Abstract
The objective of grassland management is to maintain keystone species, as well as species diversity, to promote a particular community structure, or to preserve specific ecosystem processes. Studies of grassland management rarely ascertain the effects on rare plant species, although conservation plans for rare herbaceous plants often recommend habitat management as well as restoration activities. Indeed, conservation biology has evolved from a relatively species-specific discipline into one more focused on larger scale issues such as ecosystem function, community composition and habitat restoration. Few studies have tested whether species of concern are adequately managed with a community or ecosystem-level approach. In this study, we evaluate whether community-level management of white-tailed deer and woody brush improves the viability of the rare annual plant species, Agalinis auriculata (Earleaf false foxglove; Orobanchaceae). Reducing deer browse and removing brush each positively affect plant vital rates. Brush removal increases the proportion of plants that reach the largest size class. Reducing deer browse increases the fertility of plants, particularly those in the largest size class. We report on demographic matrix models created with data from five populations of A. auriculata studied across 4 years. We find that both management activities positively affect the non-target plant species and are, in fact, necessary for A. auriculata to persist. Conservation of A. auriculata at our study sites requires both reducing the density of white-tailed deer and brush removal. Our study demonstrates that management at the community and ecosystem levels can be compatible with conservation goals at the species and population levels.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 798-805 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Biological Conservation |
| Volume | 142 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 2009 |
Funding
The authors wish to thank the following staff at the Chicago Botanic Garden for collecting data in the field: Elaine Kneller, Yasko Matsuoka, Rebecca Mann, Lailah Reich and Andrew Bishop. Mary Stupen collected fruits and counted the seeds for all populations in the study. Staff members at the Chicago Botanic Garden, as well as land managers at the various study sites were also instrumental in site selection, data collection and undertaking the management activities reported upon. These include Scott Kobal, Jason Zylka, Andrea Tietmeyer Kramer and Lara Jefferson. Several highly trained volunteers monitored these populations as part of the Plants of Concern program, coordinated by the Chicago Botanic Garden. The following volunteers collected data: Chris Mulvaney, Stuart Goldman, David Hodge, Don Nelson, Espie Nelson, Gail Pyndus, Gary Horn, Steve Bubulka, Deb Petro, Melissa Mulvaney, Frank Keller and Wayne Lampa. Susanne Masi is the Coordinator for the Plants of Concern program and her contribution to program management, including coordinating data collection and data management, was fundamental to the successful analysis reported herein. Michael E. Pereira commented on an earlier draft of this manuscript. The Plants of Concern program is funded by Chicago Wilderness, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Keywords
- Annual plant
- Community-level management
- Matrix projection models
- Plant-herbivore interactions
- Population viability analysis
- Prairie restoration
- Prescribed fire
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Nature and Landscape Conservation