By examining animal and plant biodiversity data collected from tallgrass prairies in Franklin Grove, Illinois between 2016 and 2019, researchers determined that the efficacy of management efforts via prescribed fire or bison reintroduction on restoring both vertebrate and invertebrate animal communities was six times stronger than efforts aimed at increasing plant biodiversity, suggesting that plant diversity alone may not be enough to ensure successful restoration of fauna in ecosystems, according to the authors.
Article #20-15421: "Effects of management outweigh effects of plant diversity on restored animal communities in tallgrass prairies," by Peter W. Guiden et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Peter W. Guiden, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL; tel: 937-545-8926; email: pguiden@niu.edu
###
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences