Prairie Restoration Center at Brushy Creek is knowledge base for Iowa’s expanding prairies – Greene County News Online

Lehigh, Iowa – The prairie across the 6,500-acre Brushy Creek State Recreation Space, in Webster County, is way more than simply one other fairly flower – it’s the supply for prairie seeds planted on Iowa state parks and wildlife areas.

At one time, almost 80 % of Iowa was lined in prairie. The Iowa Division of Pure Sources (DNR) Prairie Useful resource Middle cultivates and harvests native plant seed to ascertain new prairies on public land. Invoice Johnson, wildlife biologist for the Iowa DNR, is accountable for overseeing seed manufacturing and filling orders for the growing demand for prairie seed for the reason that facility opened in 2000.

The preliminary seed to start rising prairies right here was collected from remnant native prairies on the state preserves.

“We wish the very best prairie on our public land and that’s what we’re making an attempt to advertise right here,” Johnson mentioned. “I need everybody to see the to see the advantages offered by prairies that I see.”

The Prairie Useful resource Middle and surrounding fields have grown greater than 100 totally different prairie plant species, however not yearly. Johnson makes use of a mixture of species-specific cultivated plots rising 2,000 crops per plot, blocks of land planted with little bluestem then 20-foot-wide strips of particular prairie crops, and entire fields with established prairies to offer seed requested by land managers.

“The person plots are essentially the most labor intensive,” he mentioned. “We plant plugs began in our greenhouse, hand weed the plots and hand harvest the seeds. We will mix the sphere strips later, which is much less labor intensive, however that technique doesn’t work on all species. For instance, we tried planting prairie blazing star in strips however rodents ate the bulbs underground.”

For species that work utilizing the sphere strip technique, Johnson mentioned they will harvest about 50 kilos of seed per yr. This yr, golden Alexander and partridge pea is doing very well. White indigo too, however white indigo will most likely be harvested by hand.  

Harvest begins in Might for the early seeds, however the bulk happens from the center of August to center of October. For crops that mature late, frost is vital to finalizing the seed harvest.

All seed collected right here is used on public land, principally state parks and wildlife areas, and doesn’t go to personal landowners. Johnson does work with non-public landowners in search of recommendation on seed combine and on easy methods to set up a prairie.

“Planting a prairie takes time and the transition doesn’t occur in a single day,” he mentioned. “We put together the world by cropping it for one or two years to eradicate any brome or canary grass that could be current.”

First yr prairies are weedy and require mowing to maintain the annual weeds down, permitting the prairie crops to place down roots, get moisture and daylight. “Getting the crops off to begin that first yr is vital,” Johnson mentioned.

As soon as the prairie is established, the native crops can out compete undesirable invasive species. Prairies appeal to bugs and supply habitat essential for grassland birds and pheasants and the flowers are essential for pollinators. The stems and root methods profit water high quality by standing up in heavy rain, slowing runoff and protecting soil in place.

“It’s habitat for all – pheasants, quail, turkeys, butterflies and bees,” he mentioned.

Johnson mentioned Iowa State College visited the reconstructed prairie managed by the middle trying to find the federally endangered rusty-patched bumble bee and the American bumble and located each in in the future. 

“This reveals that habitat is the important thing, if you happen to plant it, wildlife will quickly comply with,” he mentioned.  

It is a statewide program supported by the gross sales of searching and fishing licenses. No federal funds are used to help it. Info on the Prairie Useful resource Middle is obtainable on-line at https://www.iowadnr.gov/conservation/prairie-resource-center