Emery, S. and K.L. Gross
Presented at the ASM at Estes Park (2006-09-01 to 2012-09-23 )
Grasslands and oak savannas were extensive in the Great Lakes region at the time of European settlement. Settlement resulted in the conversion of forest and grassland openings to small farms and villages. These agricultural activities, together with fire-suppression, suburban sprawl, and the introduction of non-native species, resulted in increasing fragmentation and degradation of the remaining small areas of ‘pristine habitat’ in the region. There is increasing concern about (and both legal and public support for) the restoration of prairies and savannas in the region. However, there are only limited numbers of studies that can be used to guide restoration efforts here. The W.K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) has a rich history of research related to understanding the mechanisms of succession following the abandonment of agricultural lands, which can inform future restoration efforts. Here we review observational and experimental studies of old-field succession at the KBS LTER. On the LTER mainsite, six replicate 1ha plots were abandoned in 1989. Despite initial differences in composition, these fields converged to similar plant communities within six years, and the ratio of native-to-non-native species leveled out at around 1:1. Prescribed burns were introduced in these plots in 1997, and may explain this convergence. In three different reference mid-successional old-fields near the KBS mainsite, species composition is very dynamic even 40-60 years after field abandonment. Differences in community vegetation patterns across these fields can be attributed to past land use, successional age, and geographic location of these sites. Taken together, the patterns of succession observed over the last fifteen years in both the reference and experimental old-field communities at the KBS LTER offer insight into how successional processes in the Midwestern U.S. can guide grassland restoration efforts. Land-use history, geographic location, disturbance regimes, and seed sources all play important roles in setting the trajectory of successional communities.
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