mixes, Dave Williams...........................................................234 Site Preparation, Dave Williams...............................................................395 Seeding, Dave Williams........................................................................566 First-Season Management, Dave Williams........................................................737 Evaluating Stand Establishment and Seedling Identification, Dave Williams.....................828 Identifying and Assessing Remnants, Greg Houseal..............................................1059 The Restoration of Degraded Prairie Remnants, Daryl Smith.....................................11910 Prairie Management, Daryl Smith..............................................................13411 Prairie in Public Places, Dave Williams......................................................15712 Roadsides and Other Erodible Sites, Kirk Henderson...........................................17013 Small Prairie Plantings, Kirk Henderson......................................................19314 Seed Harvesting, Greg Houseal................................................................20915 Drying, Cleaning, and Storing Prairie Seed, Greg Houseal.....................................22516 Propagating and Transplanting Seedlings, Greg Houseal........................................239Epilogue: The Future of Tallgrass Restoration, Daryl Smith......................................261Glossary........................................................................................265Common and Scientific Names of Plants Mentioned in This Guide...................................273References......................................................................................285Index...........................................................................................295

Chapter One

Preparing and Planning for a Reconstruction

DARYL SMITH

Overview

Prairie reconstructions should be modeled after remnant prairies. Before beginning a reconstruction project, become familiar with local prairie remnants and available information on prairie reconstruction. A well-designed and well-executed plan is crucial to a successful reconstruction. Components of the plan should include goals and objectives, timeline, budget, site description, designated reference site, description of tasks necessary to complete the project, post planting management, and monitoring protocol. A successful prairie reconstruction contains many different species of wildflowers, suites of grasses, and sedges that create a panorama of changing colors and increasing heights throughout the growing season.

Preparing for a Reconstruction Project

Reconstructing a prairie is a unique opportunity to return a piece of the tallgrass prairie to the landscape. The original tallgrass prairie was so complex, variable, and diverse that an exact replica is not possible. Prairie reconstruction projects should strive to emulate prairie remnants as nearly as possible within the constraints of budget, site limitations, past land use, adjacent land use, availability of seed, climatic conditions, program requirements, and our limited understanding of the original prairie. Reconstructions can range in size from fifty to a hundred square feet of lawn to tens or hundreds of acres of a conservation planting to thousands of acres in a major landscape reconstruction.

Reconstructing a good-quality prairie requires a long-term commitment. Take time to become knowledgeable about prairie and the process of reconstruction. Read books and other written materials on the topic, examine field guides to become familiar with local prairie plants, peruse native seed and seedling catalogs, visit with people who have had prior experience in reconstruction, and, if available, enroll in workshops on topics related to reconstruction.

If possible, visit local prairie remnants to observe their overall appearance and species composition. They may contain invaluable information for your reconstruction project and serve as a reference site or source of seed. Become familiar with as many species as possible, note where they are located within the prairie, and consider their potential for inclusion in your reconstruction project.

Developing a Reconstruction Plan

Develop a reconstruction plan after you become familiar with local prairies and have an understanding of the process. A successful prairie reconstruction is the result of a well-designed and well-executed plan. The plan will serve as a guide for decision making during the reconstruction process and as a useful reference document for managing the site and future planning. A brief discussion of the components of a reconstruction plan follows.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Prepare a statement of your goals and objectives for the reconstruction project. These goals and objectives will guide your reconstruction activities and determine your final product. Prairie plantings can serve a multitude of functions; however, the intended purpose of the completed prairie reconstruction is the primary consideration for determining your goals and objectives. The following are examples of possible goals for reconstructing different types of prairie: to replicate as nearly as possible the prairie that originally occupied the area, to create a prairie with diverse vegetative composition and structure to enhance native wildlife, to develop a prairie for use by a biology class or student ecology projects, or to develop a prairie to provide forage for grazing cattle. Obviously, the objectives and design considerations will differ considerably for each type of prairie.

Information regarding the historical vegetation of the area will be helpful in preparing goals and objectives. The information can be secured from a variety of sources. Examine the General Land Office (GLO) public land surveys for your county. Surveyor notes and township plat maps of GLO surveys are one of the best, if not the best, sources of information regarding the location of presettlement prairies. A copy of the GLO survey for your county should be available at the courthouse or one of the county offices. In Iowa, the GLO surveys were conducted from 1832 to 1859 as the state was being settled. Paul Anderson and his colleagues (1996) used the surveyors' field notes and plat maps to produce digitized maps of original vegetation for each county in Iowa. A county soil survey may also provide useful information regarding soils and original vegetation. Additional information to supplement these documents may be obtained from diaries and journals of early prairie travelers, explorers, and settlers; locally written county histories and historical accounts from the middle to late nineteenth century; and recordings of oral histories and family stories passed from generation to generation. Herbarium collections are good sources of information about the past and present location and distribution of prairie plants.

PROJECTED TIMELINE

Develop a timeline with a schedule of the activities required to complete the reconstruction. Knowing the timing of certain activities will insure that materials are available when particular tasks have to be completed. For example, the planned seeding time will dictate when the seed has to be ordered and when the site has to be ready for seeding. If custom operators or volunteers are involved in the process, they will have to be scheduled in advance to be available at the appropriate times.

ESTIMATED BUDGET

A budget is an integral part of a project plan. Cost can be a major factor in determining the size, scope, and quality of the project. Allocate costs for each of the following: seed from commercial growers, herbicide and application or tillage necessary to prepare the site for planting, drilling or broadcasting seed, and postseeding mowing. While not part of the initial reconstruction costs, there will be ongoing expenses for long-term control of weeds and woody species and prescribed burning.

SITE CHARACTERISTICS

Prepare a description of the physical and vegetative characteristics of the site. Information regarding physical characteristics of the site should include topography (slopes, hilltops, and lowlands), soil types, hydrology (drainage patterns, wet and dry areas), amount of exposure to sunlight (nearby shade, aspect of slopes), and plot dimensions.

Topography, soil types, and hydrology of the site are major considerations in determining the type of species to be planted and their location. Certain species do better on higher and drier areas, while others are associated with wetter drainage areas. Some soil publications list native plants associated with particular soil types. Exposure of the reconstructed prairie to sunlight during the day is an important consideration for sites close to buildings or trees. A slope with a southern aspect will receive more direct sunlight than other aspects.

A complete description of the current vegetation of the site is needed to plan for site preparation. Much of the early phase of prairie reconstruction involves achieving an edge over weeds to increase establishment of prairie seedlings. The type of weeds (annual, perennial, and/or invasive) present and the extent of their coverage play a large role in determining how the site will be prepared for seeding.

Maps and photos illustrating site features will also be useful for project planning, development, and monitoring. A sketch map will be sufficient for smaller sites; however, aerial photos, topographic maps, and soil maps will provide more information for larger sites. The photos and maps will also be useful for future maintenance and management activities. Older aerial photographs may not include recent site changes in vegetation or waterways or additions such as cell phone towers or access roads, but they may provide insights into past changes in vegetation. In Iowa, aerial photographs can be downloaded for any site within the state at http:www.ortho.gis.iastate.edu. To obtain an aerial photograph and a soil map, check with your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office or look online at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/.

THE REFERENCE SITE

The reference site is a model for planning the reconstruction. Since no relict prairie species are present on a reconstruction site, no information will be available regarding the original species composition of the prairie. Select a remnant prairie with soils and topography similar to the reconstruction site. Ideally, one of the remnants visited in the preplanning stage will be sufficiently similar to serve as a reference site. The species composition of the reference site can serve as a model for designing the seed mix to be planted. The reference site can also be used as a comparative standard for monitoring the progress of the reconstruction and evaluating it when completed.

SEED SOURCES

Determine when and where you will obtain seed. Basically there are two options: collecting the seed locally or purchasing it from commercial growers. Good-quality seed can be obtained from a number of commercial growers of native seed. Be certain to order seed well in advance of planting to insure that the grower has a sufficient quantity of seed available. You may elect to hand-collect seed from local remnants during the year prior to planting. This option may be less expensive, and the seed will come from sources known to you. However, seed that appears to be good quality may not germinate. For locally collected seed to be viable, it must be collected at the proper stage of maturity, be properly cleaned, and be stored at low temperature and humidity. You should also determine if pretreatment of certain species is required for germination. For example, stratification, cold treatment, is generally recommended to improve germination, although certain species may not benefit from such treatment. Seed sources and quality are extensively discussed in chapter 2.

DESIGN OF SEED MIXES

Designing a proper seed mix or seed mixes is a key element of a reconstruction, since the species planted are the primary determinants of the species composition of the reconstructed prairie. Objectives for the reconstruction will indicate whether the seed mix is to be mostly grasses, rich in forbs, or an equal mixture of both. Mixes should be varied according to differences in soil types, topography, and hydrology of the site. Reconstructions with a large diversity of species are more attractive than those with a few species and are more representative of the original prairie. Floristic lists for your state will be helpful for selecting species appropriate for your area. The mix design should consider factors such as seed size, viability, competitive ability, availability, and cost. When the design for the mixture is complete, list the species included in the mix and the number of seeds of each species to be planted per square foot. Seed mixes are extensively discussed in chapter 3.

SITE PREPARATION

The primary focus of site preparation is to maximize establishment of the prairie species. Existing vegetation, seeding method, and condition of the soil determine to a large extent the procedures for site preparation. Aggressive perennial weeds should be eliminated prior to seeding. Former crop fields are generally good reconstruction sites, because the weeds have usually been controlled previously and little or no site preparation is necessary. If weeds are localized, spot spraying with herbicide may be sufficient. On the other hand, if weeds are extensive, it may be necessary to till the entire site and/or spray all the vegetation with glyphosate prior to seeding. Site preparation is extensively discussed in chapter 4.

SEEDING TIME AND METHODS

When to seed and the method of seeding are important considerations for germination and establishment of prairie species. The species present in the prairie mix are a primary factor in determining when to plant the seed. For example, a forb-rich mixture will do best when seeded in mid fall, whereas a mix of mostly warm-season grasses will do better when seeded in mid to late spring.

Most reconstructions are either broadcast or drill-seeded, although hydro-seeding is used on roadsides and steep slopes. Because special drills are required, a conservation agency or custom operator should be hired to seed larger plantings. Small plots can be seeded by hand-broadcasting.

ESTABLISHMENT MANAGEMENT

In the first growing season after planting, vigorously growing annual weeds usually become abundant while prairie seedlings remain small, utilizing most of their energy for root development. The rapid-growing annual weeds may develop a canopy and shade the small prairie seedlings. Frequent mowing (every 3 to 4 weeks) to a height of approximately 4 inches will curtail weed growth and increase availability of light at ground level for the small prairie plants. With reduced competition and increased light the seedlings will become more robust. The frequency of mowing will vary across the tallgrass prairie; more frequent mowing will be necessary in the moister eastern portion. More vigorous growth of prairie plants with increased available light will improve stand establishment.

MONITORING THE PLANTING

Monitoring will provide information to assess the progress and success of a reconstruction project. The most commonly used parameters are species presence, cover, diversity and density, and biomass production. The actual methods used to collect information are not critical as long as they are consistent and acceptable techniques for sampling vegetation. Monitoring at regular intervals after initial establishment will provide information that will indicate whether midcourse corrections are necessary during the project. Ultimately, monitoring data can be used to evaluate whether the planning goals and objectives have been achieved.

LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

Management of a reconstructed prairie is similar to that of a prairie remnant or restored prairie and is discussed in chapter 10. The management may involve controlling invasive woody species and nonnative perennials such as smooth brome, sweet clover, and Canada thistle. Hand-weeding is an efficient means to control weeds in a small plot, but it requires motivation, an ability to distinguish native and nonnative species, and care to avoid uprooting natives. In larger plots, problem areas can be treated with spot mowing or spot spraying with herbicides. Effective control of woody species will require cutting trees and shrubs and treating their stumps with herbicides. Fire is a very effective prairie management tool to stimulate prairie species, reduce the duff layer, and control woody species. Prescribed fire can be initiated as soon as sufficient vegetation is present to carry a fire. A number of practitioners, particularly in the eastern part of the tallgrass prairie, recommend burning every year during the first decade of a reconstruction to speed up establishment and succession (Schramm 1992).

In developing the plan, give your attention to distinguishing future management units. Management units can be laid out to take into account potential plant communities as determined by topography, hydrology, and soil types. These units can be used for monitoring and applying different management practices such as rotating burns in prescribed fire management.

A plan should include strategies to insure that the completed reconstruction will be protected and properly managed for the future. Adding buffers around the site or obtaining binding protection agreements with adjacent landowners will limit external threats to the integrity of the reconstruction. Conservation easements to maintain reconstructed prairie will provide long-term protection as they become part of the deed for the property. If ownership is transferred to a natural resources agency or organization, a formal agreement to maintain the site should be included in the agreement (Clewell, Rieger, and Munro 2005).

(Continues...)

Excerpted from The Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide to Prairie Restoration in the Upper Midwestby DARYL SMITH DAVE WILLIAMS GREG HOUSEAL KIRK HENDERSON Copyright © 2010 by Tallgrass Prairie Center. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Edition details

• Publisher: University of Iowa Press
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 158729916X
• ISBN 13: 9781587299162
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 301