Species coexistence in restored grassland plant communities: trait-based recruitment, niche-neutral assembly, and heterogeneous management

Abstract

This dissertation examines multiple facets of recruitment in restored tallgrass prairies to address basic ecological questions with implications for enhancing the diversity of tallgrass restorations. In the first chapter, a manipulative field experiment demonstrated that increased recruitment in response to propagule pressure moderates stochastic structuring of sown plant communities. Furthermore, increased propagule pressure revealed species-sorting dynamics resulting in compositional divergence among disturbance treatments. In the second chapter, recruitment data was compiled from throughout the tallgrass prairie region to illustrate significant relationships between plant traits and the recruitment of species sown in restorations. In the third chapter, manipulative field experiments conducted at three tallgrass research areas demonstrated that the application of mosaic disturbance regimes within a single restoration site can maximize plant community diversity. These studies collectively demonstrate how recruitment processes influence species diversity and composition in restored grasslands, providing valuable insights for the restoration of tallgrass prairies.