Seeding method influences warm-season grass abundance and distribution but not local diversity in grassland restoration
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Published source details
Yurkonis K.A., Wilsey B.J., Moloney K.A., Drobney P. & Larson D.L. (2010) Seeding method influences warm-season grass abundance and distribution but not local diversity in grassland restoration. Restoration Ecology, 18, 344-353.
Published source details Yurkonis K.A., Wilsey B.J., Moloney K.A., Drobney P. & Larson D.L. (2010) Seeding method influences warm-season grass abundance and distribution but not local diversity in grassland restoration. Restoration Ecology, 18, 344-353.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Drill seed rather than seeding by hand Action Link |
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Drill seed rather than seeding by hand
A replicated, paired, controlled study in 2005–2007 in three former arable fields in Iowa, USA (Yurkonis et al. 2010) found that sowing grassland seed by drill seeding resulted in similar plant species richness to sowing by hand, but higher abundance of warm-season grasses. Two years after seeding, there was no significant difference in species richness between drill-seeded plots (6.3–7.2) and plots seeded by hand (5.1–6.3). However, native warm-season grasses were more abundant in drilled plots (relative abundance: 0.23–0.34) than plots seeded by hand (relative abundance: 0.11–0.28). In spring 2005, seventy-two 12 x 12 m plots across three sites were seeded with a commercial mix of 13 forb and seven grass species at a rate of 430 seeds/m2. Half of the paired plots were drill seeded, and half were seeded by hand. Abundance of plant species was recorded in July 2007 in a randomly placed 1-m2 quadrat in each plot.
(Summarised by: Philip Martin)
