Native Prairie Restoration Workshop February 8-9, 2012

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Mark Majerus (Retired)

USDA Plant Materials Center

Bridger, Montana

Revegetation

Reclamation

Restoration

Simply the re-establishment of a plant cover, most

often a monoculture of an introduced species.

Established to provide a ground cover to reduce

erosion and to produce a forage resource.

The process of returning disturbed land to a

condition that approximates the original site

conditions and is habitable by the same or

similar plants and animals which existed on the

site before disturbance. (Redente et. al 1994)

The process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that had been

degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Soc. Ecological Restoration

Not a discrete event. Strives to reinstate ecosystem development,

which includes plant species diversity, soil integrity, nutrient cycling

and animal and microbial diversity.

permanent damage to soil

structure & viability

♦ salinization

♦ contamination with heavy metals

and/or acidification

♦ loss of topsoil or radical mixing

w/ subsoil

Nuttal alkaligrass

alkali sacaton

alkali bluegrass

alkali cordgrass

slender wheatgrass

Inland saltgrass

basin wildrye

slender wheatgrass

Nevada bluegrass

Indian ricegrass

thickspike wheatgrass

bottlebrush squirreltail

Gardner saltbush

slender wheatgrass

thickspike wheatgrass

saline/alkaline acid/heavy metal no topsoil or mixed

with subsoil

western wheatgrass

green needlegrass

bluebunch wheatgrass

Idaho & rough fescue

bluebunch wheatgrass

Indian ricegrass

prairie junegrass

Pitting to reach lower

EC and capture natural

moisture

(simulate hoof prints

where vegetation tends

to establish best)

Plant in fall for seed

stratification and to have

seed in place to take

advantage of diluting

spring moisture.

Establish mature

vegetation by sprigging. Diluting salts w/ sulfuric acid

Add lime and organic matter

to increase pH

Cap entire area and construct 18 hole

Arnold Palmer designed golf course

Pitting and gouging to expose

higher pH soil and capture

natural moisture.

Utilize species that have

an evolved tolerance of

local edaphic conditions

(Antonovics 1968)

Add organic mater to improve

infiltration and moisture retention.

♦ wood chips ♦ native hay

♦ straw ♦ pre-plant cover crop

♦ manure -annual legume

♦ compost -grain

♦ sugar beet pulp

Grow a grain crop to

decrease soil bulk density

and build up organic matter

Incorporation of wood chips to create

infiltration pathways in bentonite soils

Mulch to reduce

evapotranspiration

Wind

Water

Gravity

Stabilization techniques:

Armoring -rock riprap

-gabions

Revetments- anchoring

trees

1 meter

root

growth

in 36

days

Establish deep

potted woody

material in

capillary fringe

away from water

edge

capillary fringe

water table

armoring

60 and 90 cm pots

Slotted watering tubes installed adjacent to

containerized sapling to provide subsurface

soil moisture—capacity 8 or 16 liters

Pipelines Road Obliteration

Roadsides Rely heavily on seed

rain from adjacent

natural areas to add

species diversity over

time. Seedbank and plant

propagules in

salvaged topsoil

-Loss of perimeter seed

sources

-Often large area:perimeter

ratio

-No source of native propagules -

-Loss of surface soil structure

-Often high fertility residual

-High possibility of weeds and exotics

Wildland collection Commercial production

Seed availability and Cost

• inherent productivity • ease of conditioning

• uniformity of ripening • stand longevity

•tendency to shatter • abundance- wild &

•ease of harvest commercial fields

-little variation within populations

-distinct variation among populations

-need to utilize best adapted

ecotypes

-exhibit significant variation among

individuals

-less variation among populations

-each ecotype adapted to broader range

slender wheatgrass

Canada wildrye

blue wildrye

bluebunch

wheatgrass

rough fescue

big bluestem

Self-pollinated-pioneer-colonizers

Cross-pollinated-late seral dominants

Saline-alkaline sites

“Pryor” / “Adanac” Foothills & Mountains

“San Luis” / “Highlander”

San

Acid/Heavy Metal Impacted

“Copperhead” mid & shortgrass prairie

“Revenue”

Strong slender wheatgrass

Canada wildrye

thickspike wheatgrass

western wheatgrass

bottlebrush squirreltail

Moderate green needlegrass

needle & thread

blue grama

bluebunch wheatgrass

little bluestem

Indian ricegrass

Weak prairie junegrass

Sandberg bluegrass

Idaho fescue

Cool-season grasses

Warm-season grasses

Forbs

Shrubs

Sowing

Germination

Emergence

Establishment

Juvenile

Mature

Varying competitiveness at different stages of development

-can’t include all indigenous species and

expect them to establish and survive

-the amount of the more aggressive species

must be limited

-the theory that ‘if a little is good, more is

even better’ does not apply. Create even

more competition

-calculate % of mix by seed number of each

species per unit area and adjust for vigor

-create a different mix for changes in soil,

aspect or desired plant community

(sculptured landscaping)

Brillion seeder

double disk w/ depth bands

broadcast seeders

Critical elements

-shallow depth

-firm soil

-good seed:soil

contact

-timing

-seed quality

Mid-July needle and thread biscuit root

green needlegrass prairie smoke

Indian ricegrass scurfpea

Sandberg bluegrass

Early August bluebunch wheatgrass lupine

prairie junegrass prairie coneflower

blue grama yarrow

western wheatgrass prairie clover

side oats grama

September/October big bluestem dotted gayfeather

little bluestem penstemon

prairie sandreed

Alternate row/cross planting - alternate warm-season and cool-season grasses

- alternate grasses and forbs/shrubs

Scalp small areas to colonize forbs and

shrubs within new grass stands

Inter-seed into very young stands only

to avoid competition of well established

plants

Species Diversity

Richness

Evenness

Spatial heterogeneity

Less exotics/invasives

Soil Health

Soil Organic Matter (SOM)

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

Soil Nutrients

Soil Biota

Soil Invertebrates

Enzyme Analyses

Bacteria

Fungi

Mycorrhiza

Direct Comparison vs. Attribute Analysis

‘Time Heals All’-Sometimes!