Grassland management goals at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge (LBNWR) are similar to other refuges and natural areas which often include preservation or restoration of the historical native condition and providing habitat for wildlife. Goals 5-7 of: LBNWR Habitat Management Plan (HMP) are to “manage prairie habitat for the benefit of grassland species such as grasshopper sparrow Ammodramus savannarum, dickcissel Spiza americana, prairie massasauga Sistrurus tergeminus tergeminus, short-eared owls Asio flammeus, and other associated species” (USFWS 2005, 2015). This is increasingly important in monitoring the effects of management on dominate plant species including native and invasive species along with plant structure which provide shelter for wildlife.
