Can Prairies and Agriculture Coexist Can Prairies and Agriculture Coexist? A Tale of Two Projects Russ Benedict, Biology Department, Central College Lisa Schulte Moore, Dept. of NREM, Iowa State University

What is Tallgrass Prairie? Grassland dominated by specific grasses. Can you identify these?

The BIG Picture

Tallgrass Prairie is (or used to be) BIG Dispersal Fire Grazers Gene Flow

Tallgrass Prairie is . . . One of Earth’s Most Endangered Ecosystems. 96 – 98 % gone continent-wide 99.9 % gone in Iowa 99.99 % gone in Illinois Why?

Creating its own demise Tallgrass prairie builds GREAT soil. TGP was easy to plow once the technology was perfected. Other factors

What Remains? Remnants – extremely valuable but face problems. Found in un-farmable places: sandy soils, steep hills, railroad right-of-ways, old cemeteries . . . Average less than 15 acres in size; most are isolated from other remnants. Magical places to experience the Midwest’s legacy.

But Remnants are in Trouble Small and Isolated – creates many problems Can’t support species that need space. Populations are small. Populations inbreed & face genetic drift. Climate Change is a Coming Disaster Species currently are moving poleward. Many prairie species can’t move because they are surrounded by crops.

Moving Forward by Going Back Protect remnants – even the best plantings are poor imitations. Further build roadside prairies. Encourage prairie plantings in yards. Incorporate prairie into agriculture.

Prairies For Agriculture Project Benefitting Farms and Nature Central College Pella, Iowa

Prairies For Agriculture Project Mission: To benefit Midwestern farms AND the environment by increasing the use of high-diversity, native prairie plantings in agriculture.  

The Prairies For Agriculture Project Initiated summer 2007; Planting began in 2011-12 Broad goals: test different combinations of prairie plants to assess their ability to cost effectively: Produce consistent yields of biomass for energy. Create habitat for plants & animals. Sequester carbon in the soil. Provide ecosystem services for agriculture: reduce soil erosion, reduce runoff of chemicals, increase pollinators, produce livestock forage, etc.

Where would these plantings be used? Roadsides and Field Edges Filter Strips Terraces

The Project Site divided into 378 plots (9x9 m). Testing different combinations of prairie plants (1 to 64 species) plus common plants used in ag. Compare plots for: - biomass produced per year - amount of pollinator use - Carbon sequestration - forage value of plants - . . . . . .

Early Findings – Planting Season Evaluated 41 sp in 42 plots

Early Findings Winners and Losers Sawtooth Sunflower Prairie Violet Evaluated 52 plots and 63 species

Early Findings: Mowing in Years 1 & 2

Current Work: Pollinators and Plant Diversity

Current Work: Favorite Flowers of Pollinators May Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) – 396 visits Long-bracted Spiderwort (Tradescantia bracteata) – 318 visits Shepherd’s Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) – 80 visits Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) – 46 visits June Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) – 184 visits False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) – 92 visits Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) – 79 visits Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) – 68 visits White Wild Indigo (Baptisia alba) – 61 visits

Coming This Fall: Plant Diversity & Carbon Sequestration

A Place to Learn and Connect

Funding Sources A Huge Thanks to: Blank Park Zoo – Coins For Conservation Central College Alumni Second Reformed Church, Pella MidWestOne Bank Iowa Living Roadway Trust Fund State of Iowa’s Grow Iowa Values Fund ISU EPSCOR / Iowa Office of Energy Independence Mark & Kay De Cook and Stan & Gayle Poortinga for Land Donation. Moore Family Foundation MAC Foundation