XVI International Botanical Congess

The purpose of this study was to investigate the competitive abilities of Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem) accessions obtained from remnant and restored Illinois prairies, Konza prairie (Kansas), and commonly used cultivars. Greenhouse experiments revealed that plants from the restored and cultivar populations were competitively superior (biomass and height) to remnant Illinois and Kansas plants from remnant populations. In a field experiment, Kansas plants achieved approximately half the size (biomass and height) of the cultivar and Illinois remnant plants. The results of this study were that 1) A. gerardii cultivars outcompeted the remnant genotypes, 2) restored populations were competitively similar to the cultivars, and 3) Kansas seed should not be used in Illinois restorations.