Summer burning decreases density of <em>L. cuneata</em> but does not effect species diversity

Abstract

Efforts to restore the tallgrass prairie frequently employ the use of prescribed burning, and burning is conducted in different seasons to help control invasive species and promote high species diversity. Our study examined how season of burn affects Lespedeza cuneata, an invasive non-native species, and species diversity in experimental reconstructed prairie. We also studied the soil composition of the experimental plots to determine the effects of soil on our species density and diversity data. Our results suggest that summer burning is most effective in controlling the population of L. cuneata, and with continued application summer burning could significantly decrease the population.