Response of Grassland to Prairie Restoration at Lost Mound NWR: Baseline Data Collection

摘要: Typical tallgrass prairie management consists of prescribed fires, approximately every three years, in early spring (March-April) when many non-native plants are green but many native prairie species remain dormant. However, before European settlement of this region, fires were not confined to March and April, with summer fires occurring during drought periods (Steinauer and Collins 1996) and fall fires common due to Native American land management practices (Pyne 1983). The variation of burning times may have been important for maintaining a variety of habitats for animals and plants, since the reactions of individual species to fire depends on the season of its occurrence (Howe 1994). In addition, grazing by ungulates affected the height of grassland vegetation, which in turn influences grassland birds selecting breeding sites (Renken and Dinsmore 1987, Renfrew and Ribic 2001, Walk and Warner 2000). Although grassland birds are known to use grasslands differently depending on their fire history (Herkert 1994), little systematic research has been done to compare the effects of fire in different seasons on either grassland birds or the plants that provide their habitat. Even less has been done to investigate interactive effects of fire season and grazing on grassland birds and plant communities. Instead, this type of research has typically been done in small areas with no replication for sound statistical analysis. The large expanse of grassland at Lost Mound NWR provides an excellent opportunity for an experimental approach to investigating the effects of different fire and grazing management regimes. In 2002, we collected baseline data …