How is this situation improving? For more information: Tall Grass Prairie - Citizens are beginning to value the WI-DNR booklet importance of native prairies for local scenic "Home on the Range," on restoring and Restoration beauty, preservation of rare plants and maintaining grasslands. wildlife, and maintenance of diverse genetic http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/ resources. publ/wildland.htm - Many public and private organizations at Much of Wisconsin's pasture and farmland local, state, and federal levels have programs WI-DNR publication was once a sea of grassland. But the original to help private landowners pay for and "Getting the Help You Need," on funding 2.1 million acres of tall grass prairie have execute prairie restoration on their property. and advice sources for restoration and declined to less than 10,000 acres today, most habitat management activities. of it degraded and fragmented. In order to http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/ protect this vital ecosystem, private citizens, publ/gettinghelp.pdf local organizations, and state and federal agencies are working together to restore W. Mirk's handbook degraded prairies and grasslands. As part of Prairie Plants and Animals: "An Introduction to the Tallgrass Prairie of this effort, your neighbor is currently Grasses: the Upper Midwest: Its history, ecology, undertaking a prairie restoration on his or her preservation and reconstruction." Published property. - Big bluestem in 1997 by The Prairie Enthusiasts. - Little bluestem - Indiangrass C.F. Mutel and S. Packard's Flowers: "The Tallgrass Restoration Handbook: For - Stiff goldenrod Prairies, Savannas, and Woodlands." - Sunflowers Published in 1997 by the Island Press. - Shooting stars - Purple coneflower MN DNR booklet Animals: "Going Native: A Prairie Restoration - Goshawk Handbook for Minnesota Landowners." - Eastern and Western Meadowlark http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/assistance/ (declining) backyard/prairierestoration/goingnative.pdf - Ornate box turtle (WI endangered) - Karner blue butterfly (US endangered) - American badger What happened to Wisconsin Your neighbor's property is What to expect the first year prairies? currently undergoing prairie restoration. - Most native seedlings will remain less than - Settlers plowed up millions of acres of a few inches tall. These plants are mostly fertile, organic rich prairie soil for The following information describes perennial species, and initially concentrate the agriculture. the work you should expect to see over majority of their energy into root growth and - Fire suppression led to an encroachment the course of this process. development. of brush and trees in remaining prairies. - The management focus is controlling the - Today, only 0.5% of original tall grass Preparation for planting a prairie weeds so that light is permitted to reach the prairie remains in Wisconsin. Most of it is - Prairie planting strategy depends on local desirable seedlings. highly degraded or fragmented into small one site characteristics. - The new seeding must be mowed at least to five acre parcels. - In general, restoration begins with a once the first year to keep weeds from prescribed burn to incinerate invasive grasses, producing seeds or shading out seedlings. which are not fire tolerant. - Other control options include the use of What to expect in following years What are the characteristics of herbicides to remove well-established a tall grass prairie ecosystem? invasive species. - Early successional flowers will bloom Planting a prairie spring through fall. Grasses will go through - Mostly composed of perennial flowers beautiful color changes in the fall. - Plantings are most effective when a and grasses, some as tall as six feet high. - Common prairie wildlife will settle in to the no-till drill specifically made for prairie seeds - Grows in wetter climates than the short new habitat. is used. grass prairies along the eastern edge of the - Areas may need spot mowing to control - Planting is done during dry periods Rocky Mountains, with temperatures that weeds, but after the first few years it should be between April and June, or after late October. range seasonally from below freezing to limited. above 100 degrees. - As the prairie matures, new species will - Before European settlement, fires set begin to bloom. Some flowers take five to by lightning or Native Americans usually seven years before they bloom. burned across prairies every three to five years. Fires removed invading brush and invigorated fire-dependent native prairie What role does fire play in species. maintaining a restored prairie? - Regular prescribed burns are a key component of a comprehensive prairie management plan. - Conducting a prescribed burn on a site every three to five years maintains the vigor of Cone Flowers the stand by reducing competition from weedy plants and unwanted brush or trees.