Effects of Grazing on the Endangered Autumn Buttercup

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The tasks to be performed under this agreement are as follows: The primary objectives of this project are to determine whether small mammals are preferentially grazing on the buttercup, or if grazing and/or mowing is making a more suitable habitat for the buttercup by decreasing plant competition, and/or if grazing and/or mowing are making a more suitable habitat for buttercup by decreasing small mammal habitat. The goal of this project is to develop a successful reintroduction protocol for autumn buttercup and to develop guidelines for the maintenance of a self-sustaining autumn buttercup population. 1. Survey the preserve for small mammals in order to determine the species present and their relative densities through live trapping. 2. Perform stomach content analysis or fecal pellet analysis of small herbivores present to get an idea of their diet and relative consumption rates of grasses versus forbs 3. Reintroduce disturbance to the habitat by a combination of grazing by cattle and mechanical mowing of the site to reduce the wire grass thatches that have built up since the removal of large grazers in 1989. 4. Survey the preserve for relative abundance and species of plants and track the effect of disturbance on the plant and small mammal communities. 5. Reintroduce 200 autumn buttercup plants to the preserve and follow their survival and reproductive rates for two growing seasons 6. Conduct monthly surveys to look at the differences in plant and small mammal communities. 7. Collected data will be analyzed in order to determine if there were differences in the survival and reproductive output of reintroduced autumn buttercup due to disturbance and/or protection from small herbivores. 8. Submit final report summarizing the data analyzed and providing management recommendations.

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