Evaluating Strategies for the Restoration and Reestablishment of Native Grasslands in the Foothills Fescue Subregion in Southern Alberta
| dc.contributor.advisor | Goldblum, David | |
| dc.contributor.author | Minc, Harriet | |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Bender, Darren J. | |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Vamosi, Jana C. | |
| dc.date | 2020-11 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2020-09-17T14:53:14Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2020-09-17T14:53:14Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020-09-16 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Removal of invasive species within the Canadian shortgrass prairie is one of the greatest challenges to native grassland restoration. Invasive grass species are successful in this ecosystem because they are typically adapted to high grazing and trampling pressures, do not require fire for regeneration, and tolerate a wide range of climatic conditions. In the southern Alberta Foothills Fescue subregion, the common exotic species, Bromus inermis (smooth brome) and Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass), are aggressive colonizers that spread quickly through rhizomes and are difficult to eradicate once established, allowing them to displace native grasses. Success of invasive species in this subregion is exacerbated by anthropogenic impacts, which include the alteration of fire regimes, extirpation of native grazers, and climate change. I investigated strategies for restoring a disturbed grassland by employing several restoration strategies in isolation and combination: mowing, plowing, herbicide application, carbon addition, and native seed addition. The experimental plots were monitored throughout the 2019 growing season. Within each plot, the total number of species, number of individuals per species, bare ground percentage, and aboveground biomass were quantified for each plot. At the end of the sampling period, soil samples were collected from each plot to test for differences in carbon, nitrates, pH, and salinity between treatments and control plots. The results showed the dominance of invasive species within the Foothills Fescue subregion with a majority presence of Kentucky bluegrass, smooth brome, and timothy (Phleum pratense). Through the application of the restoration treatment methods, plots that were plowed and seeded demonstrated the highest level of restorative success. However, low germination rates of planted seeds and seed predation from animals impacted overall biomass in some of the treatment types, suggesting that additional observation years are required for further assessment. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.citation | Minc, H. (2020). Evaluating Strategies for the Restoration and Reestablishment of Native Grasslands in the Foothills Fescue Subregion in Southern Alberta (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/38209 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112544 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | en_US |
| dc.publisher.faculty | Arts | en_US |
| dc.publisher.institution | University of Calgary | en |
| dc.rights | University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. | en_US |
| dc.subject | Geography | en_US |
| dc.subject | Ecology | en_US |
| dc.subject | Conservation | en_US |
| dc.subject | Grasslands | en_US |
| dc.subject.classification | Geography | en_US |
| dc.title | Evaluating Strategies for the Restoration and Reestablishment of Native Grasslands in the Foothills Fescue Subregion in Southern Alberta | en_US |
| dc.type | master thesis | en_US |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Geography | en_US |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Calgary | en_US |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Science (MSc) | en_US |
| ucalgary.item.requestcopy | true | en_US |