Iowa couple restore 40 acres choked with invasive plants; rare habitats draw sandhill cranes

What appeared to be a neglected field in Madison County, Iowa, concealed remnants of rare native ecosystems. When John and Sheri Paule bought the first 40 acres of their property, its hillsides were overrun with invasive vegetation, leaving little indication of what the landscape might once have been. Surviving bur oak trees, however, offered a clue that the land could have supported an oak savanna. A subsequent visit by an ecologist revealed remnants of a sedge meadow, wet meadow and a transition zone between habitats. The discovery reshaped the couple's conservation efforts. Working with the US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other specialists, they began restoring wetlands and protecting native habitats across a landscape spanning more than 300 acres.How an Iowa couple discovered rare ecosystems beneath invasive plantsWhen the Paules first assessed their property from the road, the land had little visual appeal. John Paule recalled that the hillsides were choked with multiflora rose, prickly ash and other invasive vegetation. The surviving bur oaks, however, suggested that an oak savanna might once have existed there.The ecological s...