New guide on managing grasslands available for landowners!

Executive Summary:

Grasslands are vital for wildlife and deliver key ecosystem services, including soil stabilization, water filtration, carbon storage, and recreation. In Ohio, historic prairies and savannas have nearly vanished due to agriculture, urbanization, and natural succession. Today, less than 1% of Ohio’s native grasslands remain, placing many species dependent on these systems at risk. Urgent, science-based management and restoration are essential to reverse these declines.

Ohio’s grasslands sustain diverse plant and animal communities, including pollinators, game species, and birds such as bobolink, Henslow’s sparrow, and northern bobwhite. These birds depend on open habitats with specific vegetation structures and often require large, contiguous areas (typically over 40 acres). Habitat loss, agricultural intensification, woody encroachment, and invasive species are major threats. Management strategies must consider the entire annual cycle — breeding, migration, and overwintering — to ensure long-term viability.

Ohio’s grasslands encompass native prairies, agricultural fields, exotic grasslands (pastures, hayfields, fallow fields), and restored habitats such as CRP lands and reclaimed mines. High-quality sites include a mix of warm- and cool season grasses, diverse forbs, and minimal woody vegetation. Forbs are essential for supporting insects that feed chicks, while moderate shrub cover offers winter shelter for species like northern bobwhite.

Periodic disturbance is essential to maintain plant diversity and prevent succession in grasslands. Effective tools include prescribed fire, grazing, mowing, herbicide application, discing, and interseeding. Fire and grazing restore ecological processes, enhance structural diversity, and promote forb growth, while mowing serves as an alternative where fire or grazing are impractical. Targeted herbicide controls invasive species and woody encroachment, and discing with interseeding revitalizes older grasslands. Management timing is critical to avoid or reduce impacts during the nesting season (typically mid- April–July).

Large, contiguous grasslands with feathered edges — gradual transitions between fields and forests — offer optimal habitat for many grassland birds. Fragmentation and urbanization, however, reduce suitability and increase nest predation and brood parasitism. Conservation strategies should focus on maintaining diverse grasses and forbs; applying rotational disturbances such as fire, grazing, or mowing; and controlling invasive species early and consistently. Because most grassland habitat lies on private lands, engaging landowners through programs like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is critical. These programs provide financial and technical support for establishing and maintaining grasslands, making landowners key partners in conservation. By implementing best practices and leveraging these programs, Ohio can safeguard grassland ecosystems, reverse bird population declines, and contribute to regional and global conservation goals.