Evidence of Adaptation of Little Bluestem to the Local Environment of Central Kansas

Little bluestem is a North American grass species found in native prairie remnants which is used for range, pasture, CRP, and restoration planting. In this study we asked whether the distance between planting site and seed source influenced the growth and survival of little bluestem. In a collaborative project with high school teachers and students, we planted seed at 2 sites in central Kansas, from 7 sources ranging from 6.9 to 814 km distant from the planting sites. We found that our measures of fitness (survival and tiller number) together declined significantly with the distance of the seed source from the site. Our results suggest that local adaptation is important to little bluestem survival and productivity and therefore recommend that land managers seek local sources of seed for range or prairie plantings.