What Makes a Good Prairie?

prai·rie \ˈprer-ē\ Definition of 1: land in or predominantly in grass

2: a tract of grassland: as : a large area of level or rolling land in the Mississippi River valley that in its natural uncultivated state usually has deep fertile soil, a cover of tall coarse grasses, and few trees

: one of the dry treeless plateaus east of the Rocky Mountains that merge on their east side with the prairies proper and are characterized by shorter grasses and drier less fertile soil

(http://www.merriam-webster.com/)

Species composition What species characterize good

prairie?

Mean # of

quail

seen per route

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)

Species composition What species characterize good

prairie?

March Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula) Population

On Texas Coastal Refuges By Year Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula)

Species composition What species characterize good

prairie?

Species composition What species characterize good

prairie?

Species composition What species characterize good

prairie?

Species composition What species characterize good

prairie?

Species composition What species characterize good

prairie?

Species composition What species characterize good

prairie?

Species composition What species characterize good

prairie?

Species composition What species characterize good

prairie?

Geology Pleistocene Systems Holocene Systems Modern Systems Soils Vertisols and Alfisols Climate Mean Annual Temp: 20° - 23°C Mean Annual Precip: 1437mm - 732mm Monthly Mean RH: 55% - 75%

What abiotic elements and processes characterize good prairie?

What abiotic elements and processes characterize good prairie?

What abiotic elements and processes characterize good prairie?

How big is a good prairie and how is it distributed?

How do we conserve good prairie?

•  Identify areas capable of supporting all of the elements and processes that characterize good prairie.

•  Identify the techniques needed to conserve good prairie and the resources needed to employ these techniques.

•  Acquire the resources needed to conserve good prairie.

•  Spend the required resources implementing the techniques needed in the areas capable of supporting all of the elements and processes that characterize good prairie.

How do we conserve good prairie?

Priority Area = 618,571 acres

How do we conserve good prairie?

Species Population Goal Range requirement Portion of range requirement potentially met in the priority areas (%).

Attwater’s Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri) 6,000 breeding adult APC 300,000 acres 100 (355,571 ac.)

Northern aplomado falcon (Falco femoralis septentrionalis) 60 northern aplomado falcon pairs 120,000 acres 100% for downlisting. No recovery goal set yet. (123,882 ac)

LeConte’s sparrow 353,724 353,724 100 (355,571 ac.) Whooping crane (Grus americana) 1,000 individuals (i.e. 250 productive pairs) 125,000 acres of salt marsh + ? grassland 100% of downlisting goal. No recovery goal set yet.

(salt marsh= 125,000 ac.) ? (grassland= 242,449 ac.)

Mallard 72,819 219,139 ac. 63 (138,000 ac.) Northern pintail 775,755 Gadwall 224926 American wigeon 93841 Green-winged teal 293,574 Blue-winged teal 23,941 Northern shoveler 127,599 Canvasback 33,638 Redhead 92,944 Ring-necked duck 11,345 Greater & lesser scaup 47,402

Lesser snow geese 609,879 Greater white-fronted geese 97,636

Canada geese 63,043 Loggerhead shrike 809,778 2,780,690 ac. 13 (355,571 ac.) Seaside sparrow 65,000 650,000 ac. 19 (salt marsh= 125,000 ac.)

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginiana) 626,143 17,344,500 acres 2 (355,571 ac.)

Mottled duck (Anas fulvigula) 35,322 ? ? (Palustrine marsh= 138,000 ac. Grassland= 355,571 ac.)

How much does it cost to conserve good prairie?

Conservation Practices

Protection: Easements- 473,000 ac. = $723,600,000 to $892,750,000 Grasslands- Approximately 87,000 acres of grasslands and other uplands are protected on PINS and NWRs. A few thousand

additional acres are protected on private preserves, conservation easements, state parks, and WMAs. Approximately 260,000 of grasslands and potential grasslands remain in the priority areas to be protected. Protecting 180,000 acres of grasslands will cost

approximately $468,000,000 to $520,000,000.00.

Estuarine marsh- Approximately 47,000 acres of estuarine are protected on PINS and NWRs. A few thousand additional acres are protected on private preserves, conservation easements, state parks, and WMAs. Approximately 95,000 of estuarine marsh and

potential estuarine marsh remain in the priority areas to be protected. Protecting 95,000 acres of estuarine marsh will cost approximately $114,000,000 to $166,250,000.00.

Palustrine marsh- Approximately 20,000 acres of palustrine marsh are protected on NWRs. A few thousand additional acres are protected on private preserves, conservation easements, state parks, and WMAs. Approximately 118,000 ac. of palustrine marsh and

potential palustrine marsh remain in the priority areas to be protected. Protecting 118,000 acres of palustrine marsh will cost approximately $141,600,000 to $206,500,000.00.

Management: Restoration and Enhancement- 186,871 to 269,347 ac. = $ 8,534,997 to $9,359,755/year. Prescribed Burning- 123,714 ac. – 206,190 ac./year = $1,237,142 - $2,061,900/year

Brush Management- 49,357 ac./ year = $2,467,855/year Wetlands development- 13,800 ac./year= $4,830,000/year

Monitoring: ?

Coastal Prairie