Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a perennial bunchgrass that is a major component of many vegetation communities across the country and has different ecotypes characteristic of those environments. Seed source may influence success of planting due to differences in the growth habits of those ecotypes. In the “Wiregrass gap” of South Carolina, it is the species responsible for carrying the surface fires that maintain longleaf pine savannas. Within this area in the Carolina Sandhills is the Camden Battlefield and Longleaf Pine Preserve, a recently initiated longleaf pine savanna restoration project that is currently made up of loblolly plantation and mixed pine/hardwood stands. One of the first goals for this restoration is to increase the S. scoparium population in order to reinstate the fire regime. In order to meet this objective three variables thought to influence seedling establishment were tested: silvicultural treatment, site preparation technique, and seed source. To answer these questions and aid managers in meeting restoration goals, seeds were acquired from Roundstone Seed Company and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and broadcast seeded over plots in thinned and clearcut stands that were given different site preparation treatments (raked away aboveground competition, dug/disked belowground competition, or left undisturbed). Seeds were planted March 8th and monitored for growth and presence/absence bi-monthly until August 20th.
Results/Conclusions
Seedling survival in this experiment was low, and statistical analysis showed that none of the variables had any significant impact on seedling establishment or persistence. Low significance signifies flexibility when making restoration decisions, but low seedling establishment overall may be caused by external factors such as limited available water and seed herbivory. The experiment will be repeated again this growing season but herbivores will be excluded from the experimental plots and plots will receive supplemental water in an effort to mitigate detrimental environmental pressures.