Prairie Conservation in Nebraska

[bkalinski]

I am an undergraduate student at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. Here in Nebraska, we covet our natural resources due to our economic reliance on their productivity but we also cherish our natural resources due to the fact that we have a very unique natural environment and we wish to protect our ecosystems.

 

Nebraska is home to saline wetlands, the Ogalala aquifer, woodland forests, native prairies, sand hills and dunes which welcomes in all walks of life including rare endangered beetles such as the Salt Creek Tiger Beetle that only survives in habitats in Lincoln, NE along with habitats suited for Mountain Lions in Scott's Bluff, NE.

 

Prairie conservation is one research topic that is extremely prevalent here at UNL. I am currently conducting research testing the germination productivity in native grasses and wild flowers. The goal of this experiment is to determine the types of relationships that occur during germination between Purple Prairie Clover and Partridge Pea.

 

What I'd like to find out is if there are any other germination experiments in native prairie grass species that I should consider looking into to better analyze my results? I would also like to know if there are other people out there interested in prairie conservation of the great plains in general.

[Essay]

Hi ...and welcome to the forums:

 

Don't know about native species, but those grassland biomes did evolve experiencing more fires ...in general, I think; or they were at least within the catchment of some fire's residues.

 

I'd suggest looking into "biochar," which is just a cleanly-made, natural (waste) biomass, char (natural charcoal), that is used as a soil supplement.

Char enhanced soils will host a broader biodiversity of microbes, which can affect germination and survival rates.

 

Biochar: it's a way to restore many of fire's benefits, to the soil; without the inconvenience of an actual (on site) fire.

 

I know many experiments have been done with biochar and germination ...and survival rates;

so biochar should be worth looking into. You can't go wrong with the International Biochar Initiative, http://www.biochar-international.org/ as a good starting point.

 

~SA

[overtone]

This place has been doing germination and competition/relationship studies in tall grass prairie for many years: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedar_Creek_Ecosystem_Science_Reserve

 

David Tilman's research, for example, focused for years on the plants of that kind of ecosystem - I think mostly grasses, in his case, but many other students and researchers have been and are associated with his work and/or the Cedar Creek prairie reserve in general.

[vampares]

saline wetlands

Oh good another dead sea. Hows the hunting out there?