Article
Ecology
Edward J. Raynor, Heidi L. Hillhouse, Diane M. Debinski, James R. Miller, Walter H. Schacht
Summary: The study examined the impact of grazing pressure and time since fire on patch utilization and production in experimental grassland pastures dominated by the invasive grass tall fescue. It was found that recently burned patches showed greater initial patch-scale utilization, leading to reduced tall fescue production, especially under high grazing pressure. Although increased grazing promoted native grass production in the invaded grassland landscape, the dominance of tall fescue mediated the lack of structural heterogeneity induced by patch-level prescribed fire and grazing.
Article
Soil Science
Lifeng Zhu, Timothy L. Dickson, Zheng Zhang, Ashlee Dere, Jiawu Xu, Thomas Bragg, William Tapprich, Guoqing Lu
Summary: Understanding how soil microbiomes respond to different land management strategies is crucial for tallgrass prairie restoration. In this study, we found distinct differences in soil bacteria and fungi communities between burning and mowing treatments, with burning enriching soil with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant saprotrophic functions, while mowing led to an enrichment of potential plant pathogens in fungi. Based on our results, burning appears to be a more effective strategy for tallgrass prairie restoration in this region.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Alex Glass, Michael W. Eichholz
Summary: This study examined the relationship between habitat variables and small mammal abundance and community composition in restored tallgrass prairie patches, finding different influencing factors at different scales. It suggests that managers should take different measures to maintain small mammal populations in grassland ecosystems.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Andrew D. Kaul, Brian J. Wilsey
Summary: Cover crops have long-term effects on plant community composition and diversity, with different cover crop species having varying effectiveness in reducing weed abundances. The perennial grass E. canadensis is particularly effective at reducing weeds and has specific effects on assembling tallgrass prairie communities.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Caitlin M. Broderick, Kiona M. Freeman, Lydia H. Zeglin, John M. Blair
Summary: Climate change is expected to impact precipitation regimes in the North American Central Plains, which may have consequences for ecosystem functioning. Water and nitrogen can co-limit ecosystem processes in tallgrass prairies, making changes in precipitation have complex effects on carbon and nitrogen cycling.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jessica R. Fowler, Victoria A. Borowicz
Summary: The removal of Lespedeza cuneata did not significantly impact the overall abundance of arthropods, but the invasive herbivore Popillia japonica was more abundant in plots with the plant present. Additionally, removal of Lespedeza cuneata increased arthropod evenness in May but decreased it in the summer. Additionally, while herbivory on tagged leaves from native species was not significantly affected by the removal of Lespedeza cuneata shoots, the entire leaves or plants of the plant were more likely to disappear, suggesting potential indirect effects on the success of the invasive legume.
ARTHROPOD-PLANT INTERACTIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Wyatt Kirwan, Alexander J. Smart, Todd Trooien, David E. Clay, Gary Hatfield
Summary: This study investigated the drought resistance and resilience of non-native grassland and invaded-native tallgrass prairie in the Northern Great Plains of North America. Results showed that drought reduced biomass production in both types of grassland, with the invaded-native site showing lower biomass when watered to 100% of the 30-yr average precipitation. These findings provide further evidence of the aggressive nature of these introduced cool-season grasses and their continued dominance and expansion in the region.
RANGELAND ECOLOGY & MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
S. L. Dowhower, W. Richard Teague, K. Steigman, R. Freiheit
Summary: The reintroduction of grazing and burning on old-field tallgrass prairies had neutral effects on native prairie species, with seeding being the major factor influencing community structure. Competitive relationships among plant species, changes in biomass, and soil temperatures were significant factors affecting vegetation restoration.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Andrew D. Kaul, Brian J. Wilsey
Summary: The study conducted plant community and soil sampling in restored prairies in Iowa, USA and tested multiple hypotheses using multiple regressions and structural equation models. Results showed that exotic plant species invasion is the most important factor influencing species richness and diversity in restored prairies.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Ge Zhang, Ashley L. St Clair, Adam G. Dolezal, Amy L. Toth, Matthew E. O'Neal
Summary: The study found that honey bees' use of pollen from prairie plants can depend on the season, with colonies collecting more from nonnative plants in June and July, and more from native plants in August and September. This insight could be useful in addressing honey bee nutritional health, especially during times of forage scarcity in late summer.
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Melissa Nelson, Sheryl C. Hosler, Fabian A. Boetzl, Holly P. Jones, Nicholas A. Barber
Summary: Ecological restoration aims to reestablish functioning ecosystems, with a focus on taxonomic community structure rather than consumers and their functional roles. This study examined ground beetle assemblages in restored tallgrass prairies and found that restoration age primarily influenced beetle richness and diversity, while the presence of bison also influenced taxonomic composition. Prescribed fire reduced certain types of predation, but had relatively weak impacts on functional assemblage structure.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhe Ren, Sara G. Baer, Loretta C. Johnson, Matthew B. Galliart, Laurel R. Wilson, David J. Gibson
Summary: This study investigates the impact of different ecotypes of dominant species on biodiversity patterns in grassland communities along a rainfall gradient in the tallgrass prairie of the central US Great Plains. The results suggest that rainfall, location, and year are important factors influencing grassland diversity. Restoration efforts should take into account regional sources of dominant species to achieve biodiversity goals.
APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Katherine Brewer, Mary Ho Ckenb Erry-Meyer, Susan Galatowitsch, Stan C. Hokanson
Summary: This study found that prairie dropseed plugs grown in commercial potting mix had better growth compared to plugs grown in native soils, while the soil medium did not affect the survival rates. The use of hydrogels did not show any significant improvement in survival or growth rates compared to watering at planting.
Article
Ecology
Ryan C. Blackburn, Nicholas A. Barber, Anna K. Farrell, Robert Buscaglia, Holly P. Jones
Summary: Site-specific conditions, climate, and management decisions influence the establishment and composition of plant communities within grassland restorations, requiring monitoring across spatial and temporal scales. Using UAV-based remote sensing may provide a tool for monitoring restored plant communities, but further research is needed to explore its full potential.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Nicholas A. Barber, Desirae M. Klimek, Jennifer K. Bell, Wesley D. Swingley
Summary: The reintroduction of bison in restored prairies drives changes in soil microbial communities along a new successional trajectory. Restoration age and grazing by bison influence soil C:N ratio, pH, bacterial richness, and diversity. Older restorations with bison resemble bison-free sites in terms of composition, but become more distinct over time, while younger restorations with bison maintain unique compositions throughout the study.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2023)