2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Location

John Deere Auditorium, Curris Business Building, University of Nothern Iowa

Presentation Type

Open Access Poster Presentation

Document Type

poster

Keywords

tallgrass prairie, Conservation Reserve Program, ecosystem services, pollinator habitat, seed mix design

Abstract

Intensified land use has led to the decline of tallgrass prairie, resulting in habitat loss and reduced ecosystem services. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) aims to restore cultivated land to its natural state. This study explores various methods to enhance the environmental benefits of CRP initiatives. Research was conducted from May 30th, 2024 to June 7th 2024 at the Tallgrass Prairie Center using a 3x2 factorial design: three seed mixes, two planting dates, six replications. All blooming inflorescences were recorded in five 0.125 m2 quadrats along a randomly positioned transect. Additionally, 5-minute perimeter walks were performed for each plot to measure species richness. Means and standard errors were calculated for all treatment combinations. Floral resources were least abundant in the Economy mix and most abundant in the Pollinator mix. Dormant planting yielded more floral resources than spring planting, producing more floral resources in the Diversity and Pollinator mixes, but not the Economy mix. Flowering species richness was lowest in the Economy mix and highest in the Pollinator mix. Dormant season plantings showed correlation to increased flowering species in the Pollinator mix, but not in the Diversity or Economy mixes. Seed mix and planting time significantly affect the production of early-summer floral resources. While floral resource quantity and richness vary, the overall results are consistent. Data for both sown and unsown floral resources fluctuate, but combined data for all species show an approximately equal distribution between sown and unsown.

Start Date

26-7-2024 11:00 AM

End Date

26-7-2024 1:30 PM

Event Host

Summer Undergraduate Research Program, University of Northern Iowa

Faculty Advisor

Laura Jackson

Department

Department of Biology

Department

Tallgrass Prairie Center

File Format

application/pdf

Download

Comments?

Share

Import Event to Google Calendar

COinS
 
Jul 26th, 11:00 AM Jul 26th, 1:30 PM

Effect of Seed Mix Design and Planting Time on Early-Summer Floral Resources

John Deere Auditorium, Curris Business Building, University of Nothern Iowa

Intensified land use has led to the decline of tallgrass prairie, resulting in habitat loss and reduced ecosystem services. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) aims to restore cultivated land to its natural state. This study explores various methods to enhance the environmental benefits of CRP initiatives. Research was conducted from May 30th, 2024 to June 7th 2024 at the Tallgrass Prairie Center using a 3x2 factorial design: three seed mixes, two planting dates, six replications. All blooming inflorescences were recorded in five 0.125 m2 quadrats along a randomly positioned transect. Additionally, 5-minute perimeter walks were performed for each plot to measure species richness. Means and standard errors were calculated for all treatment combinations. Floral resources were least abundant in the Economy mix and most abundant in the Pollinator mix. Dormant planting yielded more floral resources than spring planting, producing more floral resources in the Diversity and Pollinator mixes, but not the Economy mix. Flowering species richness was lowest in the Economy mix and highest in the Pollinator mix. Dormant season plantings showed correlation to increased flowering species in the Pollinator mix, but not in the Diversity or Economy mixes. Seed mix and planting time significantly affect the production of early-summer floral resources. While floral resource quantity and richness vary, the overall results are consistent. Data for both sown and unsown floral resources fluctuate, but combined data for all species show an approximately equal distribution between sown and unsown.