Assistant Professor Fort Hays State University Hays, Kansas
The Smoky Valley Ranch (SVR) is an 18,000 acre ranch located in western Kansas. Since 2021, they have restore 760 acres of wheat and corn cropland in the center portion of the ranch to native short-grass prairie using native forb and grass seed mixes provided by Kansas-based seed producers. My research first sought to understand how the short-grass prairie restorations have affected native pollinator communities. Secondly, I evaluated how planting and moisture timing during severe drought impact native plant establishment and recruitment. Moisture timing had a significant impact on the recruitment of native forbs and native bee pollinators. Community diversity of both plants and pollinators was highest with increased snowfall compared to late fall rains. As the climate continues to change and short grass prairies experiences more stochastic moisture regimes, restoration efforts may need to consider timing of moisture for recruitment.