Restore ecosystems, wildlife habitat

Gilbert Randolph Working Lands for Wildlife & Quail Forever

Bruce and Marla Mestad brought life back to their slice of prairie in north-central Missouri, with help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Their story highlights the importance of collaboration between landowners, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and other partners in achieving positive conservation outcomes.

Prior to European settlement, the Missouri Department of Conservation estimates that 15 million acres of land, about one-third of the state, was tall-grass prairie. Now, less than 1 percent of Missouri’s prairies remain intact, making every bit of those remnant ecosystems not only a home for iconic wildlife like bobwhite quail, but also a future source of seed for the native plants that are a feature of healthy prairie ecosystems. The remnant prairie at the Mestad's place is an outstanding example of how conservation planning can revitalize the type of grassland habitat that is rapidly disappearing across the nation.

On his first visit to the Mestad property, Joshua Marshall, Pheasants and Quail Forever senior farm-bill wildlife biologist, said its clearings were primarily cool season grasses. Even so, he found a variety of native plants like wild quinine, roundhead lespedeza, pale purple coneflower and rough blazing star. The presence of those native plants was an indication that a seed bank of prairie species still existed in the soil and that given the right conditions, dormant prairie could stand a chance of coming back to life.

“Finding a remnant prairie is critically important because only a small percentage of original remnant prairies exist in Missouri,” Marshall said. “There are many prairie obligate species, such as the eared false foxglove, that rely on the unique underground ecosystem of remnant prairie soils and specific prairie plants to complete their life cycle.”

Marshall said that while many native species can be reintroduced through plantings, there are also several that have trouble being restored.

“We have to rely on these remnant sites to host these species so we can preserve them on our landscape and study them so that one day, we may be able to restore them,” he said. "There are also many species of insects and wildlife that rely on prairie plants. If the prairies disappear from the landscape, so do they.”

It’s not just remnant prairie plants that have been making a comeback on the property. Quail have returned and the Mestads report hearing their iconic call every year.

“In 2019, Bruce and Marla didn’t have any quail on their property and now, they hear them every year,” Marshall said. “Other wildlife such as woodcock, turkey, deer and monarch butterflies all utilize the excellent habitat they are restoring. New native plants are seen each year and throughout the growing season, provide critical habitat for declining species like bumble bees and monarchs.”

In a state like Missouri, where more than 93 percent of land is privately held, quail conservation depends on the participation of landowners. Future improvements to the property include reducing woody encroachment on the edges of openings and treating invasive species such as autumn olive and white poplar. The Mestads also employ a regular prescribed fire schedule to assist in suppressing undesirable plants and maintaining the health of their prairie.

Identifying and proactively managing invasive species is a regular part of maintaining the quality of the Mestad’s prairie. Marshall helps monitor their pastures and choose the best techniques for combatting invasive plants. The Mestads participate in the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which has helped make it financially feasible to keep a regular rotation of fire on the landscape. That is essential to controlling woody encroachment by species, such as eastern red cedar, which likewise degrades upland habitat quality.

Landscape-scale conservation relies on private landowners like the Mestads. They are founding members and active supporters of the Green Hills Pheasants and Quail Forever chapter, and support conservation projects throughout their community in Unionville, Missouri. Land management workshops hosted on their property have also seen outstanding attendance.

“They truly are magnificent people who give and ask nothing in return,” said Marshall. “They work hard in their community, talking to the city about how to utilize natives in their odd areas or city parks. They were strong supporters of the Green Hills chapter, assisting the school with a six-acre monarch planting. It’s not just the wildlife on their 29 acres that benefit from the hard work and dedication of Bruce and Marla, it is their entire Unionville community.”