Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Vegetation Surveys In Southern Minnesota Prairies: Management, Invasive Species And Future Directions, Ainsley Peterson

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This paper is formatted into two chapters: a general introduction on prairies, management, and this study (Chapter 1), and the study formatted for submission to a journal for publication (Chapter 2). To manage habitat loss in Southern Minnesota prairies, and subsequent ecological damage, private and public individuals have responded with restoration. This study investigated the use of an accepted vegetation monitoring tool to survey prairies (N=31) in Southern Minnesota during June/July (2019), targeting peak growing season to see whether restored prairies had lower invasive species richness, and relatively greater native richness. We hypothesized that restored prairies would have higher species …