NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/683373
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 63 and dominance resolves the situation with no loss of life. A great way to see whether weeds are aggressive or opportunistic is simply to erect a small grazing exclosure for a year or two and see if the grasses come back or weeds continue to dominate. The last and most important strategy for controlling invasive species is also the best strategy for overall prairie vigor and resilience – a management regime that strengthens the prairie community through alternating periods of stress and recovery. A healthy plant community is much like a healthy human body. Both can more easily repel invaders than their weaker counterparts. The analogy works particularly well because both a healthy prairie and healthy body benefit from a good workout. When we exercise, we temporarily stress our muscles, heart and lungs and then allow them to recover. That kind of fitness regime creates a body that is less prone to injury and disease and also can recover more quickly if those ailments occur. Prairies also thrive when they are stressed and allowed to recover. Fires, droughts and intensive grazing all strain plant and animal communities, but going through the process of recovery from those temporary shocks keeps prairies diverse and more resistant to invaders. Managing a prairie in the same way year after year weakens the ability of a prairie to respond to unexpected disturbances, including droughts. Regardless of whether the management includes grazing, fire, haying or rest, applying the same treatment in the same way each time favors some prairie species over others. Eventually, that can lead to the loss of those species not favored, and a loss of both species diversity and community function. There are many ways to manage for prairie resilience, but one key strategy is to shift the location of grazing, fire or haying from place to place each year and provide adequate rest between disturbances. Hope for the Future Prairies are naturally resilient. Nebraska's grasslands have been around for thousands of years, and will survive for thousands more if we help foster their intrinsic toughness and adaptability. While we're likely in for some pretty drastic weather conditions in the coming decades, large and interconnected prairies with diverse plant and animal communities should survive just fine. Nebraska's prairies provide us with livestock production, help protect our groundwater resources and give us places to hunt, hike and enjoy nature. Prairies are the foundation of our identity as a state. Let's keep them as fit and hardy as the Nebraskans that rely upon them. ■ Plants such as fourpoint evening primrose (far left), upright prairie coneflower (dark yellow) and hoary vervain (purple) are often considered to be weeds, but play critical roles in helping plant communities recover from stresses such as drought and intensive grazing.