Before there were the gently rolling hills of farmland and forest we see today, southwest Michigan’s landscape included large areas of prairie habitat. Dominated by wildflowers, grasses, and sedges, these habitats were maintained by periodic fires and included oak barrens, dry sand prairies, and wetland prairies. Today, only a few remnants of Michigan’s historical prairies remain on the landscape. Prairie strips, a conservation practice in row crops that protects soil and water while providing habitat for wildlife, are one way to restore these habitats to the
Insects, big data and a passion for open science launch a rewarding career
Christie Bahlai shares how her entomology research and connections made as an MSU postdoc have contributed to work honored with a National Science Foundation early-career award. Postdoctoral researchers are critical contributors to Michigan State University’s (MSU) research, bringing experience and often fresh insight. Christie Bahlai, an assistant professor at Kent State University, was recently selected for a National Science Foundation (NSF) early-career award. Bahlai, a computational ecologist, earned degrees at the University of Guelph before joining University Distinguished
Science on the Hill: connecting research to policy through virtual Congressional meetings
Corinn Rutkoski and Ekrem Ozlu share their experiences from a recent Congressional Visit Day where they advocated for several USDA research programs. Corinn is a graduate student in Sarah Evans's lab and studies microbial ecology and the use of perennials in agricultural systems. Ekrem is a postdoctoral researcher in Phil Robertson's lab and studies soil management and carbon sequestration. The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) recently hosted their annual Congressional Visits Day, giving a group of KBS scientists and students an opportunity to connect with elected officials and
Bridging the gap between our community and science with Film
Michaela Rose works as a Laboratory Technician in the Haddad lab at MSU's Kellogg Biological Station, and studied Zoology and Film Studies at North Carolina State University. She recently produced a series of films capturing the ecology and research of the KBS LTER. All of Michaela's videos can be viewed on the Kellogg Biological Station YouTube page! Although there are many media forms where we consume information on the daily, film remains one of the most influential. Short snippets or stories on social media platforms such as Twitter, Youtube, and Instagram are viewed by
Data Nuggets researchers lead collaborative study examining representation in STEM curriculum
When you were a child, what was your image of a scientist? Could you imagine yourself in those shoes? A new, National Science Foundation-funded study led by Michigan State University researchers and others aims to better understand how science instruction that contains diverse scientist role models affects student attitudes about science, technology, engineering and mathematics—STEM—courses and careers. Data Nuggets, a project that has created free STEM classroom activities since 2011, is integral to the new study. Data Nuggets was founded by postdoctoral
On-farm conservation practices to build resilience: Notes from a virtual field day
Monica Jean, Educator with Michigan State University Extension (MSUE), shares details from the recent Cropping System Resilience Virtual Field Day, held July 2020. For the original article, see the MSUE website. MSUE teamed up with The Kellogg Biological Station Long-term Ecological Research (KBS LTER) program and farmers in the Central Southern region of Michigan to host a live Cropping System Resilience Virtual Field Day in July. The day included a farm tour and interactive questions from the audience. During the tour, topics discussed were relay cropping, interseeding covers, and
A new perspective – using bioenergy crops to alleviate global warming: Reflections from an LTER fellow
Jinho Lee is a PhD student in the Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Department at Michigan State University. He works in the Kravchenko lab with interests in carbon dynamics of soil. Today we are facing one of the biggest environmental challenges that our species has never faced, and one that is caused by our own actions. Since the Industrial Revolution, the worldwide carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have increased due to use of C-based fossil fuels. This has resulted in global warming. To alleviate global warming and reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, several alternative
The metamorphosis of the monarch butterfly and the citizen scientist
Britney Christensen and Gabe Knowles joined Doug Landis' Lab through the NSF LTER RET Program (National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Teachers). This program matches K-12 teachers with local scientists for 8-10 weeks of field data collection and independent research. The goal is to enhance the professional development of K-12 science educators through research experience in order to then bring new knowledge into their classroom. Learn more about the KBS K-12 Partnership and future KBS RETs (professional development program supported by the KBS LTER). The
Understanding the role of microbial diversity in soil ecosystem functioning: Reflections from a LTER Fellow
Grant Falvo is a PhD student in the Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Department at Michigan State University. He works in the Robertson lab within the disciplines of soil microbial ecology and biogeochemistry and is interested in global change phenomena broadly. There are more microorganisms in a typical handful of soil than there are people on this planet. Every year these microbes emit >5 times as much CO2 as all the fossil fuel emissions emitted by humans. Yet recent research is beginning to uncover the dominant role these microbes play in stabilizing a similarly large
Supporting Michigan farmers using soil health assessment tools: Reflections from an LTER fellow
Graduate researcher, Xinyi Tu, is a graduate student advised by Dr. Sieglinde Snapp in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Department at Michigan State University (MSU). The term “soil health” is similar to that of the health of an organism – it originates from the underlying connection of soil to animal and human health, and to the connection between soil and its living biota. However, there is no concensus amongst scholars as to what soil health means, and various definitions can be found in the literature. This confusion translates to farmers through the creation
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