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Grassland Restoration and Management
Since European contact in North America, more than 99% of tallgrass prairie has been destroyed primarily because of conversion to agricultural uses (Betz, 1986; Solecki and Toney, 1986; Hands et al., 1989). Undisturbed, tall grass cover is not only valuable for nesting waterfowl, it provides habitat for other species, including pheasants, bitterns, northern harriers, short-eared owls, and many passerine birds.
Native grasses have root systems between five and nine feet deep, and because of this are excellent for long-term erosion control. They also grow well on poor soil because their deep roots can gain access to nutrients and water that shallower roots cannot reach. Introduced grasses, such as brome, are more easily established and are less expensive, but the cover often deteriorates in poor soil conditions as the sod opens up and weeds invade.
Harvesting seed from a native prairie
Native grass stands require several years to reach maturity, and usually require mowing in the midsummer during their first and second years. Once fully established, however, there are very few weeds which can compete with native grasses for nutrients and water in the soil.
The native grass plantings on the Windom WMD are designed to be very diverse in both grass species and forbs (herbaceous plants other than grasses). Plant diversity is very important to wildlife species because diverse vegetation increases the number of different insects that use a grassland area. These insects are an extremely important food source for young birds as they begin to grow and fledge. Diverse vegetation also gives structure to the grasslands with small plants that grow near the ground, medium sized plants and tall thick stemmed grasses that stand up to the prairie winds. This structure creates cover and nesting sites for a diverse array of prairie wildlife.
The Windom WMD harvests prairie seed from local native prairies and from WPAs that have been seeded to these local prairie species. We often get as many as eight species of grasses and up to 30 species of forbs by harvesting native prairies. With this method we ensure that high quality local origin seed is used on our new WPAs. When we do need to purchase seed we work closely with vendors to ensure the seed they sell is of local origin.
If you are interested in restoring prairie species on your property, check out our Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.
References
Betz, R.F. 1986. One decade of research in prairie restoration at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), Batavia, Illinois. In The prairie - past, present and future: Proc. 9th N. Amer. Prairie Conf., ed. G.K. Clambey and R.H. Pemble. Tricollege University Center for Environmental Study. Fargo, ND, pp 179-185.
Hands, H.M., R.D. Drobney, and M.R. Ryan. 1989. Status of the Henslow's sparrow in the northcentral United States. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Twin Cities, Minnesota.
Solecki, M.K. and T. Toney. 1986. Characteristics and management of Missouri's public prairies. In The prairie - past, present and future: Proc. 9th N. Amer. Prairie Conf., ed. G.K. Clambey and R.H. Pemble. Tricollege University Center for Environmental Study. Fargo, ND, pp 168-170.
