An Evaluation of Planting and Management Methodology at the NRCS-WRP Gueydan Prairie Reconstruction

Updated 07/27/2006

Annual Report
Larry Allain and James B. Grace
USGS/BRD, National Wetlands Research Center,
700 Cajundome Blvd. Lafayette, Louisiana 70503

NRCS Agency Locator Code: 12-40-1600
Agreement number: 67-7482-3-87x

Project Title: An Evaluation of Planting and Management Methodology at the NRCS-WRP Gueydan Prairie Reconstruction

Methods
This research is being conducted at the site of a NRCS-WRP prairie restoration between Gueydan and Kaplan, Louisiana on La Hwy 14. The prairie restoration will occupy approximately 100 acres when complete. In the fall of 2003, experimental plots were established to explore the effectiveness of coastal prairie planting and management techniques.

A ridge was selected as the site for replicated experiments (see Fig. 1) to avoid areas that hold water. One hundred and forty plots, each measuring 3m x 3m, were established in a random block design. Fourteen treatments were replicated 10 times, once in each block.
Seeds of 24 prairie species, 18 forbs and 6 grasses, were collected from local remnants and planted in all but the control plots. The treatments included two with fertilizer additions, two with sawdust and sugar additions, one with a mycorrizal innoculant, two with varying forb/grass ratios, four in which the season of burn will be varied, and one that will be mowed during establishment. Three controls were established: one sown with the same seed used for the rest of the site, one in which nothing was sown, and one that was neither burned nor mowed. The experiments were planted in the first week of October 2003.

Monitoring:
Plant species present before planting were recorded, and dominant species were noted. Vegetation will be characterized along transects in April and November for 4 years following planting. In addition, a general site survey will be conducted at each fall visit to detect invasive species, woody plants, and general vegetation trends. A detailed assessment of experimental plots will also be made during April and November.

These data will be used to analyze the differences between experimental treatments, the relative degree of restoration success, the role of fire in vegetation succession, and the recruitment/control of woody shrubs and invasive species. In addition, we will assist cooperators in the interpretation of data involving vegetation trends and provide a mechanistic interpretation of the relationships between fire treatments and vegetation change.
Rainfall will be collected in a cumulative rain gauge beginning in April 2003 and will be recorded at each visit. These data will be reported to the NRCS regularly.

Results
Plant species encountered during three trips in 2003 were recorded (see Table 1). In total, 51 species were recorded on April 4, 2003. In the areas between mounds the most common species included (in order of abundance): Carolina foxtail, water star-wort, both clammy and round-fruit hedgehyssop, lawn burweed, marsh seedbox, low spearwort, and Persian speedwell. On the mounds, the most common species were: perennial ryegrass, Carolina geranium, sticky chickweed, bur clover, catchweed bedstraw, and rescue grass. By the end of April 2003 broad-leaf signal grass, bermudagrass, ricefield flatsedge, and marsh caperonia had become dominate in the intermound areas, while the only new species to appear in any abundance on the mounds was annual marsh elder. By July 2003 the intermound areas were dominated by red rice, jungle rice, broad-leaf signal grass, southern crabgrass, rough buttonweed, western ragweed, and chocolate weed, while the mounds were dominated by itchgrass, giant ragweed, and vaseygrass.

Site rainfall from April 1 to November 1, 2003, was 23.6 inches (see Fig. 2). No measurable water was present in rain gauge during November and December visits. The reason was unclear, as some rainfall had occurred in that time interval.
 

Figure 1. Southeastern corner of restoration site showing location of replicated experiments.

Figure 2. Rainfall totals by month for year 2003. Only data for April to September were available.

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