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The General Importance Of The Grass Family To The Prairie

Poachea (Grass)

The general importance of the grass family to the prairie and other notes.

The grasses contribute most of the prairies plant biomass and provide fuel for prairie fires.  Humus form the delay of their dee and extensive rood systems are mainly responsible for the rich, black color of grassland soils.

The growth habit of prairie grasses is sod-forming or bunch-forming, or both.  Sod-forming grasses, such as cordgrass and witch grass, reproduce sexually from seed and asexually fro underground stems called rhizomes.  The rhizomes extend horizontally from a few inched to a few feet to form the parent plant and produce new shoots from their tips from the nodes along the stem.  This results in a dense strand of shoots that compactly occupy the soil.  A few sod-forming grasses also reproduce from horizontal stems above the ground called stolons.

Bunching-forming grasses have an erect growth of shoots at their base. These shoots are called tillers.  Little bluestem and prairie dropseed are bunch-forming grasses. Like sod-forming grasses, bunch-forming grasses reproduce sexually and asexually.  Sometimes a grass species, such as big bluestem , may have son-forming and bunch-forming growth habitats.

Besides the taxonois classification, prairie grasses may be grouped according to their climatic origin as the cool-season or warm-season grasses.  Cool-season grasses, such as needlegrass and bluejoint are of other origin  They renew their growth in early spring and usually mature from April to early July.  Cool-season greases become semi-dormant during the hot summer months and renew growth during autumn.  By contrast, Warm Season grasses, such as big and little bluesteam, begin growth late spring and grow continuously during the summer and into early fall.  They mature during mid-fall.  Warm-Season and cool-season grasses mingle freely as their requirements overlap.

Grasse have several anatomical features which enable them to flourish in the relatively harsh environment of the prairie.  Some of the anatomical feature include:

  • The deep root system that reaches depths of 2-4 meters and branch profusely, enabling the grasses to obtain water during periods of drought.
  • Tough steam reinforced buy silicon oxide, which enables the grasses to withstand high winds and
  • Specialized hinges cells in the upper epidermis of the leaf. During periods of drought, they lose water rapidly, then contact and cause the leaf to roll up in the long tube.  The pores thought which water vapor is normally transpired are now inside the tube, while the exposed lower surface of the leaf is highly resistant to water loss.

Many of these grasses provide eco-friendly and sustainable landscaping techniques.  Many landscape designers are using natural prairie grasses to cut down on maintenance costs, improve the natural habitat for local wildlife, reduce soil erosion and reducing the use of herbicides and pesticides. To order

Snow & Ice Management

Snow Management

Winter is upon us and that means chill winds and hours upon hours of snowfall. In some places, snowfall can pile up several inches and cover everything in white sheet of nothingness. While it may be a pretty sight, the consequences are far from pretty.

Yes, we want a white Christmas, but when the snow stops life in its tracks it can be really inconvenient. Snow deposition can prevent vehicular flow, halt businesses from operating and may require schools to close down. Life as we know it can get hampered severely by continuous snowfall. So, below are some ways to deal with the problem to an extent:

  • Chemical de-icing:

Chemicals such as the normal rock salt or sodium chloride are used to melt away the snow. This technique is really cheap since everyone has salt in their homes and sprinkling some can help thaw the snow and make it less of an obstruction. However, the method will only do the trick if conditions are not too cold and there is some water present among the snow for the salt or other de-icers to do their job.

  • Using snow blowers, shovels or snow pushers:

Another way to deal with the menace of excessive snow outside your pavement or sidewalk is the use of snow blowers or shovels or even snow pushers. These are easily available and are extremely affordable. Snow blowers make use of the air pressure to ‘blow’ away the snow, acting as a reverse vacuum.

Similarly, shovels can be used to soften and move snow from an area that needs to be cleared to an area which is not a pathway. Snow pushers also act to achieve the same by helping users push the snow away to a different location.

These are naturally only good for small-scale snow removal, like outside a house, but can be tedious and impossible outside a huge commercial property, say a school.

  • Use of heavy machinery:

Heavy duty machines with various attachments and levels of snow removal capabilities can be rented to remove snow on a large scale. Huge commercial properties can either rent equipment and services or sign a contract with a snow removal firm that own snow removal vehicles. The equipment is huge and able to get rid of an enormous amount of snow in a short period of time.

Commercial properties find it necessary to hire such service every winter and signing a contract with a reliable firm simplifies things greatly.

Managing snow:

The best way of really managing snow is by prepping for it. Pre-emptive action is necessary before things get out of control. So throwing brine solution on roads, hiring a snow plowing service before time and getting all the tools and equipment necessary to remove snow ready.

To fight snow one must strategize beforehand. Once the snow starts to fall and continues to pile up and solidify there is very little that can be done unless you are prepared. So if you do not wish to face the consequences of extreme snowfall, then start managing the problem before it even arises.

Landscaping to Attract Native Bird Species

If you are looking to attract more birds to your yard it may take a little bit for than a new birdfeeder and keeping the bird bath filled.  Wild birds are in much more need than what you may think.  The backyard birds are in need of shelter, food, water, nesting materials & nesting locations.  Providing the right habitat is the key to attracting multiple types of native birds to your backyard.

Consider Native Species

When considering what types of plants to install into your yard, think about planting native species.  A good gardener will use native plants species when considering trees, grasses, flowing beds, shrubs, and berry bushes.  Native wildlife will be familiar with the local plant sources of rich food that the wild birds are accustomed to.   Non-native or exotic plant species may be nice but they will not attract the birds.

There is another benefit to planting local native species. The local plant species are adapted to the climate and are suited for the conditions that they will be planted in.   They may require less fertilizer or watering bringing down the maintenance cost to your healthy and beautiful landscape. To learn about what native plant may be suited to your geographic area consult a local nursery or a local landscape company.

 

Plants Provide Layers of Vegetation

Plants provide a variety of layers of plants for the birds to use. The local bird species will be accustomed to the local vegetation and how to use it in your planting region.  Some bird may like berries in native shrubbery while other may prefer foraging in the vegetation the is lower to the ground.  Different birds require different nesting requirements and material for making those nest.   For example, spiders often prefer vines such as silver lace.  With spiders come spider webs.  Hummingbirds gather these spider webs with their beaks to make their nests.  Finches also use the soft cotton like material from the seed to make very soft nests for their young and may even make their tiny nests within the silver lace vine itself.

Choose plants that grow at different heights to provide the layers of vegetation that will attract the local fowl.  When planting, space the vegetation appropriately so that you can design and layered effect. Surround larger trees with shrubs. Those scrubs then can be bordered by taller grasses and flowers that are closer to the ground.  Doing this will provide the attraction that local bird species need in your yard and without being overcrowded.

Planting with Pant Density

Planting vegetation with density is important for the birds for feeling safe and it provides adequate shelter. To provide shelter in your backyard create denser areas that can shield the local bird wildlife from hawks and cats.   Roosting fowl also prefer dense vegetation so they can make their nests and turning the local wildlife into permeate residence.

Add vegetation density by creating clumps of vegetation using corridors where the bird can feel safe. For example, a narrow longer bed of a variety of vegetation will make the birds feel more secure than scattered planting beds.  Dense vegetation looks good at the borders of buildings and along yard borders.

Open Areas

Open areas in your yard have the least amount of food and shelter from predators.  Reduce these open spaces by planting trees, widening flower beads, and adding shrubs.  Adding will provide adequate shelter and reduce the time you are mowing the lawn.

A perfect way to attract bird is not with a perfectly manicured lawn.  Brush piles, leaves, tall uncut grasses are very attractive to native birds because they provide an abundance of food and material to forage through.  A bird’s natural habitat will have the abundance of material like this to hunt for bugs and it provides great nesting material.   You don’t necessarily need to turn your backyard into an urban jungle however you can leave some areas of your landscape “natural” and sill enjoy the benefits of a perfect landscape in other locations.  Let the flowers and seeding plants go to seed without pruning them. This will provide additional food for the birds.

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