2024 Annual Work Plan for Zoerb Prairie

I.     Review of Management Plan Goals, Threats/Concerns and Objectives

GOAL

Primary

- The overriding management goal for the Property is to recover and maintain as much of the site’s original prairie ecosystems for the ecological health of the La Crosse area, while providing areas around the edges into which the prairie can expand.

Secondary

- Preserve the remnant as an outstanding example of a unique native ecosystem, serving as one of several  “showcase prairies” in Hixon Forest and the surrounding bluffs.

- To provide habitat for native species that are associated with grassland/prairie ecosystems and preserve the genetic and biological diversity that is found in that ecosystem.

- For the benefit of current and future generations so they may experience, enjoy, and learn from such natural areas.

THREATS/CONCERNS (highest to lowest)

1)    Woody species invasion, including both native and non-native trees and shrubs, especially common buckthorn, honeysuckle, and Oriental bittersweet.

2)    Non-native invasive grasses and forbs on the prairie and adjacent woodlands. 

OBJECTIVES (highest to lowest priority)

1)    Maintain the remnant prairie as an open prairie as free of shrubs as possible with only a few selected trees, usually bur oaks.

2)    The prairie should be as free of non-native species as possible.

3)    Expand the prairie into adjacent areas where possible defined as the first buffer by continuing to disperse seed into this area.

4)    Maintain a second buffer of low canopy cover woodlands as free of invasive species as possible, especially berry producing plants, and to possibly include as a long term goal the creation of a savanna working from below the lower prairie and buffer down to Hickory Trail. A combination of cut and treat and foliar spray will be used in the second buffer.

II.  2024 Management Needs and Methods

(Suggested method details are in the Management Plan)

A.   Control non-clonal trees and brush with cut and treat (listed in order of priority)

1.     On the central prairie, cut and treat undesirable woody vegetation when conditions are favorable, but favor late fall and winter when damage from trampling is least likely. Woody vegetation on the central prairie should be relatively sparse at this point in the restoration effort. This work should be done by experienced practitioners and with very careful use of herbicides to prevent collateral damage. Cuttings can be left in place.

2.     Continue to improve the quality of the first buffer with the goal to continue to expand the prairie into this buffer by dispersing seed collected from the central prairie while cutting and treating undesired woody plants. Cutting and treating can be done any time of year by volunteer groups except early spring is usually avoided and, as on the central prairie, should be done with careful use of herbicide.

3.     Continue to improve the extent and quality of the second buffer by cutting and treating, especially close berry producing plants, as well as with selective foliar spraying. Removal of dead aspen on the upper edge near Birch Trail and previously girdled as well as other trees on the upper east can be done any time during the year.

4.     Consider slowly expanding the lower second buffer with a long term possible goal to form a savanna extending to Hickory Trail.

B.    Control aspen clones

1.     Girdle any remaining large stems in May, with a few known isolated trees still present below the central area of the cliff.

2.     Monitor the central prairie for stems and consider a double cut around July 1 and August 1.

C.    Control sumac clones

1.     Monitor the central prairie and buffers and consider a double cut around July 1 and August 1 if felt to be needed, though there is very little sumac left at this point.

D.   Control Black Locust

1.   Monitor for new resprouts and use cut and treat on the central prairie and first buffer, and cut and treat, basal bark, or foliar treatment in the second buffer and into the surrounding woods to control. Consider adding Milestone to triclopyr for black locust.

2.   Monitor for any missed large stems that are part of clone in the surrounding woods.

E.    Control Crown vetch

1.     Monitor for vetch along the trail at the top and the one clone below.

2.     Carefully treat with clopyralid (Transline), or if very little then repeatedly pull.

F.    Seed collection and planting

1.     Collect seed mostly in the fall, but consider other times of year as well for plants producing seeds earlier in the year.

2.     Broadcast the seed into the first buffer in late fall or early winter.

G.  A prescribed burn is planned for the fall/winter of 2024

III. Management Record Keeping (from Management Plan)

Site steward for the Property for 2024 will be Jon Rigden.  The steward will keep records of all management activities. All management activities must be reported to the steward for record keeping.

Summary of 2023:

2023 was a productive year on Zoerb Prairie, as documented on the attached spread sheet. A total of 183.5 volunteer hours were spent working on the prairie.

Accomplishments included burning several brush piles in the early months of 2023, improving the quality of the intact prairie and buffers by cutting and treating undesirable woody vegetation such as buckthorn, honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet, and black locust. Herbicide was used very cautiously on the intact prairie for cut and treat with Buckthorn Blasters and was 20% triclopyr 4 in bark oil. Several dead aspen trees were removed above Birch Trail. Crown vetch along Birch Trail was pulled by hand. Seed was collected from the prairie in the fall and dispersed on 12/30/23 into the first buffer on the top of the prairie on both sides of the spur and Birch trails, but also along the first buffer along the east and west sides.

Note that cylindrical blazing star seeds were collected from Vista Prairie in the fall of 2023 and dispersed in December, and pasqueflower seeds from Lookout in the spring of 2023 and dispersed along the upper spur trail and lower cliff edge. In 2022, compass-plant seeds were collected on Lookout and dispersed in the fall of 2022 in the central prairie area.

List of prairie plant species found during plant surveys starting in 2019- no new species added in 2023.

Zoerb Prairie on March 2024