scholarly journals Restorative recreation: One landowner's experience restoring a cedar‐infested native prairie remnant in Iowa's Loess Hills

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick C. Swanson
Keyword(s):  
2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Krock ◽  
S. Smith ◽  
C. Elliott ◽  
A. Kennedy ◽  
S. T. Hamman
Keyword(s):  

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 450e-451
Author(s):  
Virginia A. Gaynor ◽  
Mary Hockenberry Meyer

There is great interest in prairie gardens and prairie restorations in the central United States. Small prairie gardens are often established with plugs, but most restorationists and landscape contractors use seed for large plantings. If initial establishment is poor, restorations are often interseeded the second or third season. However, to evaluate early establishment and determine if interseeding is necessary, contractors must be able to identify native grasses in the seedling and juvenile stages. In this study we investigated vegetative characteristics of native prairie grass seedlings. Seven species of native prairie grass were grown in the greenhouse: Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem), Sorghastrum nutans (Indian grass), Panicum virgatum (switch grass), Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem), Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama), Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye), and Bromus kalmii (Kalmís brome). Every 2 to 3 weeks after germination, seedlings were photographed, pressed, and mounted. Additional photographs were taken through the dissecting scope at key stages of development. Ligules and auricles were found to be useful in distinguishing species, and our close-up photographs highlight these structures. Hairiness and color were variable within a species and could not be used reliably in identification. A seedling identification key will be presented for the species studied.


2018 ◽  
Vol 150 (5) ◽  
pp. 652-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey M. Seidle ◽  
Eric G. Lamb ◽  
Angela Bedard-Haughn ◽  
Jean-Michel DeVink

AbstractThe Dakota skipper,Hesperia dacotae(Skinner, 1911) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), is an at-risk butterfly that inhabits mesic mixed-grass prairie. Loss of native prairie is the main factor driving declines in Dakota skipper abundance. Currently, there is little knowledge on the environmental and habitat requirements of Saskatchewan, Canada populations. Our objective was to determine environmental associations of Dakota skipper in Saskatchewan through landscape, vegetation, soil, climate, microclimate, and Hesperiidae butterfly occupancy. Data collection was conducted in 2015 and 2016; a total of 46 sites were surveyed; nine of these were Dakota skipper positive (i.e., present) sites and 37 were negative (i.e., non-detected) sites. Results indicate that plant composition is not a significant predictor of Dakota skipper presence, but three plant species are significantly associated with the species;Pediomelum argophyllum(Pursh) Grimes (Fabaceae),Zizia aptera(Gray) Fernald (Apiaceae), andSchizachyrium scoparium(Michaux) Nash (Poaceae). No soil or climate variables were significant predictors of Dakota skipper presence; however it is significantly associated with steep slopes. Warmer maximum and average ground-level temperatures are also associated with Dakota skipper presence. Findings indicate that additional Dakota skipper populations are likely in Saskatchewan and future targeted surveys will allow for a full evaluation of the distribution of this species and conservation status.


1987 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 747-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. NAETH ◽  
A. W. BAILEY ◽  
W. B. McGILL

A study was conducted in Solonetzic mixed prairie of southern Alberta to evaluate and determine the longevity of selected ecosystem responses to pipeline installation. Five adjacent natural gas pipelines on a series of rights-of-way (ROW) were studied at three sites. The lines, which were installed in 1957, 1963, 1968, 1972 and 1981, had diameters of 86, 86, 91, 107 and 107 cm, respectively. Soils were analyzed for particle size distribution, bulk density, pH, electrical conductivity, ion composition, and organic matter content. It was concluded that pipeline construction in Solonetzic mixed prairie range-land initially tended to improve surface soil chemical and physical properties compared to blowouts, but reduced soil quality in vegetated native prairie. Surface bulk density increased to 1.3–1.6 Mg m−3 from an undisturbed density of 0.9–1.0 Mg m−3. Increased densities were evident to 55 cm in all 1981 transects except the trench where subsurface densities were reduced. Chemical changes were associated with reduced organic matter and increased salts at the surface. On the basis of differences between the various ages of pipelines (1981, youngest; 1957, oldest) there was evidence for greater amelioration of chemical changes than of physical disturbances over time. The time needed to restore half the lost organic matter was estimated to be approximately 50 y. Key words: Pipeline, Solonetzic soil, rangeland (native), soil chemistry, bulk density, reclamation


Author(s):  
Piotr Włodarczak

The borderland of the Vistula Plain and the Proszowice Plateau is part of the loess zone extending mainly to the north of the Vistula River, known for numerous discoveries of archaeological sites from the Eneolithic period and the early Bronze Age. The state of reconnaissance of settlement is far from satisfactory here. From the final Eneolithic period primarily cemeteries of the Corded Ware culture (around 2800–2300 BC) are known. Falling within this age range is probably the only burial mound in the area, in Igołomia, which yielded a niche grave of the Corded Ware culture within the eastern part of its cover. Another cemetery was investigated in Rudno Górne, where niche graves of the culture in question were found dug into the embankments of Funnel Beaker culture megalithic graves from the middle Eneolithic period. From the early Bronze Age, the richest and most cognitively significant sites of the Mierzanowice culture (around 2200–1600 BC) are concentrated on loess hills rising above the valleys of Ropotek and Rudnik. They are both cemeteries and large settlements. Particularly valuable results were obtained during research on the cemetery in Szarbia, where as many as 44 graves were found. These findings enable the reconstruction of funeral rite rules from the early Bronze Age.


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