Coastal Prairie Remnant Restoration at Memorial Park

Coastal Prairie Remnant Restoration Belle Harris, Applied Research Intern

Coastal Prairie

ď‚´ Less than 0.1% remains ď‚´ Memorial Park constructed on area that was coastal prairie prior to European settlement

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d5/79/18/d57918188f760e4c2b3fe7f687cc6425.jpg

Restoration Goals  Memorial Park Master Plan seeks to “restore the ecology of the park and our connection to it”  Restore regions of a “critically imperiled” coastal prairie ecosystem

Photo: Belle Harris

Current State of Memorial Park Prairie Remnants  Invasive Species  Low Biodiversity  Small remnants

Verbena rigida

Cyperus entrerianus

Verbena brasiliensis

Photos: Belle Harris

Biological Assessment

Photo: Belle Harris

Vegetation Survey

Map: Cassidy Ince

Survey Methods ď‚´ Modified Daubenmire frame: 20 cm x 50 cm

Photo below: Belle Harris, photo right: Trevor Surface

Data Analysis

 Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index

 Equitability http://cnx.org/resources/47c0754d248d18da2aec82225dc79cc1/Figure_47_01_06.jpg

 Species-Area Curves (right)

How accurate is the data?

Image: Belle Harris

Results Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index (H) Prairie plot

Native Species

All Species

Prairie 1

2.012806

2.573187

Prairie 2

2.285278

2.885870

Prairie A

1.701830

2.048404

Prairie B

1.551854

1.850481

Prairie C

1.513398

1.947752

Degraded Prairie

0.822763

1.249847

Wet Prairie

2.661111

3.488123

Shannon-Wiener Diversity Effective numbers (EH) Prairie plot Prairie 1 Prairie 2 Prairie A Prairie B Prairie C Degraded Prairie Wet Prairie

Native Species

All Species

0.495710935

0.633720752

0.562814943

0.710727867

0.419124218

0.504477958

0.382188346

0.45573377

0.372717459

0.47968953

0.202628875

0.307810502

0.655374547

0.85904986

Spatial Differences in Biodiversity

Maps: Cassidy Ince

Management Plan

Photo: Belle Harris

Selecting Species

 Grasses ideally make up 50-90% of vegetative cover  Remainder = mixture of forb species  No woody plants

Photos: Belle Harris

Seed Collecting

 Exchange seeds with local prairies  Volunteer involvement

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=imgres&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiEgOGby6nVAhXi64MKHXxOD3kQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.audubon.org%2Fnews%2Fto-turn-schoolyard-outdoor-classroom-just-add-native-plants&psig=AFQjCNEV8GaQRtYO1zDC8748DTbtV7vqTg&ust=1501249190322928

Seed Dispersal

ď‚´ Volunteers can help

http://www.naturalheritage.com/Newsroom/WAMN-Harvesting-websize.jpg?Action=thumbnail&algorithm=fill_proportional&width=283

Mimicking Natural Management

 Mowing  Year 1-2:  Late spring, midsummer, early fall

 Year 2-5:  Summer and fall

 Grazing animals  After 3 years management  Avoid overgrazing

http://llstudents.org/wpcontent/uploads/2016/04/Arboretum_pr airie_burn2_00.jpg

Moving the Center Point Access Path

ď‚´ Path should lie west of the utility line ď‚´ Preserves remnants with greater biodiversity

Map: Cassidy Ince

Prairie Remnant Expansion

Map: Carolyn White

Community Involvement

ď‚´ Volunteers ď‚´ School and university field laboratories

Photo: Belle Harris

Indicators of a Successful Restoration  Increased native species richness  Decreased invasive species coverage  Establishment of “big four” tallgrass species  Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)  Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)  Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)  Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

https://hnpat.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/grandviewcem1104111591.jpg