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• 1. [Article] Final Report: Controlling Tall Oatgrass in Fender’s Blue Butterfly Habitats

  We report final results from a five-year field experiment evaluating the effects of different mowing regimes on groups of native and non-native grasses and forbs. The study site was a degraded prairie ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Final Report: Controlling Tall Oatgrass in Fender’s Blue Butterfly Habitats Author: Wilson, Mark V., Clark, Deborah Louise, 1950- We report final results from a five-year field experiment evaluating the effects of different mowing regimes on groups of native and non-native grasses and forbs. The study site was a degraded prairie at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge dominated by the pest plant Arrhenatherum elatius (tall oatgrass). Mowing treatments differed in time of year they were applied, mowing height, and removal of cut material. Treatments started in 1994 and continued through 1998. Title: Final Report: Controlling Tall Oatgrass in Fender’s Blue Butterfly Habitats Author: Wilson, Mark V., Clark, Deborah Louise, 1950- We report final results from a five-year field experiment evaluating the effects of different mowing regimes on groups of native and non-native grasses and forbs. The study site was a degraded prairie at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge dominated by the pest plant Arrhenatherum elatius (tall oatgrass). Mowing treatments differed in time of year they were applied, mowing height, and removal of cut material. Treatments started in 1994 and continued through 1998. Close

• 2. [Article] Restoration of native upland prairies: Habitat for Fender’s blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi)

  Our project goal is to promote the abundance of the endangered Fender’s blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi) by recreating upland prairie habitat in former agricultural land at Finley National ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Restoration of native upland prairies: Habitat for Fender’s blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi) Author: Wilson, Mark V., Clark, Deborah Louise, 1950- Our project goal is to promote the abundance of the endangered Fender’s blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi) by recreating upland prairie habitat in former agricultural land at Finley National Wildlife Refuge, Corvallis, Oregon. To achieve this goal we initiated the following three studies. Study One: Experimental Investigation on the Effectiveness of Restoration Treatments Our approach was to set up experimental field plots in a former agricultural field into which we sowed seeds of native grasses and dicots in the fall for two years, 2003 and 2004. Objective one: Investigate the effect of carbon banding on abundance of sowed native species and non-native species. Carbon banding is a treatment used by Willamette Valley grass seed farmers to promote seedling establishment of agricultural grasses and inhibit seedling establishment of weeds. Objective two: Investigate the effect of the sowing sequence of native dicot and grass species on the abundance and species richness of the sowed species. Our experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that our native grasses are more aggressive than the target native dicots in the initial stages of restoration. Objective three: Investigate the effect of the sowing sequence of the native dicot and grass species on the abundance of non-native species. Study Two: Monoculture Sowing of Native Species Compare the cover of non-native species and the cover of native species one and two years after sowing native species in monocultures. Study Three: Buffer Sowing of Native Grasses Monitor the abundance of the native grasses sowed in the buffer areas outside the experimental plots. Carbon banding had no significant effect on cover of non-native species or on cover and species richness of sowed native dicots or grasses after both the first and second growing seasons. However, carbon banding tended to reduce the cover of the annual Clarkia rhomboidea after the first growing season. Our results supported the hypothesis that our native grasses are more aggressive than the target native dicots in the initial stages of restoration. The sowing sequences tested did not affect cover and species richness of grasses but did affect cover and species richness of dicot species. Both dicot cover and dicot species richness were greater when sowed a year ahead of the grasses. Eriophyllum lanatum had significantly greater cover when sowed a year before the grasses. Average cover of sowed dicots was significantly greater when dicots were sowed with grasses compared to when dicots were sowed into a year-old stand of grasses. In particular, Madia gracilis and Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata had less cover when sowed into the existing stand of grass. Species richness of all native species (grasses + dicots) was significantly less when dicots were sowed into a year-old stand of grasses. However, total cover and species richness of sowed native species (grasses + dicots) were not significantly different whether dicots were sowed a year ahead of the grasses or whether dicots and grasses were sowed together. Average cover of sowed native dicots after two years was always greater than the cover of sowed native grasses except when dicots were sowed a year after the grasses. After two growing seasons, non-native cover did not significantly vary among the three sowing sequences of sowing grasses and dicots at the same time, sowing grasses into existing dicot vegetation, and sowing grasses into existing dicot vegetation. The first year after sowing the monocultures (Study two), Collinsia grandiflora had the highest cover, greatly surpassing the next top performers, Sanguisorba occidentalis and Madia gracilis, all of which are annual species. In general, the cover of individual species sowed in monocultures decreased the second year after sowing. Only seven species, all of which were perennials, out of the 26 sowed species increased in cover. Two of these species Eriophyllum lanatum and Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata were the top performers for 2005, but their cover did not reach the levels of the top performers in 2004. Title: Restoration of native upland prairies: Habitat for Fender’s blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi) Author: Wilson, Mark V., Clark, Deborah Louise, 1950- Our project goal is to promote the abundance of the endangered Fender’s blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi) by recreating upland prairie habitat in former agricultural land at Finley National Wildlife Refuge, Corvallis, Oregon. To achieve this goal we initiated the following three studies. Study One: Experimental Investigation on the Effectiveness of Restoration Treatments Our approach was to set up experimental field plots in a former agricultural field into which we sowed seeds of native grasses and dicots in the fall for two years, 2003 and 2004. Objective one: Investigate the effect of carbon banding on abundance of sowed native species and non-native species. Carbon banding is a treatment used by Willamette Valley grass seed farmers to promote seedling establishment of agricultural grasses and inhibit seedling establishment of weeds. Objective two: Investigate the effect of the sowing sequence of native dicot and grass species on the abundance and species richness of the sowed species. Our experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that our native grasses are more aggressive than the target native dicots in the initial stages of restoration. Objective three: Investigate the effect of the sowing sequence of the native dicot and grass species on the abundance of non-native species. Study Two: Monoculture Sowing of Native Species Compare the cover of non-native species and the cover of native species one and two years after sowing native species in monocultures. Study Three: Buffer Sowing of Native Grasses Monitor the abundance of the native grasses sowed in the buffer areas outside the experimental plots. Carbon banding had no significant effect on cover of non-native species or on cover and species richness of sowed native dicots or grasses after both the first and second growing seasons. However, carbon banding tended to reduce the cover of the annual Clarkia rhomboidea after the first growing season. Our results supported the hypothesis that our native grasses are more aggressive than the target native dicots in the initial stages of restoration. The sowing sequences tested did not affect cover and species richness of grasses but did affect cover and species richness of dicot species. Both dicot cover and dicot species richness were greater when sowed a year ahead of the grasses. Eriophyllum lanatum had significantly greater cover when sowed a year before the grasses. Average cover of sowed dicots was significantly greater when dicots were sowed with grasses compared to when dicots were sowed into a year-old stand of grasses. In particular, Madia gracilis and Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata had less cover when sowed into the existing stand of grass. Species richness of all native species (grasses + dicots) was significantly less when dicots were sowed into a year-old stand of grasses. However, total cover and species richness of sowed native species (grasses + dicots) were not significantly different whether dicots were sowed a year ahead of the grasses or whether dicots and grasses were sowed together. Average cover of sowed native dicots after two years was always greater than the cover of sowed native grasses except when dicots were sowed a year after the grasses. After two growing seasons, non-native cover did not significantly vary among the three sowing sequences of sowing grasses and dicots at the same time, sowing grasses into existing dicot vegetation, and sowing grasses into existing dicot vegetation. The first year after sowing the monocultures (Study two), Collinsia grandiflora had the highest cover, greatly surpassing the next top performers, Sanguisorba occidentalis and Madia gracilis, all of which are annual species. In general, the cover of individual species sowed in monocultures decreased the second year after sowing. Only seven species, all of which were perennials, out of the 26 sowed species increased in cover. Two of these species Eriophyllum lanatum and Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata were the top performers for 2005, but their cover did not reach the levels of the top performers in 2004. Close