Resource

The Application of Prescribed Fire and
Herbicide to Reduce Carex pensylvanica cover
at the Newaygo Prairies Research Natural Area,
Manistee National Forest, Michigan
Todd A. Aschenbach1
Pat Ruta McGhan2
Matthew Sands2
1 Dept.
of Biology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI
[email protected]
2 Manistee
National Forest, Baldwin, MI
Sand Prairie
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Community within a grassland/savanna/barren mosaic (∑ = 6%)
60 native plant species
Dry, sandy soils
Fire dependent
State Imperiled; Globally Vulnerable
Important habitat
Photo: MI DNR
Photo: Michael Kost
Plant Community Assembly
Regional Filters
(Species, Dispersal, Climate)
Abiotic Filters
(Light, Water, Nutrient Availability)
Disturbance
(Fire, Grazing)
Biotic Filters
(Competition)
Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica)
• Native
• Widespread
Photo: RW Smith
Plant Community Restoration
Regional Filters
Abiotic Filters
Disturbance
Biotic Filters
(Competition)
(Fire, Herbicide)
Newaygo Prairies Research Natural Area
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Manistee National Forest, Newaygo County, MI
180 Acres
Est. 1988
Managed by the U.S. Forest Service
Small-scale restoration experiment for largescale restoration projects
– 1800 acres to be restored
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Newaygo County vegetation circa 1800
Newaygo Prairies Research Natural Area
Marengo Prairie
Remnant
(Hauser 1953)
C.C.C. Red Pine Plantation
Cleared in 1997
Restoration 1997 - 2001
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Experimental Design and Methods
• 5 Fire/Herbicide Treatments
– Fire only (early June 2013)
– Fire followed by herbicide (early June 2013; late June 2013)
– Herbicide only (early June 2013)
– Herbicide followed by fire (early June 2013; September 2013)
– Control (no fire or herbicide)
Control
Fire
Only
Herb
Only
Herb +
Fire
Fire +
Herb
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Experimental Design and Methods
• 5 Fire/Herbicide Treatments
– Fire only (June 2013)
– Fire followed by herbicide (June 2013)
– Herbicide only (June 2013)
– Herbicide followed by fire (June 2013; September 2013)
– Control (no fire or herbicide)
• Herbicide: Glyphosate (1.8 kg a.i./ha)
• 25 replicates per treatment x 5 treatments x 3 fields = 375 total plots
– Each plot = 4m2
• Data Sampling
– Biomass collection (0.1 m2/plot)
– Vegetative cover estimates (Point-Intercept Method)
– Pre-treatment: May 2013
– Post-treatment: July 2014
May 15, 2013: Pre-treatment Sampling
•75 plots
•Biomass only
May 15, 2013: Pre-treatment Sampling
May 15, 2013: Pre-treatment Data
Low Plant Diversity
• 5 total species
Dewberry
• 1.35 species/plot
• Carex pens
• 79% of biomass
Hawkweed
Rabbit-tobacco
Oatgrass
Doug Goldman
- Mean Carex pens. biomass = 12.7 g/0.5m2
- No significant difference in Carex biomass among treatments
June 4, 2013: Fire Application
June 4, 2013: Fire Application
June 4, 2013: Fire Application
June 4, 2013: Herbicide Application
June 27, 2013: Herbicide Plots
June 27, 2013: Fire Plots
*Herbicide Applied to Fire-Herbicide Plots
September 4, 2013: Fire Application
July 2014: Post-treatment
Control
July 2014: Post-treatment
Fire Only
July 2014: Post-treatment
Herbicide Only
July 2014: Post-treatment
Fire-Herbicide Plot
July 2014: Post-treatment
Herbicide-Fire
July 2014: Post-treatment sampling
•All 375 plots
•Biomass collection
•Vegetative cover
Carex pensylvanica biomass
- Biomass significantly lower in the Herbicide Only and Herbicide + Fire Treatments
- No difference among sites or site x treatment interaction
a
b
d
c
c
Different letters denote a statistically significant difference at p<0.05
Carex pensylvanica cover
- Cover significantly lower in the Herbicide Only and Herbicide + Fire Treatments
- No difference among sites or site x treatment interaction
a
Different letters denote a statistically significant difference at p<0.05
Plant Community Assembly
Regional Filters
(Species, Dispersal, Climate)
Abiotic Filters
Disturbance
Biotic Filters
Native graminoids
Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica)
91%
Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
11%
Little Bluestem (Schizachyarium scoparium)
9%
Poverty oatgrass (Danthonia spicata)
5%
Purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis)
1%
Panic grass (Dichanthelium spp.)
1%
Native forbs
Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella)
7%
Horseweed (Conyza canadensis)
1%
Rabbit-tobacco (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium) 1%
Gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis)
1%
Birdfoot violet (Viola pedata)
1%
Canada toadflax (Nuttallanthus canadensis)
<1%
Racemed milkwort (Polygala polygama)
<1%
Native woody
Dewberry (Rubus flagellarus)
18%
Non-Native species
Yellow hawkweed (Hieracium caespitosum)
17%
St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum)
3%
Jennifer Anderson
Total Species Richness
- Significantly higher in the Herbicide, Fire + Herbicide, and Herbicide + Fire Treatments
- Significant difference among Sites (Site 37 < Sites 16 and 38)
- Significant Site x Treatment interaction
How does colonization order affect species establishment?
Seeded species (at 550 seeds/m2for each group)
Legumes
Amorpha canescens (lead plant)
Lespedeza capitata (round-headed bush clover)
Lupinus perennis (wild lupine)
Non-legumes
Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed)
Aster oolentangiensis (prairie heart-leaved aster)
Euphorbia corollata (flowering spurge)
Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed susan)
Solidago juncea (early goldenrod)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian grass)
Tradescantia ohiensis (common spiderwort)
Seeding treatments:
- Legumes in Fall 2013; Non-legumes in Fall 2015
- Non-Legumes in Fall 2013; Legumes in Fall 2015
- All species in Fall 2013
- All species in Fall 2015
- No added species (control)
Joel Trick
Plant Community Assembly
Regional Filters
Abiotic Filters
(Light, Water, Nutrient Availability)
Disturbance
Biotic Filters
Litter
- Litter cover significantly different between all treatments
- No difference among sites or site x treatment interaction
Different letters denote a statistically significant difference at p<0.05
Plant Community Assembly
Regional Filters
(Species, Dispersal, Climate)
Abiotic Filters
(Light, Water, Nutrient Availability)
Disturbance
(Fire, Herbicide)
Biotic Filters
(Competition)
Summary and Discussion
• Any combination of fire and/or herbicide reduces Carex
pensylvanica biomass and cover
– Herbicide Only and Herbicide followed by Fire had the greatest
impact on C. pens.
• Site preparation impacts species colonization
– Herbicide Only, Fire followed by Herbicide, and Herbicide
followed by Fire exhibited the greatest species richness
– Seeding treatments to be evaluated over the long-term
• Results important for large-scale restoration efforts
– Restoration in Manistee National Forest to begin in 2016
Acknowledgements
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US Forest Service – Manistee-Huron National Forest
Lake States Fire Science Consortium
Grand Valley State University
Research Assistants: Kate Alvarez, Katie Aschenbach, Samantha
Brodley, Youssef Darwich, Danielle Smith, Connor Wojtowicz