PARENT SESSION
Poster Session # 7: Restoration, Resource Management, and Conservation.

Monday, August 4 Presentation from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. SITCC Exhibit Hall B.

A comparison of plant species diversity between restored tallgrass prairies and native prairie remnants.

Orr, Stuart^*,1, Marr, Deborah ¹, Schnabel, Andrew¹, ¹ Indiana University - South Bend, South Bend, IN

ABSTRACT- The objective of this study was to compare plant species diversity and abundance in restored tallgrass prairie sites with nearby remnant prairies and to monitor the success of the restorations over time. In the summers of 2001-2002, plant diversity and abundance were measured in three restored areas and compared to three nearby remnant prairies. The three restored areas were planted in 1997, 1998, and 1999 at The Nature Conservancy Efroymson Restoration in Newton Co., Indiana. The Shannon-Weiner index values for the restorations were 4.68 (1997), 4.54 (1998), and 4.01 (1999). The Shannon-Weiner index values (H) for the older two restorations were similar to the values for the two remnant sites analyzed (H values for the remnant sites were 4.46 and 4.66). Although overall species diversity was similar for the older restored and remnant sites, the restored sites had lower numbers of native species present than the remnants (76% native species in the restorations vs. 87% in remnant sites). Restored sites tended to have a lower proportion of grasses to forbs in both 2001 and 2002 (range 10-59% forbs in restored sites vs. 45-58% forb in remnant sites). There was also greater variability in grass:forb ratios among restored sites compared to remnant sites. In addition, we found that native plant species diversity and abundance in restored sites increased, while the remnant sites showed little change between 2001 and 2002. Further monitoring of restored and remnant sites will continue to provide information on how closely restorations mimic remnant prairies in plant species diversity and on how plant species composition changes over time in both restored and remnant prairies.

Key words: remnant prairie, prairie restoration, plant species diversity