Deforestation has intensified global warming, but a new study out in Nature Communications Earth and Environment finds restoring forests and adopting sustainable land-use practices can reverse the damage while benefiting both people and nature. A new study published in Nature Communications Earth and Environment reveals that when land managers implement nature-based climate solutions, they can significantly counteract the climate-warming effects of past deforestation. The research, led by ecologists and climate scientists at Michigan State University’s Department of Plant, Soil, and
Research News
New research leverages long-term treatments in novel ways to study plant biotic interactions
Researchers in Kadeem Gilbert’s lab are using experimental treatments within the KBS LTER to look at how leaves regulate their external pH conditions, which may impact how they interact with insect herbivores and microbes. For almost 40 years, researchers at the KBS LTER have studied interactions among plants, microbes, insects, management, and the environment to learn how agriculture can provide both high yields and environmental outcomes that benefit society. One might assume that after all that time, every hypothesis has already been tested! Yet, we continually find there are fresh
Graduate research from the KBS LTER reveals the value of soil microbe diversity for sustainable agriculture
Researchers leveraged the unique land management gradient available at the LTER to better understand how microbe diversity impacts nitrogen fixation rates in the soil. They looked at an understudied group of soil microbes, diazotrophs, which are responsible for a key source of nitrogen in agricultural soils. Increasing aboveground biodiversity is known to promote beneficial ecosystem services. However, less is known about the benefits of biodiversity in the soil, particularly in the microbe communities that facilitate critical nutrient cycling. New research from the KBS LTER provides
Phil Robertson elected to National Academy of Sciences for work in sustainable agriculture
Dr. Phil Robertson, Director of the KBS LTER from 1988 to 2017, and Michigan State University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors for a scientist in the U.S. Original article through MSU here. Phil Robertson, Ph. D., a University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University (MSU) in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), one of the highest honors for a scientist in the United
Collaboration between Michigan farmers and LTER researchers provides insights into soil health at the margins of agricultural fields
The multi-year collaboration aims to leverage farmer knowledge and experience and combine it with soil sampling to determine how soil conditions are impacted by being on the edge of agricultural fields, leading to useful management recommendations for creating productive farmlands. Intensive agriculture requires widespread adoption of conservation practices to mitigate loss of ecosystem services. Planting native perennial vegetation at the edge-of-fields (EOF) is a conservation practice shown to improve soil health and protect water quality. The deep root systems and stiff stems of
Long-term research at the KBS LTER reveals how changes in land use shape soil structure and carbon storage
Using high-resolution X-ray imaging, researchers from the KBS LTER tested soil samples from the LTER Main Cropping System Experiment and discovered that intensive agriculture continues to influence soil porosity and carbon content for decades after restoration to native habitat. Even after 35 years, restored soils contained only about 50% of the organic carbon found in native grasslands and forests. When it comes to agriculture, it’s not just about what’s in the soil, but also how the soil is structured. Given that much of our land is converted from native habitat to agriculture, it’s
Collaborative study with Michigan DNR to support agriculture and conservation
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
Nick Haddad, co-Director of the KBS LTER, recognized as 2024 AAAS Fellow
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
MSU researchers uncover decline in butterfly populations, highlighting urgent need for conservation efforts
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
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