Two decades of data on plant communities and weather from the LTER Main Cropping Systems Experiment show that extreme dry and wet years reduce species richness (the number of species) but increase evenness (how evenly abundant the species are). Because richness and evenness also increase long-term stability and resistance to extreme precipitation events, these changes to communities might have long-lasting effects on the resilience of plant communities to the increasingly variable precipitation patterns expected in the future. While the focus of climate change is often on warming
Graduate research from the KBS LTER explores grassland resilience to climate change
Graduate research highlights previously unrecorded benefits of prairie strips
Three years of butterfly surveys across the LTER Main Cropping Systems Experiment show that agricultural plots where 5% of cropland was converted to prairie harbor unique species and have a greater abundance of butterflies than plots without prairie. As agriculture increases in intensity across the U.S., finding ways to conserve ecological systems while supporting crop production has become critical. Keeping native landscapes connected in the midst of farmland is a great way to support biodiversity. Prairie strips – long strips of retired farmland that are sown with native species –
7th Annual Underground Innovations set to take place February 4-5, 2025
Frankenmuth, Michigan - Michigan Agriculture Advancement's 7th Annual Underground Innovations meeting will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 4-5, 2025 at the Bavarian Inn Lodge. Hosted by MiAA and the KBS LTER. Network with producers from across Michigan and beyond to help take ideas home to implement on your own operations. Speakers will share how they've come to adopt new practices on their farms, how they've gotten to this point, and where they are looking to go in the future. This year's speakers will focus on conservation topics such as cover crops, prairie plantings,
Using community-engaged scholarship to address conservation barriers in rural Michigan croplands
Cynthia Fiser is a PhD candidate in the Landis Lab at Michigan State University, Department of Entomology and a 2024 KBS Broader Impacts Fellow. Her research looks at the ecological and social impacts of perennial prairie strips in row crop agriculture. Change starts with people. Grassroots efforts that encourage people to learn, adapt, and share with others can help facilitate both community and individual capacity building. In the academic community, we pride ourselves that we know what the problems are, and it is our research that will be the solution. However,
MSU KBS broader impacts: Mentoring the next generation of community-engaged scholars
Post by Cynthia Fiser, graduate student in Doug Landis’s lab in the Michigan State University Department of Entomology and 2024 Broader Impacts Fellow. Her research looks at the impact of perennial prairie strips on the dispersal of ground beetles in row crop agriculture. Broader impacts, the practical component or long-term goal of most research projects, are often delegated to the final section of a grant proposal, paper, or presentation. However, broader impacts are front and center to successful research at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Biological Station. The
An educator’s perspective on the 2024 KBS LTER All Scientist Meeting
Each September the Long-term Ecological Research Program (LTER), which funds the K-12 Partnership, hosts an All Scientists Meeting. This two-day event brings together faculty, students and staff to share research updates and to tour the agricultural landscapes at KBS. In my role as the K-12 Partnership Coordinator, I was delighted to attend this event along with Partner teachers, Gabe Knowles and Melissa Frost. During the event we were able to share our program's 25 year timeline, network and answer questions about the outreach and engagement work of the K-12 Partnership with scientists
Good Neighbors: An evening with KBS LTER Artist-in-Residence, Trevor Grabill
On the evening of Friday, July 19th, over 50 members of the public and Kellogg Biological Station community joined us for an evening exploring the intersection of art and science. The Good Neighbors event took place at the Overlook Building in the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, and featured new work by Kalamazoo printmaker and 2023 KBS LTER artist-in-residence, Trevor Grabill. Trevor shared woodcut prints inspired by their time spent learning about ongoing research at the biological station. Attendees enjoyed refreshments, mingling, and a chance to meet with the artist and
New prairie strip partial budget tool from MiSTRIPS team
Conservation practices require a significant investment in time and money. There are often large implementation costs, learning curves, and labor required, all of which might prevent farmers and landowners from being able to adopt these practices. Additionally, when there are no tangible payments or products, the financial benefits may seem invisible. Yet, conservation practices provide many benefits to the cropping system, often by improving soil health, protecting water quality, and increasing yield stability. Because of this, farmers are often eligible for payments which can offset or even
KBS LTER welcomes Erica Bradshaw as our 2024 Artist in Residence
A Kalamazoo-area author, illustrator and muralist is the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Long-term Ecological Research program’s 2024 Artist-in-Residence. Erica Bradshaw, the owner of To Draw Attention Illustration, arrived at KBS May 20 and spent a week visiting labs and field sites and learning about research that’s underway at the Station. Erica Bradshaw A lifelong artist who had their first piece exhibited at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts in second grade, Erica earned a bachelor’s degree from Kendall College of Art and Design in 2021, and is now a full-time
Kellogg Biological Station’s K-12 Partnership Summer Institute to mark its 25th anniversary this month
Hickory Corners, Mich. — Teachers and informal educators of K-12 students are invited to engage in science teaching professional development this summer at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. The 25th annual K-12 Partnership Summer Institute is set for 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 25, through Thursday, June 27. This year’s theme is “The Power of Long-term Partnerships.” About the Summer Institute Each day will start with a lecture from someone whose career has been impacted by their participation in the Partnership,
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