A recent study from KBS students suggests that climate warming can offset insect damage in tall goldenrod, potentially making this already aggressive prairie plant even more dominant as temperatures rise. Climate change may reduce yields of crops like corn and soybeans, but it can also give some plants an edge. That’s one of the takeaways of a recent study of tall goldenrod, a common wildflower that runs rampant in fields across its native range in North America and other parts of the world where it has been introduced. Many goldenrod plants are pocked by tumorlike growths, called
Graduate research from the KBS LTER reveals plant traits that predict ecosystem stability
Researchers showed that functional traits of plants can help explain why some grasslands remain productive over many years, but are less useful in understanding how ecosystems respond to individual disturbances. As climate change brings more frequent droughts and increasingly unpredictable weather, one of the biggest questions facing scientists is how ecosystems will respond. While some ecosystems recover quickly from environmental stress, others struggle to remain productive over time. Understanding what makes ecosystems resilient is becoming increasingly important as managers work to
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 p
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
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