Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
What are the benefits of seeding native prairie vs tame grassland
systems?
Paul G. Jefferson1, Michael P. Schellenberg2, and Alan D. Iwaasa2
1Western Beef Development Centre, 2Agriculture and AgriFood Canada
Native Prairie Restoration/Reclamation Workshop
February 16 2010,
Regina, Saskatchewan
Agricultural view of native species in
the past:
• Seedling establishment is poor
• Forage yield is lower
• Forage quality is better/worse
• Livestock production is lower ha-1
• Seed is expensive/poor quality
Brown and Amacher 1999Ecological model: Introduced=early, Native=late seral
Characteristic Early Seral Late Seral
Adaptation Broad Narrow
Aggressiveness High Low
Seed yield High Low
Stress tolerance High Low
Growth rate High Low
Response fertility High Low
Competitiveness Low-moderate High
Root/shoot ratio Low High
??
Establishment in three studiesCommon name Latin name Kilcher &
Looman 1983
Jefferson et al. 2002
Jefferson (unpublishe
d)
Crested wheatgrass Agropryon desertorum 100 -- 100
Russian wildrye Psathyrostachys juncea 100 -- 100
Northern wheatgrass
Elymus lanceolatus 90 98 --
Western wheatgrass
Pascopyrum smithii 80 94 --
Green needlegrass Nasella viridula 90 98 96
Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii 5 89 94
Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium
3 44 --
Prairie sandreed Calamovilfa longifolia 5 68 95
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans 11 32 80
Switchgrass Panicum virgatum -- 86 100
Sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus 6 -- 23
Ground cover change (%) from 1994 to 1997 at Swift Current
Common name Latin name Dryland Irrigation
Northern wheatgrass Elymus lanceolatus -1 -10
Western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii -8 -2
Green Needle grass Nasella viridula +4 -2
Big bluestem Andropogon
gerardii
+4 +12
Little bluestem Schizachyrium
scoparium
-3 +6
Prairie sandreed Calamovilfa
longifolia
-3 +31
Indiangrass Sorghastrum
nutans
-24 -23
Switchgrass Panicum virgatum -3 +23
Sideoats grama Bouteloua
curtipendula
-16 +8
LSD 4 6
Mean forage yield at two locations Mg ha-1
Common name Latin name Lethbridge Swift Current
Northern wheatgrass Elymus lanceolatus 6.7 2.7
Western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii 8.2 2.3
Green Needle grass Nasella viridula 7.5 2.0
Big bluestem Andropogon
gerardii
5.5 1.1
Little bluestem Schizachyrium
scoparium
3.5 0.4
Prairie sandreed Calamovilfa
longifolia
8.7 1.3
Indiangrass Sorghastrum
nutans
4.7 0.1
Switchgrass Panicum virgatum 7.0 1.0
Sideoats grama Bouteloua
curtipendula
3.4 0.2
LSD 0.7 0.2
Forage DM yield in 1991 and 1994
Species 30 May 1991
9 July 1991
20 August 1991
14 July 1994
Crested wheatgrass 3810 2800 700 4430
Intermediate wheatgrass 2500 3370 2050 4050
Russian wildrye 1740 1950 850 3910
Green needlegrass 650 1730 1160 5400
Big Bluestem -- 200 220 4830
Indiangrass -- 230 780 3590
Prairie sandreed 190 560 270 5400
Switchgrass -- 560 460 4900
LSD 720 900 920 1200(Jefferson unpublished)
Asay et al 2001. - intermountain USA
Common name Latin name Variety
Bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria
spicata
Goldar
Northern wheatgrass Elymus lanceolatus Bannock, Critana
Western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii Rosana
Snake River wheatgrass Elymus
wawawaiensis
Secar
Crested wheatgrass Agropyron cristatum Fairway, Douglas, Ephraim
Agropyron
desertorum
Nordan, Hycrest
Siberian crested wheatgrass Agropyron fragile P-27, Vavilov
Russian wildrye Psathyrostachys
juncea
Boizosky, Cabree, Tetracan,
Vinall
Persistence
Blue Creek siteAsay et al 2001
Year
1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998
Sta
nd
%
40
50
60
70
80
90
Year vs CWG
Year vs RWR
Year vs Natives
Yield vs establishmentBlue Creek siteAsay et al 2001
1991 Stand %
20 40 60 80 100 120
19
91
DM
Y k
g h
a-1
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
VavilovP-27
Hycrest
Nordan
Fairway
Ephraim
DouglasBozoisky
CabreeTetracanVinall
Goldar
BannockCritana
Secar
Rosana
Asay et al. 2001 conclusions
• At wetter locations, natives established and yielded
as well as introduced grasses.
• “Native Triticeae grasses were more difficult to
establish, less productive, and less persistent than
their introduced counterparts” at dry locations.
Multiple Species Advantage
(kg/ha)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
CWG
GNG
RWR
Switch
WWG
Native Mix
Intro Mix
Simple imitation
• Seeding of multiple grass species finding include: 1) native and introduced were similar in productivity and 2) mixtures produced more than mono-cultures
• Each species of grass had a unique microbe community which changed during the growing season and by soil depth.0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
CWG
GNG
RWR
Switch
WWG
Native Mix
Intro Mix
Forage stand age
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
year
Bio
mass (
g.m
2)
Monoculture
Polyculture
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
b
a
aa
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
AM Non-AM
Ro
ot
co
lon
isati
on
(%
)
a
b
a
a
AM
2008
2009
2008
2009
2008
2009
2008
2009
Early Summer Late Summer
Non-AM
Level of forage plant root colonization by AM and non-AM
fungi in early and late summer, in 2008 - 2009
More non-AM than AM fungi live in native plant roots
Are AM fungi functional in our dry ecosystem?
-60
100
+60
Crested wheatgrass
Russian wildrye
Blue grama
Re
lati
ve
dry
ma
ss (
%)
Non-AM fungal isolate
aa
a
b
aa
b
ab
a
b
aba
a
b
a
EJ2AC1 AC4 EJ5BG17
Non-AM fungi increase crested wheatgrass and Russian wildrye productivity, but decrease
that of blue grama.
.
Cash & in-kind contribution from Canadian Heritage Parks Canada, DU, NPS-DU, Monsanto, Nexen Energy Inc. SERM, SaskPower, Saskatchewan ADF and MII.
In addition linkages with AAFC-Lethbridge & over 8 other federal, provincial, producer & ecological
minded groups
Re-establishment of a mixed native
grassland in Southwest Saskatchewan
Justin Kusler MSc 2009
Justin Kusler MSc 2009
Justin Kusler MSc 2009
Winterfat
02468
101214161820
Oct
-94
Nov
-94
Dec
-94
Jan-
95Feb
-95
Mar
-95
Apr
-95
May
-95
Jun-9
5Ju
l-95
Aug
-95
Cru
de
Pro
tein
(%
)
Seasonal changes in winterfat CP
Ingram et al. 2008
Toombs et al. 2010
Final Remarks
• Seedling establishment
• Forage yield
• Beef production
• Seed yield
• Soil diversity
• Soil carbon sequestration
• wildlife
