A Study on the Abundance of Invasive Weed

Species in the Muncie Indiana Central High School

Prairie Restoration Area Due to Micro-site
Differences
Jessica A. Eddy, Jamie Hosier, and Zachery Jackson
Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana
November 30, 2012

Abstract
This study measured the abundance of invasive and native species using
percent cover in order to determine which micro-site is most suitable for the native
species found on a restored prairie along the White River levee on the Muncie High
School property. Percent cover was calculated by a person standing at each corner of a
plot and eyeing the percent a species covered of that plot. This study addressed two
questions: Does the abundance of weed species compared to native species differ
among the 4 distinct micro-sites found within this restored prairie and which micro-site, if
any, is more suitable for native grass species to thrive? The levee is sloped and has a
north and west facing bank. The west facing bank is prone to warmer temperatures and
longer periods of direct sunlight compared to the north facing bank due to the rotation of
the earth around the sun. This creates two of the four micro-sites. The other two
differences in plant abundance that may occur are due to the slope. The upper half of
the bank would naturally have less water infiltration due to the aspect of the slope, and
run-off would occur at a faster rate than the bottom half of the bank. In order to record
the abundance of the native and invasive species, there were ten two by two plots for
both the top and bottom half of each the north and west facing banks. Plots were

located by systematically dividing the entire length of the slope by 10 and selecting a
plot in the middle of each the top and the bottom sections of the north and west banks.
Two sample T-tests were used to analyze the results. Native prairie plants have a
significantly higher abundance than the non-native plants in all plots of the levee.

Introduction
Approximately 300 years ago, the native temperate grassland or prairie of the
American Great Plains spread across several states including Indiana. The prairie grass
supported wildlife, such as butterflies, songbirds, and buffalo. With its deep roots, prairie
grass was excellent at controlling erosion and also enabled rainwater to replenish
groundwater. Humans have been building on prairies and decreasing the amount of
these habitats available. Proper maintenance of these habitats is essential for their
preservation. For example, prairie restoration requires knowledge about the amount of
sunlight and water and the grade of the slope acceptable for a prairie to thrive. Too little
sun or too little water could allow invasive plants to have a better hold on the specific
area. A small fraction of the original tall grass prairies have survived the period of
European settlement. During this period, the European settlers converted the prairies
into farmland. During the past few decades, establishments of small and large prairies
have developed due to a prairie restoration movement. Since prairies are compacted
with different forb and grass species each with their own habitat necessities, the science
behind prairie restoration has not been completed. Weed species, both native and nonnative species, can find themselves in restored prairies and consequently have a
negative impact on the native prairie species. Information on which prairie species do

better in particular habitats can be a vital tool for natural resource management can help
determine the best possible seed mixtures during a prairie restoration project.
Invasive plant species threaten native prairie habitats. There are four spatiotemporal stages of invasion of these non-native plant species (Theoharides and Dukes,
2007). Knowing the stages and behavior of these invasive species can aid in preparing
the best management plan for a native habitat. Smooth Brome (Bromus inermis) is a
non-native grass with a Eurasian origin that plagues Indiana and other North American
landscapes. This species is well documented and much research has been conducted
to better control and manage its effect on native prairie species (Salesman and
Thomsen, 2011). Reviewing the research and studies that have been conducted already
in this field of ecology, we can put better prairie land management practices in place.
Prairie grasslands develop fertile mollisol soils rich in calcium, magnesium, and
organic materials, perfect for growing high yielding crops. Agriculture practices over the
last century have drastically changed the landscape throughout Indiana reducing and
almost eliminating the prairie grasslands. These agriculture practices have also
degraded the quality of the soils depleting it of nutrients. A seed sowing experiment in
an abandoned hayfield (Foster, Murphy, Keller, Aschenbach, Questad and Kindscher,
2007) studied how native prairie species thrived and changed over time. This was done
by sowing 32 native plant species into two field plots. One field plot was undisturbed
grassland and the other was experimentally disturbed to represent converted agriculture
field. These plots were studied over six growing periods to determine how the plant
communities changed over time at the ecosystem level. This study is a useful tool for
the restoration of upland hayfield sites to prairie grasslands.

Management practices to successfully maintain healthy prairie grassland habitats

will differ from site to site. Studies have been conducted to better understand the factors
that influence these differences. One explanation is the difference in the competitive
abilities for resources between the native grass species and the non-native species
(Bakker and Wilson, 2000). Water availability, light abundance and temperature
variations may influence the abundance and distribution of many plant species. This
study tested the competitive interactions with varied water availability in Grasslands
National Park in southern Canada in an abandoned field.

The levee along the white river near Muncie Central High School, where the
study was conducted, was planted with a uniform seed mix, but over time, the plant

diversity became biased across the levee. The bend in the levee causes part of the levy
to face northward and the other part to face the west. In addition, the slope of the bank
creates a non-uniform water distribution from the top of the slope to the bottom of the
slope. The north facing slope gets smaller amounts of sunlight, and therefore is warmed
by the sun less often. This means that the plants require less water to prevent
overheating in these areas. The westward facing slope receives direct sunlight during
the hottest parts of the day when the temperature is at its peak. Plants on this side of
the slope need to evaporate water more frequently to keep from overheating. Plants at
the top of the levee will contain less soil water than the plants at the bottom of the levee
due to the fact that soil water tends to drain downhill. The differences in the soil water
accessibility to plants and the demand to evaporate water to avoid over heating may
sway the relative competitive capacity of the mixed prairie plant species and weed
species that are prevalent on the levee.
The objective of this study was to investigate the difference in the abundance
between native and non-native species. Based on our findings, we will thus be better
able to understand under what conditions prairie grass is best able to thrive. This can
help determine the best way to not only reintroduce prairie grass to the Mid western
United States but to maintain it as well.

Methods

Plots were measured out on the restored prairie along the White River levee on the
Muncie High School property. The ground is sloped and there are two banks: a north
and west facing bank. The averages for each of the plant species percent coverage will
then be calculated to compare and analyzed using two sample T-tests to determine
which plant species are more abundant on each of the four micro-sites.
In order to record the abundance of the native and invasive species, there were ten two
by two plots for both the top and bottom half of each the north and west facing banks.
Plots were located by measuring each bank with a tape measure and systematically
dividing the entire length of the slope by 10. At the beginning of each section of 10, a
plot was selected in the middle of each the top and the bottom sections of the north and
west banks. Percent cover was calculated by a person standing at each corner of a plot
and eyeing the percent a species covered of that plot. Measurement of the two by two
plots will be determined by meter sticks. Our procedure will consist of using the same
area, but not the same plot. Ten meter square plots will be counted two times a week for
each the north and west facing areas.

Results
In the levee native plant species was significantly higher than nonnative plant
species (p=0.043, 95%CI=-326+/- 313; Table 1). This shows that the native plants have
a better chance of survival then the nonnative plants in this prairie. The average
percentage of the native grasses is higher than the average of the nonnative plants on
the North side of the levee (p=0.016, 95% CI = -182.3 +/- 135.7; table 1). The average
percent coverage of native species is significantly higher than that of nonnative on the

west side of the levee also (p=0.184, 95%CI= -143.7+/- 230.3; table 1). This shows that
the native plants are significantly dominant on both sides of the levee. The only time a
nonnative plant competed with the native plants was honeysuckle in the west/top plots;
figure 1.

Figure 1. This is a 100% stack column chart to show the percentage of each individual plant
species found in the levee. The chart is divided into the north side with top plots/bottom plots
and west side with top plots/bottom plots. The invasive plants on this chart would be the
honeysuckle and the ailanthus. By observing this chart you can see a clear difference in the
abundance of the native plants vs. nonnative plants, with the nonnative plants being very rare in
this levee.
Table 1. <This table compares native vs. invasive plant species in the levee. This chart looked
at both sides of the levee, and also the whole levee with both sides combined. This table shows
that the native species were dominate on both the north and west sides of the levee, this shows
that the levee in general is dominated by native plants, and has very little invasive species.

variables

Mean %

StDev %

SE Mean %

invasive

west

8
8
8

13.7
340
13.6

38.5
373
38.5

14
132
14

slope
Invasive north

.063

.77

.063

slope
Native

157

273

96

native grasses
Invasive

slope

west

Native north

182

162

57

slope

Discussion
The fact that the native prairie plants have a significantly higher abundance than
the non-native plants in all plots of the levee indicates that the native plants have a
stronger chance of survival than nonnative plants in this restored prairie. The native
plants have an advantage over the nonnative plants in this prairie because they appear
to have specific traits or specific combinations of traits that allow them to out compete
the nonnative species that try to intrude. Our study was realistic in the fact that the
experiment took place in a restored prairie, and nothing was tampered with during data
collection. It is important to understand the traits of the plants before trying to restore a
prairie. When restoring a prairie you have to choose certain plants that have the best
traits to survive in the environment or they will be outcompeted by invasive plants.

References
Bakker, J. and Wilson, S. 2001. Competitive abilities of introduced and native grasses.
Plant Ecology, 157, 119-127.
Salesman, J and Thomsen, M. 2011. Smooth Brome (Bromus inermis) in Tallgrass
Prairies: A Review of control Methods and Future Research Directions.
Ecological Restoration, 29:4, 374-381.
Foster, B., Murphy, C., Keller, K., Aschenbach, T., Questad, E. and Kindscher, K. 2007.
Restoration of Prairie Community Structure and Ecosystem Function in an
Abandoned Hayfield: A Sowing Experiment. Restoration Ecology, 15, 652-661.
Theoharides, K and Dukes, J. 2007. Plant invasion across space and time: factors
affecting non-indigenous species success during four stages of invasion. New
Phytologist, 176, 256-273.