Tallgrass prairie is one of the most threatened habitats in the midwestern United States, with less than 1% of original native prairie remaining in relatively small and isolated patches. Small mammal seed predators are important aspects of these communities, as they influence plant recruitment and structure by consuming seeds and plant matter. In addition, plant litter provides an import refuge for small mammals avoiding predation. However, there has been little to no research on the effects of varying levels of plant litter longitudinally throughout all seasons on seed predation intensity. We seek to measure the impact of management decisions like burn timing and mowing on rodent seed predation in restored tallgrass prairies in Wisconsin. Seed predation was quantified with a giving up density model using native Sorghastrum nutans seeds in plots that were subjected to either a spring burn, fall burn, fall mow, or unmanipulated control to alter plant litter levels. Monthly trials began in June 2018 and will continue through May 2019. We have monitored seed predation monthly from June 2018 to February 2019 in 8 replicate blocks including all treatments.
Results/Conclusions
We found that seed predation was lowest during the summer and increased into the fall. Burning and mowing resulted in significant reductions (p<0.001) of seed predation during a time when seed predation was otherwise very high in the control plots. This is likely related to decreased litter cover, which exposes rodents to increased predation risk. Overall, both the presence of litter and time of year had important effects on the amount of seed predation. This informs how prairie restoration and management decisions like prescribed fire timing and mowing affect seed predation intensity in restored prairies.