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Collaborative study with Michigan DNR to support agriculture and conservation

4.8.25

Investigators at the KBS LTER are working with Michigan Department of Natural Resources staff to determine how replacing under-yielding areas of croplands with native perennial plants can improve biodiversity and ecosystem services while having the lowest loss in agricultural production. The study represents co-production of knowledge through identifying shared goals and questions, and a great opportunity to scale up long term ecological knowledge generated at the LTER to the farm scale. Agricultural landscapes represent a balancing act between different interests and goals. These lands

Bird Sanctuary to feature poetry by Artist in Residence, Mikayla Thompson, this April

4.2.25

During the month of April, the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary is celebrating National Poetry Month by placing poems along the Sanctuary’s Paved Path. Be inspired by both nature and the art of poetry as you walk the trail. The Poetry on the Trail event will share several poems by KBS faculty, Kadeem Gilbert, and 2025 KBS LTER Artists in Residence, Mikayla Thompson, whose work explores grief, love, and joy through her poetry depicting relationships between herself, her loved ones, and the natural world. This activity will be available during the Sanctuary’s standard operating hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nick Haddad, co-Director of the KBS LTER, recognized as 2024 AAAS Fellow

3.31.25

Nick Haddad is a professor of ecology at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station in the Department of Integrative Biology and the Ecology, Evolution and Behavior program; appointments in the College of Natural Science and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Along with Sarah Evans, Nick serves as co-Director of the KBS LTER. Nick Haddad was elected as an American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS, fellow for distinguished contributions to conservation science, particularly in protecting biodiversity. Haddad studies how to better protect Michigan’s wildlife and

Kara Haas, KBS LTER K-12 Partnership Coordinator, wins MSU award for community engagement

3.30.25

Kara Haas, coordinator for the KBS LTER K-12 Partnership program, has been honored with an award from the Michigan State University Office of University Outreach and Engagement. The Graduate Student Award for Community Engagement Scholarship recognizes students for exemplary community-engaged scholarship during their years of graduate study. The award is given annually, to up to four students per year. Educators voice their support Among the statements of support for her nomination: “One of Kara’s greatest strengths is disseminating the scientific information gathered

MSU researchers uncover decline in butterfly populations, highlighting urgent need for conservation efforts

3.20.25

MSU Researchers found a 22% decline in butterfly populations from 2000 to 2020. Their work explores how prairie strips in agricultural areas can support insect populations. Dr. Nick Haddad, Director of the Kellogg Biological Station Long Term Ecological Research Program, co-led a research project with Dr. Elise Zipkin, director of MSU’s Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program, to evaluate the state of butterfly populations across the United States. They report that from 2000 to 2020, the total butterfly abundance has fallen by 22% - shocking rates that demand action. The Haddad lab

Long-term study reveals best practices for building soil carbon in agricultural soils

2.25.25

Investigators at the KBS LTER site find differences in soil carbon gain among cover cropped, no-till, and perennial cropping systems after 25-years. Cover cropping found to be a powerful tool for building soil carbon even in cropping systems that are plowed. No-till and diverse perennial plantings also emerge as effective ways to build long-term soil carbon stores. Soil carbon, often called the foundation of soil fertility, plays a crucial role in enhancing plant water availability, supporting beneficial microbes and insects, improving drainage, and promoting nutrient cycling and

Prairie strips: a refuge in an agricultural desert or an ecological trap for native pollinators?

2.17.25

Graduate research from the LTER shows that prairie strips planted within agricultural monocrops are not an “ecological trap” for native pollinators - but they also don’t reduce insecticide runoff that may pose a threat. Agriculture is essential, but the lack of biodiversity in farmland can create ecological barrens. Prairie strips - the long, thin strips of tallgrass prairie vegetation planted adjacent to agriculture - have potential to bring ecosystem services into agricultural spaces, such as increased pollination, enhanced microbial diversity, and containment of nutrient

Long-term data provides new perspective on agricultural impacts on arthropod diversity

2.10.25

A 30-year study on ground beetles from the KBS LTER reveals significant declines in beetle abundance and community composition in agricultural systems. Rates of decline were must faster in fields with chemical inputs, compared to organic systems. Data that spans multiple decades has the potential not only to reveal long-term trends, but also provide answers to new and exciting questions. This is particularly important in agricultural systems, where the impacts of different management practices can take many years to be seen. Recent research from by KBS LTER graduate student Cindy Fiser

Graduate research from the KBS LTER explores grassland resilience to climate change

1.28.25

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

Award-winning graduate research highlights previously unrecorded benefits of prairie strips

1.15.25

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. This work earned Lindsey Kemmerling, who completed her Ph.D. studies at W.K. Kellogg Biological Station in the Haddad Lab, the 2023 Royal Entomological Society Journal Award. As agriculture increases in intensity across the U.S., finding ways to conserve ecological systems while supporting crop production has become critical. Keeping native