Tallgrass Prairie Responses to Management Practices and Disturbances: A Review

Pradeep Wagle,Prasanna Gowda

doi:10.3390/agronomy8120300

Pradeep Wagle, Prasanna Gowda

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8120300

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Abstract

Adoption of better management practices is crucial to lessen the impact of anthropogenic disturbances on tallgrass prairie systems that contribute heavily for livestock production in several states of the United States. This article reviews the impacts of different common management practices and disturbances (e.g., fertilization, grazing, burning) and tallgrass prairie restoration on plant growth and development, plant species composition, water and nutrient cycles, and microbial activities in tallgrass prairie. Although nitrogen (N) fertilization increases aboveground productivity of prairie systems, several factors greatly influence the range of stimulation across sites. For example, response to N fertilization was more evident on frequently or annually burnt sites (N limiting) than infrequently burnt and unburnt sites (light limiting). Frequent burning increased density of C4 grasses and decreased plant species richness and diversity, while plant diversity was maximized under infrequent burning and grazing. Grazing increased diversity and richness of native plant species by reducing aboveground biomass of dominant grasses and increasing light availability for other species. Restored prairies showed lower levels of species richness and soil quality compared to native remnants. Infrequent burning, regular grazing, and additional inputs can promote species richness and soil quality in restored prairies. However, this literature review indicated that all prairie systems might not show similar responses to treatments as the response might be influenced by another treatment, timing of treatments, and duration of treatments (i.e., short-term vs. long-term). Thus, it is necessary to examine the long-term responses of tallgrass prairie systems to main and interacting effects of combination of management practices under diverse plant community and climatic conditions for a holistic assessment.

Highlights

Tallgrass prairie, North America’s most endangered ecosystem, had occupied more than 68 × 106 ha of the North American Great Plains before European settlement and the acreage of native prairie has declined as high as 99.9% [1]
The response of tallgrass prairie systems to management practices and disturbances is complicated as the prairie system consists of both C3 and C4 grasses and C3 forbs, and these species behave differently due to significant differences in phenology, root
The results indicate that restoration prairie sites had intermediate soil quality indicators and microbial community structures compared with the virgin prairie and the agricultural sites even after multiple decades

Summary

Introduction

North America’s most endangered ecosystem, had occupied more than 68 × 106 ha of the North American Great Plains before European settlement and the acreage of native prairie has declined as high as 99.9% [1]. Tallgrass prairie grasslands still contribute heavily for livestock production in several states of the United States. These grasslands can range from unmanaged low productive systems to highly managed high productive systems. Tallgrass prairie grasslands frequently experience several disturbances such as grazing, fire, and drought. Understanding the consequences of different management practices and disturbances on the plant community composition and production, nutrient cycling, and microbial activities in tallgrass prairie is of great importance for both economic and conservation purposes. The response of tallgrass prairie systems to management practices and disturbances is complicated as the prairie system consists of both C3 and C4 grasses and C3 forbs, and these species behave differently due to significant differences in phenology, root

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