These are the distinct plant community habitats within our pocket prairies. Treatments one and two utilize vegetation that naturally exists on the vacant lot, while treatments 3-8 were seeded with these specific plant mixes. Each of the eight Cleveland neighborhoods used in this project (Buckeye, Central, Detroit Shoreway/Stockyard, Fairfax, Glenville, Hough, Slavic Village, and Tremont/Clark Fulton) contains one lot of each treatment.
Urban standard/Control (Treatment 1): This habitat serves as a baseline and is managed like other vacant lots. Nothing has been planted in these sites and the existing vegetation is mown monthly at a height of 6 inches from June to October following city protocols.
Ohio Meadow (Treatment 2) : Contains naturally occurring plant species; in 2016 we will be establishing additional milkweed plants within this habitat to encourage monarch butterflies, a threatened species. The meadows include many species of flowering plants such as red and white clover, chicory, and milkweed to support butterflies and other pollinators. This habitat is allowed to grow and cut at the end of monarch migration from Ohio.
Low-Growing Lawn (Treatment 3): This treatment is a planting that consists of a seed mix of six low growing fine fescue grasses that form a dense sod. Maintenance of these lots will be mowing that will occur twice per year, this treatment will remain low growing despite less frequent mowing.
Flowering Lawn (Treatment 4): A flowering lawn alternative that contains low growing fine fescue grasses and six flowing plant species (O’Connor’s strawberry clover, microclover, sweet alyssum, sward yarrow, English daisy and baby blue eyes). Maintenance of these lots will be mowing that will occur twice per year, this treatment will remain low growing despite less frequent mowing.
Native Ohio Grasses (Treatment 5): A seed mix of three short native prairie grasses (little bluestem, Indian grass and Canada wild rye.)
Low Diversity Pocket Prairie (Treatment 6): A mix of three short native prairie grasses (described above) and four native forbs (sweet joe pye, great lobelia, grey-headed coneflower and golden alexanders.)
Medium Diversity Pocket Prairie (Treatment 7): A mix of three short native prairie grasses (described above) and eight native forbs (the four above plus wild bergamot, blazingstar, cup plant and New England aster.)
High Diversity Pocket Prairie (Treatment 8): A seed mix of three short native prairie
grasses (described above) and sixteen native forbs (the eight above plus foxglove beardtongue, prairie doc, Ohio spiderwort, ironweed, Ridell’s goldenrod, blue vervain, rattlesnake master and lanceleaf coreopsis.)
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1253197.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.