In many of our remaining native ecosystems, land management activities like prescribed fire, grazing, and invasive species removal dominate the time and resources of land managers. This presentation will be a broad overview of two studies based at The Nature Conservancy’s Nachusa Grasslands preserve. The first study is an experiment that was designed to determine 1) how prescribed fire and the seasonal timing of basal bark herbicide can be used to effectively control Amur honeysuckle, and 2) how the surrounding native plant community is affected by the herbicide. The second study used a new and exciting method to see how the number and abundance of Nachusa’s small mammal and dung beetle species changes in response to American bison reintroduction and prescribed fire. Together, the results of these studies offer helpful insight to land managers so they can better strategize management activities for the best possible conservation impact.
Mice, voles, beetles, and native plants: A tour of their responses to management at Nachusa Grasslands, Illinois
Webcast Video
Guests
Katharine Hogan
Northern Illinois University
Post-Doctoral Researcher
Katharine is currently a post-doctoral researcher at Northern Illinois University, having received her Ph.D. in Natural Resources Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2022. The inspiration for her doctoral work in Nebraska and current research in Illinois came from her work in habitat restoration and management across the country since 2009. Hogan's career is focused on creating and strengthening bridges between core conservation science and the front lines of habitat management and restoration, allowing for the more effective conservation of our world.