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Re: Weed killing / wildflower questions

James Trager:  The information below is very helpful, thank you!
Nick Kaufmann

>Nick Kaufmann:
>
>There is no long-term harm in harvesting 90% of your blazing star 
>seed for one year, as long as you harvest less in future years. In 
>terms of biological fitness of these perennial prairie plants, seeds 
>dispersing to a restoration project where they have, say, a 5% chance 
>of surviving to adulthood is far better than staying near the parents 
>and fighting with the established vegetation for a fraction of a 1% 
>chance of survival. The reason for leaving behind seed is to maintain 
>a "seed bank", i.e. a cache of ungerminated seed in the soil which 
>can replace the adults that die off naturally or which are wiped out 
>by an epidemic, a big surge in vole populations, or what-have-you.
>
>There have been problems reported of diminishing populations of wild 
>plants from which seed has been heavily collected year after year. 
>There is also the problem of seed collectors taking seed from 
>public natural areas and private lands without permission, which is 
>unethical even if not harmful. With the rising interest in prairie 
>restoration, we should all take care that our seed-gathering doesn't 
>endanger the populations gathered from, nor step on the toes of the 
>people in charge of protecting and managing them.
>
>
>James C. Trager
>Shaw Arboretum
>P.O. Box 38
>Gray Summit MO 63039
>PH# 314-451-3512
>FAX 314-451-5583
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>
Nick Kaufmann, Executive Director
OSLO
Wisconsin Out-of-State Land Owners Ass'n, Inc.
Box 46108
Madison, WI 53744 

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