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7.22 Wet Meadow Grasslands <br /> Goals: <br /> • To restore, enhance and maintain native species of grasses, sedges and rushes for the <br /> purpose of providing cover for wildlife,especially nesting waterfowl. <br /> Objectives: <br /> • To plant, using rhizome plugs, 5 acres of wet meadow grasses and sedges as a <br /> component of the "green tree" areas. <br /> • To plant, using rhizome plugs, a band of wet meadow grasses and sedges along the <br /> shores of North and South Tracy Lakes. <br /> • To develop a monitoring program, implemented by a competent biologist, to insure a <br /> 50% coverage within 5 years. <br /> Wet meadow, riparian and woodland grasses, sedges and rushes are common where <br /> overbank flooding frequently occurs. Wet meadow grasslands are found at Buckeye <br /> Ranch in a number of areas with relatively moist soil conditions. The presence of relict <br /> stands of native grasses (creeping wildrye, sedge) indicate the potential for restoration in <br /> the more sites at the Ranch. These native species form extensive stands in the irrigated <br /> pastures and are also found in scattered populations in more moist sites throughout the <br /> refuge area. <br /> Restoration and Management <br /> Two native perennial species -- creeping wildrye and sedge --reproduce by underground <br /> rhizomes in more moist areas at the Ranch. It is notable scattered stands of creeping <br /> wildrye successfully compete with oats and ripgut brome in relatively dry habitats. These <br /> observations strongly suggest that appropriate management and restoration techniques can <br /> increase the coverage of these species. Creeping wildrye regenerates asexually through <br /> rhizomes. A feasible long-term strategy would entail digging up rhizomes in fall and <br /> Buckeye Ranch Resource Plan (November, 1993) <br /> 156 <br />