Grassland Restoration

Question 1

What type of climate characterizes grasslands?

Answer 1

Hot, dry climates
Typically found in rain shadows
patchy distribution across landscape

Question 2

What is important about associated ecotypes?

Answer 2

The mosaic of habitats is the one reason BIODIVERSITY is so high in these areas

Question 3

How has fire suppression been detrimental?

Answer 3

Many species have evolved being adapted to native fire regimes. may require fire for species survival
-without fire, trees and woody shrubs grow unchecked and encroach on grasslands–>forests

Question 4

What challenged do low, dry valleys face?

Answer 4

Natural grassland ecosystems, also desireable places for development
loss and fragmentation of habitats

Question 5

What is another threat to grasslands?

Answer 5

intensive grazing alters the vegetation and soils

-contributes to colonization by invasives

Question 6

What kind of human influences can effect grasslands

Answer 6

Recreational activities- ATV’s spreading invasives and destroy cryptogrammic crust that protects soild from erosion/drying

Question 7

What methods are used to control the spread of woody trees and shrubs?

Answer 7

Prescribed burns and brushing

Question 8

What methods are used to control invasives

Answer 8

Herbicides

Best management practices for grazing cattle

Question 9

Cattle management practices?

Answer 9

Limiting the amount of time cattle spend in one area, productivity of grazing land is maintained benefiting ranchers and native ecosystems

Question 10

What are grasslands often reffered to as?

Answer 10

praries

Question 11

What are two broad categories of grasslands

Answer 11

Temperate and tropical savannah. both dominated by grasses and forbs, trees and shrubs growing only in depressions and riparian areas

Question 12

What two climates are grasslands found in?

Answer 12

1. Continental- hot summers, cold winters, frequent droughts
   Where precipitation/evaporation is equal to about 1

Question 13

What is the main factor determining grassland composition?

Answer 13

Precipitation

Question 14

What are the 3 main types of grassland ecosystems in North America?

Answer 14

1. Shortgrass(4-8cm precip/year)
2. Mixed grass(8-10cm precip/year)
3. Tall grass (>12cm precip/year)

Question 15

1. Short grass:

Answer 15

dominated by high drought resistant plant species such as blue grama and buffalo grass

Question 16

2. Mixed grass

Answer 16

Dominated by plant species such as little bluestem, western wheatgrass, porcupine grass, prarie sandreed.
plants typically up to 1 m in height

Question 17

3. Tall grass

Answer 17

dominated by plant species such as big bluestem, indian grass, and switch grass
plants can be more than 3m in height

Question 18

What are some adaptations of grasses to drought and extreme temperatures?

Answer 18

1. Leaf structure reduces water loss (fewer stomata) narrow, furrowed blades
2. Metabolism: rapid response to abiotic changes. increase growth in wet periods, decrease in drough
3. Nutrient stores and metabolism occur underground, where abiotic conditions are more moderate.

Question 19

What do the extensive root systems of native grassland plants result in?

Answer 19

1. Soil stability>erosion
2. high atmospheric carbon sequestration
3. high below ground species diversity (plants, animals, invertebrates, soil microbes)

Question 20

Grassland structure and composition are naturally patchy.. why?

Answer 20

1. Fire- More fuel=more fire
2. grazing- ungulates, prarie dogs, domestic cattle
   - cattle are non native and graze more and in riparian areas

Question 21

What is the main stressor for short/mixed grasses and what are apropriate treatments?

Answer 21

Livestock grazing

• Eliminat/manage grazing
• Re-seed disturbed areas
• stabilize soil

Question 22

What is the main stressor for tall grass. treatments?

Answer 22

Farming

• Eliminate/manage invasives- tillage +herbicide/cover crops
• Re-seed native species, sometimes with cover crops
• during first growing season after re-seeding, mow vegetation at 15cm. eliminates invasives before they seed- invasives grow quicker more energy to seed than root.

Question 23

How are prescribed burns helpful?

Answer 23

Remove litter accumulation
recycle nutrients
tall grass isnt impacted by grazing as much as short and mixed

Question 24

When should prescribed burns be done?

Answer 24

Late spring/ early summer. time to grow after

Question 25

What are positive effects of prescribed burns?

Answer 25

1. Reducing invasives + woody debris
2. reducing litter accumulation
3. reducing allelopathic chemicals (inhibit growth)
4. Nutrient cycling for new growth
5. Neutralizing organic acids (inhibit growth)
6. blackening soil surface, warm spring= growth
7. Scarifying hard seed coats of natives (germinate)