Tag Archives: grassland management

Lessons From a Project to Improve Prairie Quality – Part 1: Patch-Burn Grazing, Plant Diversity, and Butterflies

We recently completed a large multi-year restoration and management project at our Platte River Prairies.  Our specific objectives were to improve habitat quality for various at-risk prairie species and evaluate the impacts of our management on at-risk butterflies – particularly … Continue reading

Posted in Prairie Animals, Prairie Insects, Prairie Management, Prairie Natural History, Prairie Photography, Prairie Plants, Prairie Restoration/Reconstruction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Using Defoliation of Dominant Grasses to Increase Prairie Plant Diversity

 In many prairies, the primary suppressors of plant diversity are dominant grasses – both native and non-native.  These grasses, left unchecked, can monopolize light, moisture, and nutrients to the point that few other plant species can coexist with them.  I’m … Continue reading

Posted in General, Prairie Management, Prairie Plants, Prairie Restoration/Reconstruction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

The Problem with “Calendar Prairies”

I think I first heard the term “calendar prairie” from my friend Bill Whitney of Prairie Plains Resource Institute.  He was talking about the mental image many people have of prairies that comes from seeing photographs of grasslands full of … Continue reading

Posted in Prairie Insects, Prairie Management, Prairie Natural History, Prairie Plants, Prairie Restoration/Reconstruction | Tagged , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Measuring Success in Prairie Conservation – Species Composition vs. Structure and Process

Stick with me – this isn’t as complicated as the title might lead you to believe… I was involved in an interesting discussion a couple weeks ago among some fellow prairie ecologists about what makes a “good prairie”.  The discussion … Continue reading

Posted in General, Prairie Management, Prairie Restoration/Reconstruction | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments