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Methods for Experiment 091 -

Burning LTER Plots

All of the burning done within LTER experiments at Cedar Creek Natural History Area are done in late April or early May. Burn permits are issued to Cedar Creek Natural History Area for this time, and the following areas within Cedar Creek, by the Department of Natural Resources (headquarters in Cambridge, MN). In all cases, several people are on hand to help contain the fire. Tools used are "flappers", shovels and hand-pumped, portable water spray-cans. Drip torches containing a mixture of 1/3 gasoline and 2/3 diesel are used to start the fires. A truck carrying a high pressure water sprayer hooked up to a 125 gallon tank of water is always nearby. After the fires are burned out, any remaining hotspots are extinguished or moved to the center of the burned area to insure the prevention of wildfires. 125 gallon water tank and Minnesota Warmer Co. model KW125-7-10 utility sprayer.

Burning Methods

Experiment 91 is in field D which is within burn compartment #6 (106). This field is burned 2 years out of every three. For a description of burning methods, see E015.

Field Operations: Burning

Field D is within burn compartment #6 (106). This field is burned 2 years out of every three.

Sampling

1991: The number of grass seedlings and forb seedlings were each counted, in late July, in the center 1m x 1m square of each plot. Percent cover estimates were done, in late July, of the established vegetation (non-seedling) in the center 1m x 1m square of each plot. The number of grass seedlings and forb seedlings were each counted, in late August, in the center 1m x 1m square of each plot. Percent cover estimates were done, in late August, of the vegetation (established and seedling) in the center 1m x 1m square of each plot. 1992: Seedlings were counted and percent cover estimates were done on the center 1m X 1m of each plot. 1993: Percent cover estimates were done on the center 1m X 1m of each plot.

Treatment layout : trmte91

Notes: Vegetation Treatment 1 = A = complete control 2 = B = raked control 3 = C = +Forbs seed (see "other notes") 4 = D = +Grass seed (see "other notes") 5 = E = +Forbs & Grasses seed Other Notes: Treatment: C. + Forbs Seed -Add 66g of mixed forb seed (10g of wild flower mix plus 45g of custom prairie mix) per 1.5 x 1.5m plot. This is approximately 10, 000 seeds/m2. D. + Grass Seed -Add 86g of Schizachyrium and Andropogon seed (75% seed; rest is misc. plant material). 43g of each species. E. + Forbs & Grasses Seed -Add 66g of mixed forbs and 86g of mixed grass (as above). Species Added: + Grass Seed = Andropogon gerardi and Schizachyrium scoparium + Forbs Seed = Custom Prairie Mix: Allium stellatum Antennaria neglecta Asclepias tuberosa Aster ericoides Heuchera richardsonii Helianthus petiolaris Houstonia longifolia Lespedeza capitata Penstemon gracilis Penstemon grandiflorus Rosa arkansana Wildflower Mix: Achillea millefolium Agastache foeniculum Amorpha canescens Aster azureus Coreopsis palmata Heliopsis helianthoides Lespedeza capitata Liatris aspera Petalostemum purpureum Rudbeckia hirta Solidago rigida Verbena stricta Zizia aurea

Vegetation Sampling Methods

E091 is in field D. Sampling was started in 1991. A wooden frame 1m x 1m was placed in the center of each plot. Percent cover estimates of vegetation within the frame were done. Counts of grass and forb seedlings within the 1m x 1m frame were also done. Documentation on what is sampled each year can be found in the following section.