Woody Vegetation Reduction Effort

Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located on the eastern edge of the prairie pothole region and within the Partners in Flight Northern Tallgrass Prairie/Aspen Parklands physiographic areas. The Nature Conservancy identified this refuge as ?ecologically significant? in the Northern Tallgrass Prairie Ecoregional Plan in 1998 as it exists within an area containing the most important pieces of remaining native prairie along the Red River Valley (Brown et al. 2005). Glacial Ridge NWR is especially important because approximately 5,000 acres of virgin (remnant) prairie and savanna and 12,000 acres of wetlands exist within the acquisition boundary. In addition, 18,000 acres of prairie have been restored (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2005a). Within one mile of the Glacial Ridge NWR boundary lies 7,800 acres of remnant grassland in a combination of private and public ownership (Brown et al. 2005). As such, Glacial Ridge NWR represents a remarkable opportunity to restore disrupted ecological processes, species, and function on a landscape scale. The importance of this is amplified, because tallgrass prairie and savanna are globally endangered ecosystems.
Historically, frequent wildfires and the presence of large ungulate grazers mitigated the constant encroachment of woody species into this landscape. Today, these practices are replicated whenever possible on Glacial Ridge NWR but limitations exist on the number of acres that can be treated annually. This problem is further exacerbated by the fragmented nature and terrain features of some management units that prohibit recurring management actions. In order to reduce the cover of woody at Glacial Ridge NWR, we need to investigate and utilize another disturbance tool that is able to efficiently cover large areas efficiently.

Brown, J., M. Cornett, J. Ekstein, P. Gerla, and S. Wahl. 2005. ?Master
plan for restoration, management, and monitoring at Glacial Ridge.? The Nature Conservancy. 99 pages + appendices.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2005a. ?Draft Environmental Assessment to the Wildland Fire Management Plan for Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge.?