Article
Ecology
Bethanne Bruninga-Socolar, Sean R. Griffin, Zachary M. Portman, Jason Gibbs
Summary: This study investigated the impact of fire and bison grazing on different bee nesting groups, finding that the response of nesting groups varied depending on the substrate and management strategies. The results suggest that spatiotemporal variation in prescribed fire and grazing is crucial for the conservation of multiple bee nesting groups.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2022)
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
Ecology
Louis W. Jochems, Jennifer A. Lau, Lars A. Brudvig, Emily Grman
Summary: The study found that future climate warming may reduce plant diversity in tallgrass prairies and impact the composition of restored prairies. It remains unclear whether locally adapted or warm-adapted seeds have an advantage in future warmer environments, and there is little evidence to support the superior performance of seeds from the southern region under warming conditions.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
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
Biodiversity Conservation
Emily E. N. Purvis, Lincoln R. Best, Paul Galpern
Summary: The study highlights the impact of habitat loss due to agricultural intensification on the decline of wild bee populations in North America's Prairie Pothole Region. By incorporating specific flowering plants in restoration efforts, practitioners can effectively support wild bee conservation and mitigate the habitat loss that is a major driver of wild bee decline.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Ethan J. Royal, Chelsea S. Kross, John D. Willson
Summary: This study assessed the state of prairie-associated herpetofauna communities in intact prairie, as well in degraded and developed historic prairie throughout Western Arkansas. The results suggest that long-term land use filters, rather than present site-level conditions, are the driving forces dictating current distributions of prairie-associate herpetofauna in Western Arkansas.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Daniel T. Deever, Nathan M. Soley, Katy Fullin, Brian J. Wilsey
Summary: Our experiment results suggest that early- and late-flowering species are more recruitment limited than seed limited, and diversity is lower when these species are missing in restorations. We recommend transplanting a rich mix of early- and late-flowering forbs to increase their biomass and ensure that flowering occurs throughout the growing season.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Nicholas Glass, Brenda Molano-Flores, Eduardo Dias de Oliveira, Erika Meraz, Samira Umar, Christopher J. Whelan, Miquel A. Gonzalez-Meler
Summary: Restoration can recover degraded ecosystems and ecosystem services, but the effects on soil nutrient accrual vary based on prior land use. This study found that different land-use histories have distinct impacts on topsoil carbon and nitrogen accrual during tallgrass prairie restorations. These findings have implications for restoration trajectories, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem functioning.
Article
Ecology
Stephanie L. Mcfarlane, Jade M. Kochanski, Claudio Gratton, Ellen I. Damschen
Summary: Restoration of grassland ecosystems is vital to enhance biodiversity. This study compared the impacts of different restoration interventions on 32 restored prairies. Results showed that restoration with fire management leads to higher native plant richness, better vegetation quality, and presence of seeded species. However, greater levels of assisted recovery are needed to achieve high-quality restored prairies and maintain long-term success.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
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
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
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
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
Jillian Neece, Julia Brokaw, Adara Coker, Bethanne Bruninga-Socolar
Summary: Restoring habitat with diverse flowering plants is crucial for pollinator conservation. However, the potential differences in nectar quantity and quality among different seed mixes used in restorations have received limited research attention. In this study, we examined the nectar rewards of Penstemon digitalis in plots with varying seeding density and forb-to-grass ratios. The results suggest that low seeding density may provide greater nectar sugar concentration, indicating support for pollinators in cost-effective seed mixes. Further research is needed to understand how seed mix design parameters impact pollinator food resources.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Dominik Ganser, Matthias Albrecht, Eva Knop
Summary: Our study demonstrates that diverse wildflower strips can enhance the reproductive success of multiple solitary wild bee species, mitigating negative impacts of agricultural intensification by providing suitable floral resources and reducing foraging times. Smaller bee species benefit more from wildflower plantings compared to larger bee species.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Alexandra N. Harmon-Threatt, Stephen D. Hendrix
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2015)
Article
Ecology
Alexandra N. Harmon-Threatt, Perry de Valpine, Claire Kremen
Editorial Material
Entomology
Brittany Buckles, Alexandra Harmon-Threatt
JOURNAL OF THE KANSAS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2017)
Article
Plant Sciences
Alexander M. Pane, Alexandra N. Harmon-Threatt
APPLICATIONS IN PLANT SCIENCES
(2017)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Brittany J. Buckles, Alexandra N. Harmon-Threatt
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Entomology
Anna C. Grommes, Alexandra N. Harmon-Threatt, Nicholas L. Anderson
Summary: The addition of spearmint essential oil in soil emergence tents increased the capture rate for Halictidae bees but showed a trend of reduced capture rate for Andrenidae bees. This suggests that the efficacy of adding scents to e-tents is taxon-specific. Further research is needed to find a suitable attractant for other bee groups or whole communities.
Review
Ecology
Michael C. Orr, Mirjam Jakob, Alexandra Harmon-Threatt, Anne-Christine Mupepele
Summary: Compared to research on floral resources, there has been relatively little study on the threats bees face from a nesting-biology perspective. Natural history studies form the foundation of our knowledge on bee nesting, while ecological and artificial experimental studies enable us to extend and test related hypotheses in rigorous frameworks.
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
C. Scott Clem, Keith A. Hobson, Alexandra N. Harmon-Threatt
Summary: The study reveals the possibility of long-distance fall migration in Nearctic hover flies in eastern North America. Using stable hydrogen isotope measurements, morphological assessments, abundance estimations, and cold-tolerance assays, the research suggests that the species Eupeodes americanus exhibits unique morphological traits that decrease costs associated with long-distance flight. The findings have potential ecological and economic consequences.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gabriel T. Harmon, Alexandra N. Harmon-Threatt, Nicholas L. Anderson
Summary: The non-target effects of pesticides on beneficial arthropods and conservation efforts in agrolandscapes were investigated. The neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin and its synergism with a fungicide were assessed in simulated prairie restorations, with a focus on predator, herbivore, and pollinator biomass and morphospecies richness. Clothianidin reduced predator biomass by 66% compared to controls, while herbivore biomass decreased by 51% but the effect waned over the growing season. Clothianidin and the fungicide had a synergistic effect on reducing herbivore morphospecies richness by 12%. Pollinators were unaffected by clothianidin, but their biomass increased by 71% in the presence of the fungicide. Further studies are needed to understand the interactive effects of pesticide dissipation and predator release on late-season herbivore populations.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Marissa H. Chase, Jennifer M. Fraterrigo, Brian Charles, Alexandra Harmon-Threatt
Summary: In temperate, deciduous forests, long-term management suppression has led to homogenous habitat, while management approaches that emulate historical disturbance regimes can restore habitat heterogeneity. However, the effects of forest management practices on beneficial insects like bees are unclear, and the interactions between seasonality and management have been rarely studied.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Marissa H. Chase, Brian Charles, Alexandra Harmon-Threatt, Jennifer M. Fraterrigo
Summary: This study investigated the impact of forest management practices that emulate historical disturbances on the functional response of bee communities, and found that seasonality plays a role in this relationship. Management can enhance bee functional diversity and associated ecosystem services by providing floral resources and leaving behind deadwood.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Alexandra N. Harmon-Threatt, Nicholas L. Anderson
Summary: The persistence of organisms in fragmented landscapes relies on their ability to move between habitat patches. In this study, the effects of species, patch, and matrix variables on bee movement between patches were investigated. Larger bees and shorter distances between patches were found to promote movement, while the availability of resources in the matrix influenced movement patterns.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Raelin Kronenberg, Sarah Lovell, Damon Hall, Alexandra Harmon-Threatt
Summary: Agroforestry plantings provide multiple benefits, but their adoption remains low in the United States. Financial incentives are being offered to increase implementation of these practices, including in Missouri where a dedicated fund pool exists. Interviews with conservation professionals in Missouri revealed misconceptions and challenges in promoting agroforestry, highlighting the need for greater knowledge and engagement.
RENEWABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicholas L. Anderson, Alexandra N. Harmon-Threatt
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2019)