native prairie and pollinator habitat management...native plant communities creating and maintaining...

Native Prairie and

Pollinator Habitat

Management

Jake Janski – Ecologist - Minnesota Native Landscapes

Restoring and Managing Native Plant Communities

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

Restoring and Managing Native Plant Communities

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

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

Pollinators in Native Plant Communities

Native Plants and Native Pollinators have coevolved to each’s benefit

Plant Material

fritzhaeg.com

Pollinator Habitat

Quality Habitats Provide: Shelter for all life stages

Overwintering

Larval

Pupation

Pollinators in Native Plant Communities

Native plants and Native Pollinators have coevolved to each’s benefit

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!

Jake Janski

MNLcorp.com

jake@mnlcorp.com

(612) 490-5992

Questions?

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/