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Item Effects of Grazing of Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) in Restored Wet Meadows in the Northern Tall Grass Prairie(North Dakota State University, 2019) Cleys, Jake RobertReed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) is a grass species that can dominate wet meadow plant communities. This study investigated if grazing by cattle on restored wet meadows suppresses reed canarygrass, thereby promoting the restored plant community. This study was conducted at two locations in northwest Minnesota. Management practices used were a patch-burn grazing treatment and a four-pasture high intensity-short duration grazing rotation. A pretreatment survey was conducted before grazing followed by annual surveys every five years after grazing. Both treatments reduced reed canarygrass canopy cover by 49 percent compared to non-grazed control sites. Grazed patches were moving towards a Carex dominated community. The community not invaded with reed canarygrass had similar native species richness at the end of the experiment in the rotational grazing treatment, and improved plant richness in the patch-burn grazing treatment. This study demonstrates grazing reduces cover of reed canarygrass, while maintaining or increasing native plant species richness.Item Application of Pyric-Herbivory in the Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie to Enhance Biodiversity(North Dakota State University, 2021) Hamel, Michael CharlesPyric-herbivory is a naturally occurring disturbance that historically created shifting mosaics of heterogeneous plant communities and vegetation structure, supporting a biodiverse Great Plains ecosystem. Present land management has decoupled this interactive disturbance leading to homogenous grasslands, resulting in a reduction of biodiversity, which is exasperated by the dominance of non-native grasses. We believe reintroducing this disturbance will increase heterogeneity and enhance biodiversity. First, we compared the effects of a season-long grazing and two patch-burn grazing systems on plant communities. Second, we evaluated how small mammal communities were affected by each grazing system. Our findings show re-establishing pyric-herbivory, via patch-burn grazing, can enhance biodiversity compared to season-long grazing. We hypothesize further implementation of patch-burn grazing will continue to enhance biodiversity, as thatch and basal litter are further reduced. In conclusion, our findings support re-establishing pyric-herbivory to enhance biodiversity though further study is needed to determine what effect continued implementation will have.