Bee balm (Monarda sp.). Photo by William A. Bascom.
We are restoring prairie, woodland, and stream ecosystems at LREC to provide field experiences for students in a variety of local ecosystems. These ecosystems dominated the landscape of the St. Louis area prior to the development of our current urban/suburban landscape. Our restorations provide habitat to help conserve the species and processes that were once common in this area.
Ecosystem restoration is the repair or reestablishment of the natural community by reinstating as many of the species and processes formerly present as we can. Preserving the biodiversity, or different species of life, is important because these species evolved together in response to the physical environment and to one another over thousands of years or more.
We’re working on
References
Packard, S. and C. F. Mutel. 1997. The Tallgrass Restoration Handbook. Island Press: Washington, DC.