PANEL DISCUSSION: ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF PRAIRIE DOGS

Questions and answers: Monte G. Garrett, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Greg L. Schenbec

Alternative Methods for Wetland Restoration in the Rainwater Basin, Nebraska, USA

South-central Nebraska is recognized as a focal point of the mid-continent migratory waterfowl flyway. Substantial wetland alterations led to a critical need for restoration. Managers have restored wetlands by scraping with heavy earthmoving equipment to remove excess organic material and near-monocultures of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) but managers report high costs and topsoil perturbation. Moderate livestock grazing was tested to compare results with those achieved with mechanical techniques. Advantages of grazing could include low costs and less soil perturbation. During the 2006 and 2007 growing seasons, we compared cover of bare ground and open water and plant species composition in mechanically treated, grazed, and untreated wetlands dominated by reed canarygrass to determine restoration success. Significantly less reed canarygrass and a higher percent composition of desirable species were found in mechanically treated areas as compared to grazed or control treatments. However, waterfowl food plants and marsh species were similar between treatments. Significantly higher percent cover of open water was found at mechanically treated wetlands possibly improving shorebird and waterfowl habitats. Both restoration techniques increased bare ground. Our findings reject the proposition that moderate livestock grazing is an effective technique in restoring reed canarygrass dominated wetlands in Nebraska and suggest additional research be conducted on intense, short-duration grazing in early spring

EC92-124 Nebraska Handbook of Range Management

Every Nebraskans should be interested in rangeland. The plants, soil, and water are the foundation of Nebraska\u27s economy and quality of life. Rangeland is one of Nebraska\u27s most important and valuable natural resources because it: • produces forage for livestock and wild game; • provides a varied habitat for many wildlife species; • protects the soil from wind and water erosion; • preserves a germplasm bank for many plant species that may become important for yet unknown uses; • purifies and enhances the environment by cleasing the air, filtering the runoff to streams, increasing the intake of precipitation, and aiding groundwater recharge; • perseveres in adversity and renews itself when the opportunity is provided by those who use and sometimes abuse it; and • pleases those who have learned to appreciate the beauty and aesthetic qualities of rangeland. These are called the Seven P\u27s of Rangeland. Range plants must be the right kind and kept productive for best use of this resource. Most people enjoy wildlife, hunting, camping, clean water, fishing, and eating beef. Range supplies us with those items, so we must management it wisely

Pollination Characteristics of Blowout Penstemon (\u3ci\u3ePenstemon haydenii\u3c/i\u3e S. Watson)

The pollination characteristics of blowout penstemon (Penstemon haydenii S. Wats.), the only officially endangered plant species in Nebraska, were investigated. Cross-pollination was determined to be the major method of pollination, but self-pollination also occurs. Insects increased cross-pollination. The natural habitat of blowout penstemon has greatly decreased during this century, resulting in only a few isolated populations. The opportunity for cross-pollination with other populations no longer exists. Without crosspollination, lowered genetic diversity of the species may result in less vigorous plants and declining populations. Introduction of new genetic material into declining populations may help to assure the continued existence of the species

Spring Grazing Impacts on the Vegetation of Reed Canarygrass–Invaded Wetlands

The Rainwater Basin region in Nebraska is critically important stopover habitat for spring waterfowl migrations, but the ability of these sites to produce sufficient food for migrating waterfowl is endangered by the invasion of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.). This species produces thick litter layers and abundant aboveground biomass, reducing germination and seedling survival of the annual plant species responsible for much of the seed production in the area. Cattle grazing often is used as a management tool in the Rainwater Basin to slow or reverse reed canarygrass invasion and to improve growing conditions for more desirable plant species. However, there has been little research on the impact of grazing on these factors. We studied the impacts of one-time, early-season (between April and June) cattle grazing on the abundance of reed canarygrass, bare ground, and litter. We hypothesized that cattle grazing would result in reduced reed canarygrass by the end of the 2-yr study, and that grazing would increase the abundance of bare ground and decrease the abundance of litter. Because grazing was expected to improve conditions for seed germination, we expected to find higher species richness in grazed areas. We found that grazing did not reduce the abundance of reed canarygrass, but the application of early-season grazing for two consecutive years did reduce litter and increase bare ground. Litter abundance decreased by 7.5% in ungrazed plots and litter increased by 8.6% in grazed plots. Bare ground in grazed plots increased 10.7% in grazed plots but decreased 1.2% in ungrazed plots. Species richness was not affected by grazing during this study. We concluded that grazing, as utilized in this study, is not sufficient to reduce reed canarygrass abundance, but can be used to mitigate some of the negative impacts of reed canarygrass invasion

Influences of wind and sandblasting on the endangered blowout penstemon

Blowout penstemon Penstemon haydenii is a federally endangered species growing only in areas with active wind erosion in sand dunes of the central United States. This early seral species declines as the blowout habitat stabilizes, allowing later seral species to increase. Blowout penstemon populations and plant size declined in the 1990s when precipitation was higher than normal, resulting in reduced sand movement. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to determine whether blowing sand influenced vigor and persistence of blowout penstemon seedlings. Treatments were wind, sandblasting, wind with sandblasting, and a control. The wind treatment was a constant 14 km h–1 from electric fans for 18 h daily. Sand was applied at 96 km h–1 weekly for 10 min to individual plants for the sandblasting treatment, and the wind with sandblasting treatment was a combination of both. Number of leaf pairs, height, and stem diameter were measured biweekly. Biomass was determined at the conclusion of each experiment. Both wind and sandblasting affected plant growth. The combination of wind with sandblasting increased plant height and stem diameter in Year 1, and stem diameter and shoot biomass in Year 2. This study supports field observations that blowout penstemon has a positive thigmomorphogenic response to wind and sandblasting. Less sand movement is associated with wet soils. Therefore, loss of mechanical stimuli could have been one of the reasons for population decline in the 1990s. Disturbance may be necessary to maintain the blowout habitat and provide an important stimulus to the blowout penstemon plants

Reducing Smooth Sumac Dominance in Native Tallgrass Prairie

Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra L.) is a resprouting shrub native to the tallgrass prairie region that increases in density without an active disturbance regime. Our objective was to use prescribed fire and herbicides to decrease smooth sumac density as a strategy to improve a degraded tall grass prairie remnant. In two separate experiments repeated in space and time, we used prescribed fire in combination with herbicides at various rates and two application methods to develop an effective management scheme for reducing smooth sumac. We used a randomized complete block design with 13 herbicide treatments and a control with three replicates in burned and non-burned areas. Results were similar in both experiments in which herbicide treatment and burning were the significant main effects. All herbicide treatments reduced smooth sumac stem density compared to the control, but no distinct advantage was detected regarding specific herbicide, application rate, or whether the herbicide was applied as a broadcast spray or with a hand-held wick. We expected burning to make the plant more susceptible to herbicides, but burning increased stem density. In this tallgrass prairie remnant, we determined that herbicides were the most effective management tool in reducing smooth sumac stem density

G97-1319 Management of Smooth Sumac on Grasslands

The herbicide 2,4-D LV4 ester provides excellent low-cost smooth sumac control. Prescribed burning before herbicide application does not substantially improve sumac control, but may ease herbicide application and provide other benefits. Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra L.) is a native deciduous shrub that forms dense thickets from widely spreading roots. It is found in the Sandhills, mixed-grass, and tallgrass areas throughout Nebraska. Introduced cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), invade the thickets, and production of desirable forage species is reduced below the dense canopies. Trees and other shrubs readily establish in aging sumac thickets, accelerating the conversion of grassland to woodland. Small amounts of smooth sumac may be desirable because it provides wildlife habitat and food and has attractive fall foliage