Management Jake Janski Ecologist - Minnesota Native Landscapes Re - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Native Prairie and Pollinator Habitat Management Jake Janski – Ecologist - Minnesota Native Landscapes

Re Restoring storing an and Ma Mana naging ging Na Nativ ive e Pla Plant nt Co Commu mmuni nities ties  Creating and Maintaining a wide variety of Pollinator Habitats in the Upper Midwest  Growing, installing and selling native seeds and plants  Wildflowers, Prairie Grasses, Wetland Sedges

Re Restoring storing an and Ma Mana naging ging Na Nativ ive e Pla Plant nt Co Commu mmuni nities ties  15 years on the ground working with plants and people, on private and public lands  Installation, Management, Planning, Consultation and Design  12 years managing seeded, planted or remnant plant communities  Prairie, Wetland, Shoreline, Wetland, Savanna, Woodland  Commercial applicator for 14 years

Native Prairie and Pollinator Habitat Management

Pollinator Benefits  Human Food Supply  Direct and indirect food production  Food supply for wildlife  Summer months- prey  Winter months- seeds  Native plant reproduction  Ensuring a diverse seed bank  Plant movement and colonization over the landscape  Promotes healthy habitats for themselves and other wildlife

Pollinators share their habitats!

Pollinator Concerns  Population declines  Habitat  Loss  Reduced quality  Pesticides  Some known insecticide impacts  Impacts from many other pesticides not clear  Indirect impacts- non fatal but potential for other harms  Chronic toxicity- not fully understood  Disease  Increased susceptibility because of other factors

Pollinators in Minnesota  A wide array of native insect pollinator species are found in MN  Bees- 350+  Butterflies- 100+  Moths- 2000+

Pollinators in Minnesota  Bees  In MN, only 5% of bee species are Honey Bees and Bumble Bees

Pollinators in Minnesota  Butterflies

Pollinators in Minnesota  Moths

Pollinators in Minnesota  Other native insect pollinator species found in MN  Wasps  Ants  Beetles  Flies

Pollinators in Minnesota  Honeybees  Non native, “livestock”

Pollinator Habitat  Pollinators in Native Plant Communities  Native P lants and Native Pollinators have coevolved to each’s benefit  Quality Habitats Provide: Forage  Pollen- Protein and Fats  Building materials, food for larvae  Nectar- Carbohydrate and Sugars  Immediate energy needs, refunded and stored  Vegetation- Plant materials  Larval food, nest building

Plant Material fritzhaeg.com

Pollinator Habitat  Pollinators in Native Plant Communities  Native plants and Native Pollinators have coevolved to each’s benefit  Quality Habitats Provide: Shelter for all life stages  Overwintering  Larval  Pupation  Shelter Types:  Cavities- Hollow plant stems for egg deposit and larval development  Vegetation- Hanging a chrysalis/ cocoon  Open soils- Ground nesting bees (70%)  Burrows- Bumble bee colonies  Dead wood- Tunnels made into soft pith

Shelter

Pollinator Habitat  Prairies  Diverse collection of primarily grasses, sedges and forbs with occasional shrubs  Open grasslands, restored plantings, treeless corridors, cleared woodlands, roadsides, meadows, etc.  Essential mid and late season food sources, shelter at all life phases

Pollinator Habitat  Prairies and wetlands

Pollinator Habitat  Prairies  Diverse collection of primarily grasses, sedges and forbs with component of shrubs  Open grasslands, restored plantings, treeless corridors, cleared woodlands, roadsides, meadows, etc.  Essential mid and late season food sources, shelter at all life phases  Savannas and Woodlands  Trees, shrubs, forbs, grasses and sedges  Early and late season food sources, many shelter opportunities

Pollinator Habitat  Savannas and Woodlands

Pollinator Habitat Management  Best Management Practices  Avoid high quality habitat altogether  Avoid treatments during times of daily peak pollinator activity  Avoid treatments in certain areas at certain times of the year  Provide refugia in or around intensive work areas  Avoid insecticides, especially neonicotinoids

Pollinator Habitat Management  Site Assessments Are Key  Determine the quality of the habitat within you work area(s)  Determine if high quality areas can be treated early in the day, or very late  Determine if woodlands can be treated in summer, prairies in spring  Determine if any areas can be completely avoided at this time  Determine if insecticides or herbicides are needed to achieve the site goals  Is Integrated Pest Management (IPM) part of your planning?  Optimally, IPM addresses the root cause of the problem using all available practices  Based on a site’s individual needs and characteristic

Habitat Management  IPM Implementation  Spraying- Treating certain perennial weeds and site prep  Mowing- Control annual and biennial weeds  Burning- Rejuvenating native species and controlling woodies  Haying- Removing excessive material where burning may not be possible  Grazing- Defoliating woody regrowth or other targeted weed types  Weeding- Removing small populations of weeds in sensitive areas  No Action- Allowing nature to do the work over time  Biocontrol- Available for certain species

Habitat Management  When pesticides are appropriate:  Know what the label allows and/or requires  Read carefully the “Directions for Use” AND “Environmental Hazards” sections.  Look for any Pollinator or Bee restrictions  Even if no restriction exist at this time, consider the unknowns

Habitat Management  IPM: Broadcast spraying before weeds bloom, when pollinators aren’t active

Habitat Management  IPM: Prescribed burning to invigorate desirable native species

Habitat Management  IPM: Mowing annual/ biennial weeds before blooming

Habitat Management  IPM: Hand weeding individuals with small populations

Habitat Management  Pesticide Applications: When timing cannot be controlled, make other adjustments  Application methods  Spot treatments verses broadcast spraying  Wicking verses spraying  Reduce off-target drift  Lower pressure to increase droplet size  Leave a buffer zone

Habitat Management  Additional BMPs for Pollinator Habitat  Leave dead herbaceous material standing over winter  Leave dead and decaying wood in place  Large scale disturbances should be rotated throughout a site over time  Re-seed treated sites

Habitat Management  Everything you do in natural areas will affect the pollinators that depend on that plant community.  It’s far easier, cheaper and more effective to protect species than it is to revive them.  Consider all of your options. Then do what you can to do a little harm as you can!

Questions ? Jake Janski MNLcorp.com jake@mnlcorp.com (612) 490-5992

Additional Resources on Protecting Pollinators and Their Habitats MDA: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/bm ps/pollinators.aspx MN DNR: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/pollinator_resour ces/index.html/ Pollinators of Native Plants: http://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com/ The Xerces Society: http://www.xerces.org/ Driftwatch: https://driftwatch.org/