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Abstract Detail


Conservation Biology

Meier, Jacob [1], Michaels, Helen [2].

Enhancing Wet Prairie Restoration Following The Removal of Glossy Buckthorn, Frangula alnus.

Frangula alnus (Glossy Buckthorn) is an invasive species that dominates many former wet prairie habitats, which currently cover less than 1% of its original extent. Restoration of wet prairie often involves removal of large monoculture buckthorn stands followed by the application of herbicide and natural regrowth from the seed bank. Buckthorn seeds have also been found to be sensitive to extended periods of water inundation. The goal of this study is to determine if the existing seed bank contains the appropriate native seeds and to examine the effect of hydrologic conditions on seed bank emergence. 52 georeferenced, randomly selected 10x10 m plots were established across three sites at different stages of restoration: an established restored wet prairie, an area that had been cleared of buckthorn and sprayed the previous summer, and a pre-restoration buckthorn monoculture. Five soil cores were collected at 10 and 20 cm depths from each plot, pooled within depths, and spread in shallow pans over x cm sand in a greenhouse for seed germination. Soil samples were randomly distributed between two replicate benches maintained at either flooded or saturated water levels to examine the distribution, abundance, and diversity of emerging forb and graminoid seedlings. Preliminary results of the greenhouse germination study have identified a total of twenty-three different species. Of these twenty-three species only two, Frangula alnus and Poa annua, have been identified as invasive. One state threatened species, Lipocarpha micrantha, has also been identified. As expected the greatest number of invasive species were found at the pre-restoration site while none were found at the established wet prairie. Species diversity was found to be higher in the top 10 cm of soil at all three sites, but no difference was found between sites or water treatment. Significantly more natives were found in the top 10 cm compared to the 10 to 20 cm range, but the difference in the number of invasive species was not different between the two depths. Significantly fewer invasives were also found in high water treatments. Our results suggest that the seed bank is a viable source for restoration, and that hydrologic conditions should considered for successful wet prairie restoration.

Broader Impacts:


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1 - Bowling Green State University, 2348 Mission Hill, Perrysburg, OH, 43551, USA
2 - BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSTITY, Department Of Biological Sciences, Life Science Building, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA

Keywords:
Wet Prairie
restoration
buckthorn.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 41
Location: Union C/Hyatt
Date: Tuesday, July 10th, 2012
Time: 2:45 PM
Number: 41004
Abstract ID:947


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