##  [Development of a Native Plant Prescription for Urban Hydro Rights of Way](/resource/development-native-plant-prescription-urban-hydro-rights-way) 

Organization

[Canadian Land Reclamation Association (CLRA)](/organization/canadian-land-reclamation-association-clra)

[University of Waterloo](/organization/university-waterloo)

 

 

Project

[National CLRA Conference Papers](/project/national-clra-conference-papers)

 

Resource Type

[Report](/taxonomy/term/38)

 

 

Author(s)

Larry Lamb

Roger Suffling

Stephen Murphy

 

 

Resource Date:

1998

 

Page Length

18

 

 

Ontario Hydro must save costs on mown urban rights-of-way, and its conservation policy encourages native vegetation. Thus the Corporation commissioned a study to evaluate whether a community of sown native species of prairie affinity can inhibit tall woody species. The research involves 70, 5 x 5m plots on a gently sloping old-field site, on Bennington series silt loam, at Kitchener, Ontario. The plots have been surveyed annually since 1996 using 7 random, permanent 1.0 x 0.5 m quadrats per plot. In Fall 1996, seed of 7 locally native species of prairie affinity was collected in the Region of Waterloo.

Species were; Canada wild rye \[*Elymus canadensis* L.\], Indian grass \[*Sorghastrum nutans* (L.) Nash\], Big bluestem \[*Andropogon Gerardi* Vitm.\], Little bluestem \[*Schizacyrium scoparium* Michx. (Nees)\], Tick trefoil \[*Desmodium canadense* (L.) DC.\], Black-eyed Susan \[*Rudbeckia hirta* L.\| and Wild bergamot \[*Monarda fistulosa* L.\]. Sixty four plots were prepared and sown using 4 methods: 1\] Fall 1996 glyphosate herbicide \[1% in water applied at 380L/ha\] and fall sowing, 2\] Spring 1997 glyphosate and spring sowing, 3\] Fall 1996 and spring 1997 rototilling and spring sowing, and 4\] No preparation and fall sowing. Each preparation is managed in 4 ways: 1\] Mowing, 2\] Burning, 3\] Mowing and burning and 4\] No management. There are, additionally, 4 true controls neither sown nor managed, and 2 plots planted with plugs. Preliminary establishment results will be discussed in relation to weed competition arising from a soil seed bank that predates the last turning of the soil about 40 years ago.