Butterfly Community Dynamics in a Restored Prairie Used for Biofuel Production

The conversion of native Midwestern tallgrass prairie to monoculture production of corn (Zea mays) and soybeans (Glycene max) for food and fuel has resulted in a significant decrease in habitat for insect pollinators, including butterflies. Compared to conventional biofuels such as corn ethanol, prairie biomass produces greater energy yields while providing high quality wildlife habitat and protecting soil and water resources. My research took place at Cedar River Natural Resource Area in Black Hawk County Iowa, USA. In spring 2009, the University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center seeded 48 research plots in conventional fields to one of four experimental treatments of native vegetation: 1) switchgrass monoculture, 2) warm-season grass mix (5 species), 3) biomass mix (8 forb and 8 grass species), or 4) prairie mix (20 forb, 3 sedge, and 9 grass species). During the summers of 2010, 2011, and 2012, our team conducted visual surveys of butterflies (class Lepidoptera), a group widely recognized as bioindicators of ecosystem health. I used these data to compare butterfly abundance, species richness, and composition among treatments over the three year study. I hypothesized that butterfly abundance and richness would increase over the three year period and that more diverse plantings would support a greater abundance and diversity of butterflies. Our results indicate that butterfly abundance and richness fluctuated depending on site management. This year, butterfly abundance started out high and remained high in biomass and prairie plots but decreased in grass plots, whereas richness started out high and decreased over the three survey periods. The conversion of marginal agricultural lands to areas of natural vegetation cultivated for biofuel production would be beneficial to increase abundance of butterflies through creation of habitat and providing host plant and nectar resources

The preparatory Set: A Novel Approach to Understanding Stress, Trauma, and the Bodymind Therapies

Basic to all motile life is a differential approach/avoid response to perceived features of environment. The stages of response are initial reflexive noticing and orienting to the stimulus, preparation, and execution of response. Preparation involves a coordination of many aspects of the organism: muscle tone, posture, breathing, autonomic functions, motivational/emotional state, attentional orientation, and expectations. The organism organizes itself in relation to the challenge. We propose to call this the preparatory set (PS). We suggest that the concept of the PS can offer a more nuanced and flexible perspective on the stress response than do current theories. We also hypothesize that the mechanisms of body-mind therapeutic and educational systems (BTES) can be understood through the PS framework. We suggest that the BTES, including meditative movement, meditation, somatic education, and the body-oriented psychotherapies, are approaches that use interventions on the PS to remedy stress and trauma. We discuss how the PS can be adaptive or maladaptive, how BTES interventions may restore adaptive PS, and how these concepts offer a broader and more flexible view of the phenomena of stress and trauma. We offer supportive evidence for our hypotheses, and suggest directions for future research. We believe that the PS framework will point to ways of improving the management of stress and trauma, and that it will suggest directions of research into the mechanisms of action of BTES

Perennial Cover

What is perennial cover? Perennial cover includes establishing and maintaining permanent vegetation, such as native or introduced grasses, legumes and forbs. The enhanced root system increases water infiltration, reduces and slows surface runoff, and decreases the downstream flooding risk by reducing the streamflow by 40%. Perennial cover also prevents soil erosion and sedimentation. Aboveground biomass and root production builds soil organic matter and improves soil health. Permanent vegetation stabilizes excess nutrients, decreasing the nitrate-nitrogen load by 85% and the phosphorus load by 75%. The vegetation provides a food source and protective cover for wildlife as well as habitat for pollinator species and beneficial insects. In some cases, periodic removal, or harvest, of high value trees, herbs, nuts and fruit may be permitted.</p

Terraces

What are terraces? A terrace is an earthen embankment constructed across a field slope, typically following the contour, and can be designed to temporarily store runoff or convey runoff to waterways. Terraces break up the slope length of the field into multiple shorter slope sections, slowing the flow rate of runoff, reducing sheet and rill erosion and preventing the formation of ephemeral gullies. As terraces temporarily store and slowly infiltrate or discharge runoff, they conserve soil moisture, reduce streamflow by 5%, allow sediment to settle out, and reduce phosphorus loads by 77%. Terraces improve the ability to farm slopes and are designed based on equipment needs. Additionally, terrace vegetation can provide cover for wildlife. Terraces should be used in conjunction with other soil conservation practices on the landscape to prevent sedimentation.</p

Perennial Cover

What is perennial cover? Perennial cover includes establishing and maintaining permanent vegetation, such as native or introduced grasses, legumes and forbs. The enhanced root system increases water infiltration, reduces and slows surface runoff, and decreases the downstream flooding risk by reducing the streamflow by 40%. Perennial cover also prevents soil erosion and sedimentation. Aboveground biomass and root production builds soil organic matter and improves soil health. Permanent vegetation stabilizes excess nutrients, decreasing the nitrate-nitrogen load by 85% and the phosphorus load by 75%. The vegetation provides a food source and protective cover for wildlife as well as habitat for pollinator species and beneficial insects. In some cases, periodic removal, or harvest, of high value trees, herbs, nuts and fruit may be permitted

Buffers

What are buffers? Buffers are established areas of permanent vegetation, within and around fields, and are designed to intercept and filter sediment and nutrients out of surface runoff and shallow groundwater before entering a water course. The vegetation provides habitat for wildlife and creates a recreational and aesthetically pleasing area. One of the primary functions of buffers is to slow surface runoff, trapping 41-100% of the sediment and significantly reducing the phosphorus load. By slowing surface runoff and promoting infiltration, buffers delay downstream flooding and reduce streamflow by 10%. Additionally, when shallow groundwater interacts with the buffer’s root zone, biological processes can remove 48-85% of its nitrate-nitrogen; however, the percent of shallow groundwater that interacts with the root zone could be small. There are many types of buffers which are distinguished by their design and vegetative species, including: riparian forest buffer, filter strips, field borders, field windbreaks, grassed waterways, among others.</p

Buffers

What are buffers? Buffers are established areas of permanent vegetation, within and around fields, and are designed to intercept and filter sediment and nutrients out of surface runoff and shallow groundwater before entering a water course. The vegetation provides habitat for wildlife and creates a recreational and aesthetically pleasing area. One of the primary functions of buffers is to slow surface runoff, trapping 41-100% of the sediment and significantly reducing the phosphorus load. By slowing surface runoff and promoting infiltration, buffers delay downstream flooding and reduce streamflow by 10%. Additionally, when shallow groundwater interacts with the buffer’s root zone, biological processes can remove 48-85% of its nitrate-nitrogen; however, the percent of shallow groundwater that interacts with the root zone could be small. There are many types of buffers which are distinguished by their design and vegetative species, including: riparian forest buffer, filter strips, field borders, field windbreaks, grassed waterways, among others

Channel Stabilization

What is channel stabilization? Channel stabilization involves reshaping a streambank with a stable slope and installing structural and bioengineering techniques, such as riprap or permanent vegetation. By increasing infiltration, slowing surface runoff, and increasing water storage, channel stabilization reduces the streamflow by 5% and decreases the risk of downstream flooding. Water quality is improved with a 70% reduction in sediment load and a reduction in nutrient loading with less in-channel scouring and bank erosion. Wildlife habitat is provided in riprap and vegetation and the reduction in sediment loading enhances the stream environment for fish. Channel stabilization improves the aesthetic beauty of the stream and conserves agricultural land.</p

Channel Stabilization

What is channel stabilization? Channel stabilization involves reshaping a streambank with a stable slope and installing structural and bioengineering techniques, such as riprap or permanent vegetation. By increasing infiltration, slowing surface runoff, and increasing water storage, channel stabilization reduces the streamflow by 5% and decreases the risk of downstream flooding. Water quality is improved with a 70% reduction in sediment load and a reduction in nutrient loading with less in-channel scouring and bank erosion. Wildlife habitat is provided in riprap and vegetation and the reduction in sediment loading enhances the stream environment for fish. Channel stabilization improves the aesthetic beauty of the stream and conserves agricultural land