Drs. Matt O'Neal (ISU, Department of Entomology) and Lisa Schulte-Moore (ISU, Department of Natural Resource Ecology Management)
Abstract: Prairie strips are a new farmland conservation practice researched and promoted by the STRIPS team at ISU and partners. Catchment scale research on prairie strips conducted by the team at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge over the last decade support the hypothesis that prairie strips can provide multiple environmental benefits at levels disproportionate to the extent of farmland in prairie strips, making them one of the most cost-effective conservation options available to farmers and farmland owners. Research at the scale of farming operations is now being conducted to determine the extent to which the disproportionate benefits hypothesis applies under different conditions (e.g., slopes, soils, landscapes, crop management). This seminar will focus on entomological aspects of the STRIPS research program.