Ipswich Prairie research poster session coming to Heritage Hall
PLATTEVILLE - Several University of Wisconsin-Platteville undergraduate biogeography students will present their research results about Ipswich Prairie at a poster session on Dec. 6. The session will be held in Heritage Hall of the Pioneer Student Center from 1 to 4 p.m.
Ipswich Prairie is located three miles south of Platteville and is the largest remnant of deep-soil mesic prairie, explained Rhea Presiado, assistant professor of geography. The students will present their original research on past and present biogeographic information about animal, plant and human impacts on the prairie.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), this long, narrow stretch of mesic to dry-mesic prairie borders an old railroad right-of-way on the gently rolling topography of Wisconsin's Driftless Area. Historically, the occasional railroad fires caused by passing trains unintentionally preserved the prairie.
Today, the prairie is maintained by regularly prescribed burning and brushing and the site contains a moderately rich prairie flora with over 125 species. Some of the common species include big blue-stem, Indian grass, needle grass, lead-plant, rattlesnake master, stiff coreopsis, and rough blazing-star. Other species include blue-eyed grass, pale spike lobelia, downy gentian, wood lily, and two state-threatened plants: wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) and prairie thistle (Cirsium hillii). The prairie supports numerous colonies of mound building ant, Formica cinerea. Animal species of concern include Franklin's ground squirrel, bobolink, dickcissel, grasshopper sparrow, and western meadowlark.
Ipswich Prairie is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1985. The poster session is free and open to the public. Anyone interested in learning more about this or other programs in geography may contact Presiado at (608) 342-6011 or presiador@uwplatt.edu.
Contact: Rhea Presiado, assistant professor, department of Geography, (608) 342-6011,presiador@uwplatt.edu Prepared By: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,martense@uwplatt.edu
<< Home