Restoration of Prairie Community Structure and Ecosystem Function in an Abandoned Hayfield: A Sowing Experiment

Foster, Bryan L.; Murphy, Cheryl A.; Keller, Kane R.; Aschenbach, Todd A.; Questad, Erin J.; Kindscher, Kelly

doi:10.1111/j.1526-100x.2007.00277.x

Cited by 107 publications

(105 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…At the same time, a negative correlation between non-native grasses and native graminoids and increasing native graminoid cover (Figure 1) illustrate competition that may lead towards a transition from non-native grass-dominated to native graminoid-dominated communities. Similar results have been found by Foster et al (2007), in which sowing of native and naturalized prairie species decreased non-native grass, including the most common non-native grass species found during our study, Kentucky bluegrass. Endress et al (2012) found that while seeding native grasses into an invasive forb-dominated community lowered non-native grass cover within six years, cover of the dominant invasive forb was unaffected.…”

Section: Seeding Effectssupporting

confidence: 78%

“…Mowing allowed for comparable levels of seeded species cover as both herbicide treatments, with the exception of lower big bluestem cover (Table 4), which should be temporary due to the dominant nature of this species (McCain et al 2010). Yet, the ease with which native grasses and forbs established following such minimal site preparation indicates that seed limitations may be preventing natural recovery of some degraded sites (Foster et al 2007), and shows promise for the development of communities with this treatment. As reported by MacDonald et al (2013), the single mowing had few effects on knapweed densities on mowed-only plots, with a total knapweed density of 251 ± 47 m-2 (mean ± SE) in 2010, and remaining at a comparable level in 2011 (218 ± 38 m-2).…”

Section: Initial Site Preparation Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Native Plant Establishment Success Influenced by Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) Control Method

Martin¹,

MacDonald

Brown

2014

Ecological Restoration

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Invasive species frequently need to be controlled as part of efforts to reestablish native species on degraded sites. While the effectiveness of differing control methods are often reported, the impacts these methods have on the establishment of a native plant community are often unknown. To determine methods that effectively reduce spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) while enhancing native species establishment, we tested 12 treatment combinations consisting of an initial site preparation (mowing, mowing + clopyralid, or mowing + glyphosate), in factorial combination with annual adult knapweed hand pulling and/or burning. We established 48 plots and applied site preparation treatments during summer 2008, seeded 23 native forbs and grasses during spring 2009, pulled adult knapweed annually from 2009-2012, and burned in the early spring 2012. During July of 2011 and 2012, percent cover of all species was visually estimated. By 2011, seeded species had established in all treatment plots, including plots that retained greater than 50% knapweed cover, indicating that native species successfully established despite knapweed dominance. Mowing alone had no longterm impacts on community development. Clopyralid favored non-native grass establishment, while glyphosate encouraged non-native forbs. Clopyralid had minimal impacts on native forb establishment, but did effectively control knapweed. Pulling reduced knapweed cover, increased non-native grass cover and enhanced native species establishment. Burning had little impact, possibly due to low intensity and unseasonable weather. On the heavily invaded site we studied, combining the use of clopyralid with hand pulling effectively controlled knapweed and favored the establishment of seeded native grasses and forbs.

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Section: Seeding Effectssupporting

confidence: 78%

Section: Initial Site Preparation Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Native Plant Establishment Success Influenced by Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) Control Method

Martin¹,

MacDonald

Brown

2014

Ecological Restoration

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“…Finally, it is likely that the recovery potential varies substantially for different systems depending on the life history of the species of interest, the presence of refuge populations, and a host of other factors (Clark and Tilman 2010). However, several long-term studies to date suggest that recovery over small scales can be slow and require intervention (Foster et al 2007, Clark and Tilman 2010, Isbell et al 2013. Considering anthropogenic N deposition occurs over large spatial scales, making the presence of refugia unlikely, reduction of current N loads is preferred before potentially intensive management options are considered.…”

Section: Christopher M Clark Et Al 1444mentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimated losses of plant biodiversity in the United States from historical N deposition (1985–2010)

Clark

Morefield

Gilliam

et al. 2013

Ecology

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Abstract. Although nitrogen (N) deposition is a significant threat to herbaceous plant biodiversity worldwide, it is not a new stressor for many developed regions. Only recently has it become possible to estimate historical impacts nationally for the United States. We used 26 years of deposition data, with ecosystem-specific functional responses from local field experiments and a national critical loads (CL) database, to generate scenario-based estimates of herbaceous species loss. Here we show that, in scenarios using the low end of the CL range, N deposition exceeded critical loads over 0.38, 6.5, 13.1, 88.6, and 222.1 million ha for the Mediterranean California, North American Desert, Northwestern Forested Mountains, Great Plains, and Eastern Forest ecoregions, respectively, with corresponding species losses ranging from ,1% to 30%. When we ran scenarios assuming ecosystems were less sensitive (using a common CL of 10 kgÁha À1 Áyr À1 , and the high end of the CL range) minimal losses were estimated. The large range in projected impacts among scenarios implies uncertainty as to whether current critical loads provide protection to terrestrial plant biodiversity nationally and urge greater research in refining critical loads for U.S. ecosystems.

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“…In recent years, the potential benefits of native tallgrass prairie vegetation has been increasingly recognized by conservationists, private landowners, and the general public in terms of conservation value for biodiversity, wildlife habitat, soil protection, and a range of other ecosystem services and aesthetic values (Baer et al 2002, Tunnell 2004, Polley et al 2005, Foster et al 2007). In addition, there is growing interest in the potential use of low-input, high-diversity (LIHD) grasslands, such as tallgrass prairie or prairie hay meadows for biofuel production , Wallace and Palmer 2007, Fargione et al 2008.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of hay management and native species sowing on grassland community structure, biomass, and restoration

Foster

Kindscher

Houseman

et al. 2009

Ecological Applications

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Abstract. Prairie hay meadows are important reservoirs of grassland biodiversity in the tallgrass prairie regions of the central United States and are the object of increasing attention for conservation and restoration. In addition, there is growing interest in the potential use of such low-input, high-diversity (LIHD) native grasslands for biofuel production. The uplands of eastern Kansas, USA, which prior to European settlement were dominated by tallgrass prairie, are currently utilized for intensive agriculture or exist in a state of abandonment from agriculture. The dominant grasslands in the region are currently high-input, low-diversity (HILD) hay fields seeded to introduced C 3 hay grasses. We present results from a long-term experiment conducted in a recently abandoned HILD hay field in eastern Kansas to evaluate effects of fertilization, haying, and native species sowing on community dynamics, biomass, and potential for restoration to native LIHD hay meadow.Fertilized plots maintained dominance by introduced grasses, maintained low diversity, and were largely resistant to colonization throughout the study. Non-fertilized plots exhibited rapid successional turnover, increased diversity, and increased abundance of C 4 grasses over time. Haying led to modest changes in species composition and lessened the negative impact of fertilization on diversity. In non-fertilized plots, sowing increased representation by native species and increased diversity, successional turnover, and biomass production. Our results support the shifting limitations hypothesis of community organization and highlight the importance of species pools and seed limitations in constraining successional turnover, community structure, and ecosystem productivity under conditions of low fertility. Our findings also indicate that several biological and functional aspects of LIHD hay meadows can be restored from abandoned HILD hay fields by ceasing fertilization and reintroducing native species through sowing. Declines in primary production and hay yield that result from the cessation of fertilization may be at least partially compensated for by restoration.

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Restoration of Prairie Community Structure and Ecosystem Function in an Abandoned Hayfield: A Sowing Experiment

Cited by 107 publications

References 55 publications

Native Plant Establishment Success Influenced by Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) Control Method

Native Plant Establishment Success Influenced by Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) Control Method

Estimated losses of plant biodiversity in the United States from historical N deposition (1985–2010)

Effects of hay management and native species sowing on grassland community structure, biomass, and restoration

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