Archive
Prairie Restoration “Tricks of the Trade”
Conservation Maven points out a great article about what works and what doesn’t when restoring native prairie.
Managing Alternative Pollinators: A Handbook for Beekeepers, Growers and Conservationists
From SARE, a new conservation planning document for pollinators. 
“ ‘Managing Alternative Pollinators: A Handbook for Beekeepers, Growers and Conservationists‘ is a first-of-its-kind, step-by-step, full-color guide for rearing and managing bumble bees, mason bees, leafcutter bees and other bee species that provide pollination alternatives to the rapidly declining honey bee.”
Thanks to my graduate student Jolie Goldenetz-Dollar for finding this.
Bobwhite Restoration Project
My colleagues just completed a multi-state northern bobwhite research initiative. The final report was just published by NRCS and is available online. It summarizes a suite of research projects that will improve conservation on farms. A quote from the Foreward should pique your interest – “You will find clear, concise recommendations and the kind of conservation practices to use on your farm or recommend to others for quail restoration. Much of the bobwhite’s needs are supported by farm bill programs approved by Congress and administered by USDA NRCS.” – L. Pete Heard
Managing Invasive Species
Southern Forests Network has compiled some great resources about identifying and managing invasive species HERE. The resources include:
Invasive Plants of the United States: Identification, Biology and Control provides identification, ecology, and control information for invasive plants in the United States occurring in aquatic, wetland, forest, rangeland, desert, or prairie habitats.
Invasive Plants Field and Reference Guide: An Ecological Perspective of Plant Invaders of Forests and Woodlands gives a scientific synthesis of what is known about the behavior of such species in managed, disturbed, and pristine forested systems in addition to key information for accurate identification.
Native Pollinators in Agriculture Video
Corridors for Conservation
USDA has published a new 136-page corridor manual:
Bentrup, G. 2008. Conservation Buffers: Design Guidelines for Buffers, Corridors, and Greenways. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-109. USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station.
This is the NEW best corridor manual in existence, a planning tool following up Conservation Corridor Planning at the Landscape Level (the “old” best corridor manual reviewed earlier by yours truly). This new manual is designed for use in the field. It is small and spiral bound. It has great diagrams, rules of thumb for the practical landowner, and it describes design guidelines for 7 major objectives – water quality, biodiversity, productive soils, economic opportunities, protection & safety, aesthetics & visual quality, and outdoor recreation. Importantly, it updates the science and includes recommendations for both urban and agricultural landscapes.
At www.bufferguidelines.net, you can also download the bibliography ( 1,400+ references!), case studies and slideshows that complement the guide. Available as a free downloadable pdf or order it as a spiral bound copy.
One caveat: This new manual does not make the “old” best corridor manual – Conservation Corridor Planning at the Landscape Level – obsolete. The old manual is a different type of publication – more like a textbook with more detailed explanations of the theories behind design principles and numerous detailed case studies. For classroom study or for designing comprehensive management plans, the first corridor manual is still “required reading.”
Field Borders for Wildlife
Missouri Extension has published a great guide for installing field borders (herbaceous strips of vegetation replacing crops at field edges) entitled Field borders for agronomic, economic and wildlife benefits. The document illustrates some important principles of corridor design that we focus on in my course, but that are not incorporated (intentionally!) into farm plans nearly enough. The document is b/w, but color versions of the pictures can be viewed on the html version HERE.
Prescribed Burning Podcast
Nice little documentary about prescribed burning in Florida longleaf pine system from Terra.
Creating habitat on your slice of heaven.
Living the Country Life has articles on creating wildlife on your property in cooperation with Pheasants Forever and New Holland.
