Grazing Planted Prairie in WI: Pollinator and Pasture Value

View the project final report

Commodities

Practices

• Crop Production: pollinator habitat

Farmland covers roughly ⅓ of the entire state of WI, with permanent pasture making up about 7% of the total farmland acreage. We know agriculture is a strong driver of biodiversity loss on the landscape that contributes to the disappearance of our native invertebrate pollinators. However, agriculture can also be a dedicated solution to this crisis by providing quality, long term habitat for wildlife. The goal of this project is to assess the effectiveness of planted prairie in supporting both pollinator life and productive cattle forage. We expect that the results from this project will inform if pastures can play a leading role in pollinator conservation and an on-the-ground study for graziers to refer to as they consider where or how prairie fits into their farm and grazing system.

To assess the compatibility of diverse planted prairie as both pollinator habitat and cattle pasture we will survey the nutritional quality, floral resources, and invertebrate pollinator presence in a planted prairie pasture under different grazing pressures. In addition, we will also track how cattle grazing may influence (short-term) the prairie pasture plant community and collect baseline data on soil health in the prairie pasture system.

A diverse prairie mix was planted in the spring of 2019 and managed through two seasons of establishment before being burned and rotationally grazed for the first time in 2022. For this study (2023 - 2024) the prairie pasture was divided into multiple paddocks of 1 - 3 acres to accommodate rotational grazing management and different grazing intensities: with paddocks grazed at 0, 1, and 2 grazings through the growing season. Cattle began grazing in late June or early July and were rotated through each paddock -- grazing for one to two days -- before the paddock was rested a minimum of 40 days before any subsequent grazing (if any) in mid-August. 

From late-May to mid-July 2023 and 2024, we collected bi-weekly (every other week) vegetation samples of native grass species only (no forbs were selected) for lab analysis of forage quality to track how nutrients change throughout the growing season. In June 2023 and 2024 and before any grazing, each prairie paddock was rapidly surveyed for vegetation composition (richness and abundance). In addition, prairie paddocks were surveyed at least three times through the 2023 and 2024 growing season for floral resources (richness and abundance of blooms) and pollinator presence. Floral  surveys were conducted before and after grazing “disturbances” to assess how floral bloom changed through the growing season in the grazed pasture. To the best of our non-lethal means, pollinators will be identified to species level (for butterflies) and morpho-grouping (for native bees) using Xerces’ Upper Midwest Community Science Pollinator Monitoring Guide.

During the two growing seasons of 2023 and 2024, we will:

1. Evaluate forage quality of planted prairie grasses using laboratory diagnosis
2. Evaluate flower richness and abundance through the growing season (June 1 - Oct. 1) of grazed prairie paddocks
3. Survey plant recovery from grazing and changes in plant species composition; specifically looking at changes in cover of functional groupings of species: warm season grasses, cool season grasses, forbs.
4. Survey pollinator presence (bees and butterflies)
5. Record baseline information on soil health of prairie pasture
6. Share findings through a field day, conference presentation, and a published “fact-sheet”