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Grand Restoration Experiment (GRE)

The Grand Restoration Experiment (GRE) is a partnership involving the United States Forest Service Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (MNTP), the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS), the Art Institute of Chicago, and the University of Illinois, Center for Research in Urban Ecology and Human-Dominated Landscapes (CRUE). The major objective of the proposed research is to conduct a long-term, landscape-scale experimental restoration that will examine mechanisms that structure the composition and dynamics of the tallgrass prairie and associated ecosystems.

Initial focus will concentrate on below-ground processes, including the potential of soils of northeast Illinois for carbon sequestration through tallgrass prairie restoration. Above-ground trophic interactions among mammals, particularly voles and deer, insectivorous and granivorous bird species, and native tallgrass plant species, and how these feedback to influence nutrient and energy fluxes will be a major, long term focus. Additional ancillary studies will be incorporated as opportunities present themselves.

Figure 1. Links among the main components of the Grand Restoration Experiment conducted at the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.

The experiment will involve three approximately 20 hectares sites within a part of Midewin scheduled for restoration of Upland Typic Prairie (Midewin Land and Resource Management Plan). Within each of these three sites, five 1 ha experimental treatment plots will be located:

1) "no fence" allowing both rodents (+) and deer (+) ;
2) exclosure that excludes rodents (-) but allows deer (+) ;
3) exclosure that allows rodents (+) but excludes deer (-) ;
4) exclosure that excludes both rodent (-) and deer (-) ;
5) a control ("fence with holes") that allows both rodents (+) and deer (+).

Each plot will be planted with the desired species chosen by USFS staff to establish Upland Typic Prairie. Each plot will be divided into 4 equal subplots, each 0.25 ha -- 2 subplots will receive high density of seeds and 2 will receive low density of seeds. Within each subplot, we will further subdivide into 9 equal sub-subplots, each 0.028 ha (in 3 × 3 array). The middle will have a bird exclosure. The 8 surrounding it will be randomly assigned one of the following:

1) clumped "conservative" grasses;
2) clumped "conservative" forbs;
3) clumped "non-conservative" grasses;
4) clumped "non-conservative" forbs;
5) uniform "conservative" grasses;
6) uniform "conservative" forbs;
7) uniform "non-conservative" grasses;
8) uniform "non-conservative" forbs.

Figure 2. Schematic diagram of experimental layout of Grand Restoration Experiment. Within each of three 20 ha sites, five experimental 1 ha plots will be established. Each 1 ha plot will be composed of subplots representing different planting mixes of native prairie grasses and forbs. See text for details.

Grand Restoration Experiment (GRE)

Edward Heske and Christopher Whelan

Mary Ashley, Joel Brown, Miquel Gonzalez-Meler, and Lynne Wiora

Ellen Grimes

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