Grasslands Habitat: Balancing Conservation and Sustainable Management
Once spanning more than 2 million square kilometers, the grassland and wildflower prairies of North America and their deep, perennial root systems provided the foundation of the continent’s biodiversity and ecosystem services. Over 1,000 unique wildlife species rely on this once expansive biome for shelter, sustenance, and preservation. Unfortunately, less than 38% of historic native grasslands remain. As commercial enterprises and agriculture expand, grasslands are diminishing at their fastest rate in history. However, regenerative methods coupled with informed ecological knowledge can not only reduce habitat loss and restore native grasslands, but uplift myriad ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, enhanced water quality, and agricultural yields through trophic benefits to native pollinators.
Join this webinar with grasslands experts as they discuss the background, implementation, and management of native grassland and wildflower prairies. Topics covered will include planning and planting for a successful ecosystem, seed selection and where to source your seeds, land/site preparations, strategy implementation, and long-term management practices. The webinar will conclude with a brief Q&A.
What you’ll learn:
- An understanding of the general ecology of native grasslands, the types of grasslands, and the land-use history and pressures to North America’s prairies
- Best management practices for initiating grassland restoration and management into perpetuity resources, guidance, and “how to” scenarios for grassland opportunities at non-traditional landscapes, such as corporate campuses, Right-of-Ways and utility corridors, and manufacturing/industrial landscapes
Who should take this webinar:
- Anyone looking for introductory backgrounds on North American grassland and wildflower ecologies
- Anyone seeking to enhance native perennial landscapes in non-traditional conservation applications
- Anyone interested in co-benefits of native perennial ecosystems, including carbon sequestration, declining species focused initiatives (e.g., monarchs, grassland birds), community solar development, and landscape-level pollinator uplift
Presenters:
- Dr. Anthony D. Falk, Director, Texas Native Seeds Program, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University – Kingsville
- Mark Fiely, Horticulturist, Ernst Conservation Seeds
- Brian Hays, Reclamation Specialist, Bamert Seed Company
- Mitchell Robinson, Consultant, Tandem Global (Moderator)