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Re: How to define a successful prairie restoration?

Alan Rider and others who found his querying essay compelling:

You didn't mention the age of your planting full of  New England 
asters and fleabanes, but I'm guessing it's rather young (<5 yrs).
It should however be considered successful, as it has progressed 
thus far. We need to keep in mind that our planted prairies, even the 
best ones several decades old, are still no match in complexity, 
species richness and interactions (especially in the microbial and 
invertebrate components) as even some of  the more degraded 
remnants, which are thousands of years old.

There is no doubt that many native plants such as some asters and 
sunflowers are "aggressive", especially in early succesional 
communities, and that many exotic plants are highly attractive to our 
native species. Indeed, one of the reasons that exotic honeysuckles 
and privets of one kind or another are such pests in most of eastern 
US is that their plump fruits are eaten so eagerly and the seeds 
dispersed by migrating songbirds.

In one sense, only the people of the future will know how successful 
our prairie plantings are, but we can certainly take pleasure and 
pride in every new native species that utilizes the habitat and even 
more so if they establish healthy, reproducing populations there.

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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