Restoring Regional Diversity on the Landscape through the Native Prairie Seeding Approach.

Shana Byrd, The Dawes Arboretum

Prairie was once a dominant grassland ecosystem, covering millions of hectares in the United States. Today, this unique habitat is among the most critically endangered biomes in North America. While eastern deciduous forest was the historical cover throughout most of Ohio, small populations of original prairie habitat existed in the state. Restoring the diversity offered by these historic ecosystems is a worthwhile goal that can support the sensitive species that depend on them. Recent studies on mine lands have supported the survival of native species in reclamation efforts, leading to insights on how this approach can be applied to rehabilitate other challenging landscapes. A five year study is underway at The Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio to explore the practice of using native species in seed mixes to restore diversity on electric utility rights-of-way. Many perennial species in the native seed mix will mature slowly and therefore were not expected to be present in the initial years of evaluation. However, in year 3 of the study, 84% of the species in the native seed mix (22 of 26 species) were recorded as successfully established within the study plots. Biological surveys indicate a variety of insects utilize the plots, including 33 butterfly species, 16 beneficial insect families, and 14 bee taxa. Preliminary results support the use of native seed mixes to enhance species diversity, while also restoring elements of an imperiled ecosystem. The next phase of this project may evaluate the inclusion of less common species of concern within the native seed mixes as a reintroduction strategy onto the landscape. Given initial results, native seed mixes should be considered a viable post-construction ecological restoration method that creates regionally native habitat, increases biodiversity and ecosystem function, more so than the conventional non-native seeding options once considered the only standard practice.