Story of a small prairie parcel
When we started restoration about 15 years ago, the parcel under discussion here consisted of a small clone of quaking aspen, about 0.2 acres. The trees were girdled in 1998 and the dead logs were removed 2 years later. Two medium-sized Hill's oaks were left standing and are thriving.
Because this small area was an orphan trapped between our gravel service road and a small CRP parcel (the Ridge Prairie), we more or less ignored it. Although we don't have any specific records, we may have planted it once or twice with a dry-mesic seed mix. However, beginning about 2007 or 2008 it had become mostly a solid patch of Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis). In mid-summer 2008 the whole patch was mowed with a brush cutter to try to get a handle on the goldenrod. After that, all we have done is burn it when we burn the adjacent Ridge Prairie. It has been burned annually since then (7 or 8 burns) and otherwise it has been ignored.
I never paid any attention to it since I assumed that it was still predominantly Canada goldenrod. Last week I looked more carefully and realized that most of the Canada goldenrod had been replaced with a surprising diversity of forbs and graminoids, including some relatively uncommon species.
The photo shows one part of this parcel, with the Ridge Prairie in the background. (The nearest tree is probably a Hill's oak.)
The table below shows the results of my quick survey.
Because this small area was an orphan trapped between our gravel service road and a small CRP parcel (the Ridge Prairie), we more or less ignored it. Although we don't have any specific records, we may have planted it once or twice with a dry-mesic seed mix. However, beginning about 2007 or 2008 it had become mostly a solid patch of Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis). In mid-summer 2008 the whole patch was mowed with a brush cutter to try to get a handle on the goldenrod. After that, all we have done is burn it when we burn the adjacent Ridge Prairie. It has been burned annually since then (7 or 8 burns) and otherwise it has been ignored.
I never paid any attention to it since I assumed that it was still predominantly Canada goldenrod. Last week I looked more carefully and realized that most of the Canada goldenrod had been replaced with a surprising diversity of forbs and graminoids, including some relatively uncommon species.
The photo shows one part of this parcel, with the Ridge Prairie in the background. (The nearest tree is probably a Hill's oak.)
The table below shows the results of my quick survey.
Latin name
|
Common name
|
Aster ericoides
|
Heath aster
|
Aster lateriflorus
|
Calico aster
|
Aster novae-angliae
|
New England aster
|
Aster pilosus
|
Hairy aster
|
Aster sagittifolius
|
Arrow-leaved aster
|
Baptisia alba
|
White wild indigo
|
Carex pensylvanica
|
Pennsylvania sedge
|
Cirsium discolor
|
Pasture thistle
|
Corylus americana
|
American hazelnut
|
Desmodium canadense
|
Showy tick-trefoil
|
Desmodium illinoense
|
Illinois tick-trefoil
|
Elymus riparius
|
Woodland wild rye
|
Eupatorium perfoliatum
|
Common boneset
|
Gentianella quinquefolia
|
Stiff gentian
|
Monarda fistulosa
|
Wild bergamot
|
Prenanthes alba
|
Lion's foot
|
Ratibida pinnata
|
Yellow coneflower
|
Rudbeckia hirta
|
Black-eyed Susan
|
Silphium integrifolium
|
Rosinweed
|
Silphium perfoliatum
|
Cup plant
|
Smilacina racemosa
|
False Solomon's seal
|
Solidago canadensis
|
Common goldenrod
|
Solidago nemoralis
|
Gray goldenrod
|
Solidago rigida
|
Stiff goldenrod
|
Solidago speciosa
|
Showy goldenrod
|
Sorghastrum nutans
|
Indian grass
|
Some of these species probably moved in on their own, since it is unlikely we would have had them in a seed mix. Noteworthy are Lion's foot and stiff gentian, which are hardly "weedy" species.
I'm convinced that the frequent (annual) burns played an important role in transforming this parcel from a monoculture to a diverse prairie.
It is encouraging to see what burns and patience can bring!
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