Wet prairie habitats at Fern Ridge Research Natural Area are currently managed using prescribed fire, which benefits the plant community by decreasing thatch and promoting germination by native species.  Unfortunately, it has also been observed that some exotic grasses can increase under a burning regime.  These invasive grasses are a significant threat to native prairie species, such as the endangered Bradshaw’s lomatium.

As part of a multi-year study funded by the US Army Corps of Engineers, we are testing alternative management strategies to reduce the abundance of invasive grasses, without causing harm to native plants.  Because of the wetland status of these sites, use of herbicides is constrained to chemicals appropriate for use in wetlands.

An ecological burn was recently applied to one of our study sites.  From now through next spring, we will be testing several combinations of post-fire herbicide treatment to determine their effectiveness and feasibility given frequent flooding at the site.  This experiment is planned to be repeated at another site in 2012.

If you have any questions about this project, please contact Andrea Thorpe at andrea@appliedeco.org or 541-753-3099 ext. 401.