Plant Community Composition, Structural Diversity, and Non-Native Abundance in Four Restored Piedmont Prairie Fields
Date
2019
Authors
Rhoades, Benjamin
Rush, Elizabeth
Wood, Thomas C.
van der Ham, Joris L.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
National Conference on Undergraduate Research 2019
Abstract
The Piedmont prairie ecosystem includes communities of forbs and grasses. The Piedmont of Northern Virginia is fragmented and regularly disturbed. Landowners in Fauquier County, Virginia have placed former agricultural land under conservation easements. Different restoration techniques are being applied to transition these fields to native grasslands habitat. We aim to better understand the effects of using different restoration techniques by comparing the plant community of these restored prairie ecosystems, with a focus on non-native plants.