Fire and mowing have effects on the density of Asteraceae and Fabaceae

Abstract

Burning and mowing are two common prairie restoration/reconstruction tools. Both are important in determining the prairies composition of forbs. We investigated effects on Asteraceae and Fabaceae, the two most common forb families on the tallgrass prairie. We measured the density of both families and species belonging to these families on plots where mowing and burning were treatments. Burning led to a significant increase in the density of Fabaceae but not Asteraceae. Mowing had a significant effect on Amorpha canescens and Solidago sp. The effects of these treatments indicate that they influence the presence of the two largest forb families on tallgrass prairie in Central Iowa.