Native vegetation establishment and management in prairie and Conservation Reserve Program acres

This thesis is intended to provide insight into improvement of native warm-season vegetation acreage in Indiana. Warm-season vegetation was once a large component of the state's flora; reestablished acreage of this vegetation can provide environmental benefits similar to those of the historic prairie ecosystem. Benefits are both tangible and intangible, including habitat for a variety of wildlife species, pollinator corridors, erosion control, carbon sequestration, and aesthetic value. However, there are numerous challenges that face establishment and maintenance of native warm-season vegetation; these challenges can be met through improved management practices and innovative techniques. For example, the development of technologies that improve invasive species control rates or enhance land managers' ability to increase species diversity in an existing stand may have a tremendous and lasting effect on the complex of native warm-season vegetation acreage in the Midwest. The Conservation Reserve Program is responsible for a large proportion of the current acreage in native warm-season vegetation. Under this program, a single management activity is required as a means to improve habitat quality. Impacts on native warm-season grass and on two targeted species, Canada thistle (Circsium arvense) and common goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), by a single disturbance of selective herbicide, tillage, or mowing were compared to an untreated control. Mechanical treatments, while not damaging to native warm-season grasses, were found to be an ineffective means to reduce the abundance and reproduction of Canada thistle and common goldenrod. In contrast, herbicide treatments were found to have the capacity to reduce the presence and reproductive success of those undesirable species, while not impacting native grasses commonly found in conservation plantings. Mid-contract management practices need further research to allow a better understanding of the effects those practices have on habitat quality under a variety of environmental conditions. Incorporation of techniques and timing of management activities to better address the issue of invasive species in native warm-season vegetation acreage is essential to developing adaptive management strategies needed by these habitat types. Current restoration of native warm-season vegetation is challenged by external factors not initially associated with the natural systems that land managers are trying to reestablish, including a lack of natural disturbance regimes, climate change, invasive species, restrictive and misguided policies, and under-appreciation of the value of these communities and their ecosystem services. A novel seed coating was developed for use within the native-seed industry to improve plantabilty and seed distribution at time of establishment. Testing suggests that the coating material and process did not affect germination rates of eight species. Further development of the coating technology and the methods used to test that technology is needed. With the expectation of no significant reduction in germination, the seed coating must be reformulated to improve durability. With increased durability of the coating material, the benefits that seed coatings can bring to the native seed industry will be better demonstrated.