The Significance of Micro-Prairie Reconstruction in Urban Environments

Authors

Bruno Borsari, Winona State University, WinonaFollow
Neal Mundahl, Winona State University, Winona
Malcom F. Vidrine, Cajun Prairie Gardens
Marc Pastorek, Pastorek Habitats LLC

Date of this Version

8-2014

Document Type

Article

Citation

Proceedings of the 23rd North American Prairie Conference, August 2012, University of Manitoba in Winnipeg

The Prairie Naturalist 46: 70-77. August 2014

Comments

Published by the Great Plains Natural Science Society, 2014. Used by permission.

Abstract

An aggressive urban sprawl during the last half century has not only contributed to habitat disturbance and extirpation, as well as a loss of knowledge and appreciation for biodiversity. Across the United States, prairie reconstruction has been a very effective approach for developing sustainable landscape designs in city parks and other open spaces. The purpose of this work is to focus on restoration and reconstruction of selected micro-prairies as a vehicle for enhanced place-based education and to partially remediate the consequences of global climate change and loss of pollinators. From the coastal prairies of southwestern Louisiana, to the eastern edge of the prairie in western Pennsylvania, to the prairies of the bluff region in southeastern Minnesota, this paper presents the accomplishments achieved in the last 18 years of prairie restoration at the micro-landscape level. The micro-prairies presented here also serve as pollinator gardens, with areas that range between 200 m² and 10,000 m². They were restored between 1996 and 2006 and attract on average 140 visitors per year.