@article {6270, title = {How low can you go? Widespread challenges in measuring low stream discharge and a path forward}, journal = {Limnology and Oceanography Letters}, year = {In Press}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1002/lol2.10356}, url = {https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lol2.10356}, author = {Seybold, Erin C. and Bergstrom, Anna and Jones, C. Nathan and Burgin, Amy J. and Zipper, Sam and Godsey, Sarah E. and W. K. Dodds and Zimmer, Margaret A. and Shanafield, Margaret and Datry, Thibault and Mazor, Raphael D. and Messager, Mathis L. and Olden, Julian D. and Ward, Adam and Yu, Songyan and Kaiser, Kendra E. and Shogren, Arial and Walker, Richard H.} } @article {6219, title = {Hymenolepis ackerti n. sp. (Eucestoda: Hymenolepididae) infecting cricetid rodents from the central Great Plains of North America}, journal = {Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad}, volume = {94}, year = {2023}, pages = {e944927}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.22201/ib.20078706e.2023.94.4927}, url = {https://revista.ib.unam.mx/index.php/bio/article/view/4927}, author = {Jim{\'e}nez, {\'\i}n and Rowan, Brian and Hope, A.G.} } @article {6027, title = {How and why grasshopper community maturation rates are slowing on a North American tall grass prairie}, journal = {Biology Letters}, volume = {18}, year = {2022}, abstract = {

Invertebrate growth rates have been changing in the Anthropocene. We examine rates of seasonal maturation in a grasshopper community that has been declining annually greater than 2\% a year over 34 years. As this grassland has experienced a 1\°C increase in temperature, higher plant biomass and lower nutrient densities, the community is maturing more slowly. Community maturation had a nutritional component: declining in years/watersheds with lower plant nitrogen. The effects of fire frequency were consistent with effects of plant nitrogen. Principal components analysis also suggests associated changes in species composition\—declines in the densities of grass feeders were associated with declines in community maturation rates. We conclude that slowed maturation rates\—a trend counteracted by frequent burning\—likely contribute to long-term decline of this dominant herbivore.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1098/rsbl.2021.0510}, url = {https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2021.0510}, author = {Kaspari, Michael and A. Joern and Welti, E.A.R.} } @article {6120, title = {How and why plant ionomes vary across North American grasslands and its implications for herbivore abundance}, journal = {Ecology}, volume = {102}, year = {2021}, pages = {e03459}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1002/ecy.3459}, url = {https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.3459}, author = {Kaspari, Michael and Beurs, Kirsten M. and Welti, E.A.R.} } @article {6072, title = {How long do population level field experiments need to be? Utilising data from the 40-year-old LTER network}, journal = {Ecology Letters}, volume = {24}, year = {2021}, pages = {1103 - 1111}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1111/ele.v24.510.1111/ele.13710}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14610248/24/5}, author = {Cusser, Sarah and Helms, Jackson and Bahlai, Christie A. and Haddad, Nick M.}, editor = {Chase, Jonathan} } @article {KNZ001946, title = {Harmony on the prairie? Grassland plant and animal community responses to variation in climate across land-use gradients}, journal = {Ecology}, volume = {101}, year = {2020}, pages = {e02986}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, issn = {0012-9658}, doi = {10.1002/ecy.2986}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ecy.2986}, author = {Lindsey A. Bruckerhoff and Connell, R. Kent and James P. Guinnip and Adhikari, Elina and Godar, Alixandra and K. B. Gido and W. A. Boyle and Hope, Andrew G and Anthony Joern and Welti, Ellen} } @article {KNZ001968, title = {Habitat selection and space use of Upland Sandpipers at nonbreeding grounds}, journal = {Avian Conservation and Ecology}, volume = {14}, year = {2019}, pages = {14:art18}, abstract = {

Habitat requirements of migratory birds can be dynamic during the annual cycle, and understanding habitat use during the nonbreeding season is important for conservation planning. In grassland birds, habitat selection is often determined by features of vegetative structure that are associated with predation risk, food resources, or thermal environments. And, these habitats are affected by anthropogenic influences such as agriculture conversion and production of livestock. In our four-year field study, we examined the space use and habitat selection of Upland Sandpipers (Bartramia longicauda) during the nonbreeding season in an area of private grasslands managed for livestock production within the Northern Campos ecoregion of Uruguay. We radio-tracked sandpipers during the nonbreeding season to test the hypothesis that space use, habitat selection, and flock size were determined by vegetative structure in managed grasslands with different grazing and agricultural management regimes. We captured and tagged 62 sandpipers during the nonbreeding season in the austral summer, and recorded a total of 506 locations for our sample of radio-marked birds. Foraging Upland Sandpipers primarily selected two types of native grasslands associated with shallow, rocky soils. The vegetation configuration of disturbed pastures were open landscapes that were good for detection of arthropod prey but offered little cover for avoidance of predators. Sandpipers were usually found in small groups of 2\–20 birds, and the largest flocks of 40\–50 birds were found in pastures with relatively short grass cover (20 to 40\% tall grass cover). Low to moderate stocking densities of domestic livestock created variation in vegetation height and cover in large areas and allowed for coexistence of grassland birds with different habitat requirements. Upland Sandpipers preferred disturbed areas, which may not support the needs of other species of grasslands birds. Our results emphasize the need for habitat heterogeneity and disturbance forces such as grazing in grassland systems. Our research contributes new information on the ecology of migratory grassland birds and provides insights for biodiversity conservation on private lands used for livestock production.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.5751/ACE-01461-140218}, url = {https://brage.nina.no/nina-xmlui/handle/11250/2632763}, author = {M. Alfaro-Barrios and Liguori, L. and Sandercock, B.K. and Berazategui, M. and Arim, M.} } @article {KNZ001969, title = {Historical drought affects microbial population dynamics and activity during soil drying and re-wet}, journal = {Microbial Ecology}, year = {2019}, abstract = {

A history of drought exposure promoted by variable precipitation regimes can select for drought-tolerant soil microbial taxa, but the mechanisms of survival and death of microbial populations through the selective stresses of soil drying and re-wet are not well understood. We subjected soils collected from a 15-year field drought experiment (\“Altered\” precipitation history with extended dry periods, versus the \“Ambient\” field control) to a laboratory drying/re-wetting experiment, to learn whether selective population survival, death, or maintenance of protein synthesis potential and microbial respiration through variable soil water conditions was affected by field drought legacy. Microbial community composition, as measured by Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rRNA and 16S rRNA gene, shifted with laboratory drying/re-wet and field drought treatments. In Ambient soils, there was a higher proportion of reduced OTU abundance (indicative of mortality) during re-wet, whereas Altered soils had a greater proportion of stable OTU populations that did not change in abundance (indicative of survival) through drying/re-wet. Altered soils also had a lower proportion of rRNA:rRNA genes (lower protein synthesis potential) during dry-down, a greater weighted mean rRNA operon number (potential growth rate and r-selection) which was associated with higher abundance of Firmicutes (order Bacillales), and lower average microbial respiration rates. These data demonstrate that soils with a weaker historical drought legacy exhibit a higher prevalence of microbial water-stress mortality and differential survival and death at OTU levels following short-term dryingand re-wetting, concurrent with higher carbon loss potential. This work provides novel insight into the mechanisms and consequences of soil microbial changes resulting from extended drought conditions.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1007/s00248-019-01432-5}, url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00248-019-01432-5}, author = {Veach, Allison M. and Lydia H. Zeglin} } @article {KNZ001970, title = {How ecologists define drought, and why we should do better}, journal = {Global Change Biology}, volume = {25}, year = {2019}, pages = {3193 - 3200}, abstract = {

Drought, widely studied as an important driver of ecosystem dynamics, is predicted to increase in frequency and severity globally. To study drought, ecologists must define or at least operationalize what constitutes a drought. How this is accomplished in practice is unclear, particularly given that climatologists have long struggled to agree on definitions of drought, beyond general variants of \“an abnormal deficiency of water.\” We conducted a literature review of ecological drought studies (564 papers) to assess how ecologists describe and study drought. We found that ecologists characterize drought in a wide variety of ways (reduced precipitation, low soil moisture, reduced streamflow, etc.), but relatively few publications (~32\%) explicitly define what are, and are not, drought conditions. More troubling, a surprising number of papers (~30\%) simply equated \“dry conditions\” with \“drought\” and provided little characterization of the drought conditions studied. For a subset of these, we calculated Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index values for the reported drought periods. We found that while almost 90\% of the studies were conducted under conditions quantifiable as slightly to extremely drier than average, ~50\% were within the range of normal climatic variability. We conclude that the current state of the ecological drought literature hinders synthesis and our ability to draw broad ecological inferences because drought is often declared but is not explicitly defined or well characterized. We suggest that future drought publications provide at least one of the following: (a) the climatic context of the drought period based on long-term records; (b) standardized climatic index values; (c) published metrics from drought-monitoring organizations; (d) a quantitative definition of what the authors consider to be drought conditions for their system. With more detailed and consistent quantification of drought conditions, comparisons among studies can be more rigorous, increasing our understanding of the ecological effects of drought.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1111/gcb.14747}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/gcb.14747}, author = {Slette, Ingrid J. and Post, Alison K. and Awad, Mai and Even, Trevor and Punzalan, Arianna and Williams, Sere and M.D. Smith and Alan K. Knapp} } @article {KNZ001920, title = {How landscape heterogeneity governs stream water concentration-discharge behavior in carbonate terrains (Konza Prairie, USA)}, journal = {Chemical Geology}, volume = {527}, year = {2019}, pages = {118989}, abstract = {

Mounting evidence suggests ecosystem changes that alter subsurface water fluxes and carbon dioxide concentrations in carbonate terrains may drive measurable changes in chemical weathering rates, stream water chemistry, and flow path evolution on human timescales. We test this idea by exploring if the encroachment of woody vegetation into grasslands in a carbonate terrain landscape at the Konza Prairie (KS, USA) has resulted in differences in landscape-stream connectivity and, thus, the behavior of stream water solutes. Woody encroachment (up to 60\% cover) at Konza has been observed on watersheds, particularly those that experience a fire return interval of four years or greater. We focus on three headwater catchments (two grassland and one woody-encroached) and a downstream confluence, and analyze stream water discharge and chemistry (major anions, cations, and dissolved nutrients) measured from 2015 to 2016.

We observe that the woody-encroached watershed exhibits a greater area-normalized solute flux and greater degree of chemodynamic behavior for most geogenic species compared to the less encroached grassland watersheds. The downstream confluence exhibits the most chemostatic behavior for these same solutes compared to the low order watersheds. We interpret the chemodynamic behavior of the woody-encroached watersheds to arise from a greater diversity of flow paths and solute sources that contribute to this stream. End member mixing analysis (EMMA) supports this hypothesis but also indicates a possible \“missing\” end member which we interpret to be solutes likely derived from clay weathering along limestone-mudstone boundaries. We invoke differences in rooting systems between grass and woody species to explain the differences in flow paths and solute generation between these headwater sites given that they sit adjacent to each other, dissect the same nearly horizontal (dip 0.1\–0.21\°NW) lithologic units, and experience the same climate. If these processes hold true at other sites, then the globally observed encroachment of woody vegetation into grasslands may deepen flow paths and enhance chemical weathering fluxes from ecosystems, and over long-time periods alter the trajectory of soil development and landscape evolution.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, Critical zone, End member mixing analysis, Karst, woody encroachment}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemgeo.2018.12.002}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2018.12.002}, author = {Sullivan, P.L. and Stops, M.W. and G. L. Macpherson and Li, L. and Hirmas, D.R. and W. K. Dodds} } @article {KNZ001934, title = {Hyperspectral analysis of leaf pigments and nutritional elements in tallgrass prairie vegetation}, journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, chapter = {142}, abstract = {

Understanding the spatial distribution of forage quality is important to address critical research questions in grassland science. Due to its efficiency and accuracy, there has been a widespread interest in mapping the canopy vegetation characteristics using remote sensing methods. In this study, foliar chlorophylls, carotenoids, and nutritional elements across multiple tallgrass prairie functional groups were quantified at the leaf level using hyperspectral analysis in the region of 470\–800 nm, which was expected to be a precursor to further remote sensing of canopy vegetation quality. A method of spectral standardization was developed using a form of the normalized difference, which proved feasible to reduce the interference from background effects in the leaf reflectance measurements. Chlorophylls and carotenoids were retrieved through inverting the physical model PROSPECT 5. The foliar nutritional elements were modeled empirically. Partial least squares regression was used to build the linkages between the high-dimensional spectral predictor variables and the foliar biochemical contents. Results showed that the retrieval of leaf biochemistry through hyperspectral analysis can be accurate and robust across different tallgrass prairie functional groups. In addition, correlations were found between the leaf pigments and nutritional elements. Results provided insight into the use of pigment-related vegetation indices as the proxy of plant nutrition quality.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, Hyperspectral analysis, Leaf pigments, Nutritional elements, remote sensing, tallgrass prairie}, doi = {10.3389/fpls.2019.00142}, url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2019.00142/full}, author = {Ling, B.H. and Goodin, D.G. and Raynor, Edward J. and Anthony Joern} } @article {KNZ001772, title = {Habitat guild drives variation in apparent survival of landbirds in the Great Plains}, journal = {Wilson Journal of Ornithology}, volume = {129}, year = {2017}, pages = {259-270}, abstract = {

Many species of songbirds in the United States have shown widespread declines in population numbers during the last five decades. To understand ongoing declines and plan for conservation, researchers need reliable estimates of adult survival and site fidelity. However, variation in adult survival and site fidelity within and among species is substantial and could have consequences for management. Estimates of adult survival are lacking for many bird species and ecoregions, including the Great Plains. In this field study, we used Cormack-Jolly-Seber mark-recapture models to analyze encounter histories of 17 species of birds captured with a 13-year systematic mist-netting effort in northeast Kansas. We estimated annual rates of apparent adult survival (/) and corrected for the probability of capture (p), and tested for effects of sex and breeding habitat guild. We present the first estimates of apparent survival for six species of songbirds, and the first estimates from the Great Plains for 13 species. Apparent survival tended to be higher for males than for females, and we found a sex effect on the probability of capture for one species. Unexpectedly, grassland- and shrubland-breeding species had higher estimates of apparent survival than forest-breeding species. Our results did not support the prevailing viewpoint that birds breeding in dynamic landscapes, such as frequently burned grasslands, should show lower apparent survival than species that breed in woody habitats. We demonstrate that habitat plays an important role in the survival and site fidelity of songbirds, and that regional differences in habitat structure could drive variation in demography. Understanding the drivers of true survival and site fidelity of songbirds will allow region-specific management for species of conservation concern.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, Cormack-Jolly-Seber models, habitat guilds, site fidelity, songbird, tallgrass prairie, woodpe}, doi = {10.1676/16-017.1}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1676/16-017.1}, author = {Verheijen, B.H.F. and Rintoul, D.A. and Sandercock, B.K.} } @article {KNZ001814, title = {How do extra nutrients affect the timing of flowering in prairies}, journal = {Environmental Science Journal for Teens}, year = {2017}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, url = {http://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/uploads/5/4/2/8/54289603/flowers_article.pdf}, author = {L.A. Biederman and Mortensen, Brent and Fay, P.A. and Hagenah, Nicole and Knops, Johannes and Kimberly J. La Pierre and Laungani, Ramesh and Lind, Eric and McCulley, Rebecca and Power, Sally and Seabloom, Eric and Tognetti, Pedro} } @article {KNZ001768, title = {High dissimilarity within a multiyear annual record of pollen assemblages from a North American tallgrass prairie}, journal = {Ecology and Evolution}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, pages = {5273 - 5289}, abstract = {

Grassland vegetation varies in composition across North America and has been historically influenced by multiple biotic and abiotic drivers, including fire, herbivory, and topography. Yet, the amount of temporal and spatial variability exhibited among grassland pollen assemblages, and the influence of these biotic and abiotic drivers on pollen assemblage composition and diversity has been relatively understudied. Here, we examine 4 years of modern pollen assemblages collected from a series of 28 traps at the Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research Area in the Flint Hills of Kansas, with the aim of evaluating the influence of these drivers, as well as quantifying the amount of spatial and temporal variability in the pollen signatures of the tallgrass prairie biome. We include all terrestrial pollen taxa in our analyses while calculating four summative metrics of pollen diversity and composition \– beta-diversity, Shannon index, nonarboreal pollen percentage, and Ambrosia:Artemisia \– and find different roles of fire, herbivory, and topography variables in relation to these pollen metrics. In addition, we find significant annual differences in the means of three of these metrics, particularly the year 2013 which experienced high precipitation relative to the other 3 years of data. To quantify spatial and temporal dissimilarity among the samples over the 4-year study, we calculate pairwise squared-chord distances (SCD). The SCD values indicate higher compositional dissimilarity across the traps (0.38 mean) among all years than within a single trap from year to year (0.31 mean), suggesting that grassland vegetation can have different pollen signatures across finely sampled space and time, and emphasizing the need for additional long-term annual monitoring of grassland pollen.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, fire, grassland, Great Plains, Herbivory, Pollen, Tauber traps}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.2259}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.2259}, author = {Commerford, J.L. and McLauchlan, K.K. and Minckley, T.A.} } @article {KNZ001793, title = {Herbivores and nutrients control grassland plant diversity via light limitation}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {508}, year = {2014}, pages = {517 - 520}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1038/nature13144}, url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/nature13144}, author = {E.T. Borer and Seabloom, E.W. and Gruner, D.S. and Harpole, W.S and Hillebrand, H. and Lind, E.M. and P. Adler and J. Alberti and Anderson, T.M. and J.D. Bakker and L.A. Biederman and D.M. Blumenthal and C.S. Brown and Brudvig, L.A. and Buckley, Y.M. and Cadotte, M. and Chu, C. and Cleland, E.E. and Crawley, M.J. and Daleo, P. and Damschen, E.I. and Davies, K.F. and DeCrappeo, N.M. and G. Du and Firn, J. and Hautier, Y. and Heckman, R.W. and Hector, A. and HilleRisLambers, J. and Iribarne, Oscar and Klein, J.A. and Knops, J.M.H. and Kimberly J. La Pierre and Leakey, A.D.B. and Li, W. and MacDougall, A.S. and McCulley, R.L. and Melbourne, B.A. and Mitchell, C.E. and Joslin L. Moore and Mortensen, B. and O{\textquoteright}Halloran, L.R. and Orrock, J.L. and Pascual, J. and Prober, S.M. and Pyke, D.A. and A. Risch and Schuetz, M. and M.D. Smith and Stevens, C.J. and L.L. Sullivan and Williams, R.J. and Wragg, P.D. and Wright, J.P. and Yang, L.H.} } @mastersthesis {KNZ001652, title = {How does your prairie (re)grow?: Interactions of seed additions with resource availability, heterogeneity, and disturbance on recruitment and diversity in a restored tallgrass prairie}, volume = {MS Thesis}, year = {2014}, school = {Kansas State University}, type = {M.S. Thesis}, address = {Manhattan, KS}, abstract = {

Temperate grasslands are among the most threatened biomes in the world, with the largest historical losses due to conversion to agricultural land. While much of this biome has already been converted, there is concern the last remaining remnants in North America will be converted in response to increasing demand for crops used for ethanol production. Thus, restoring grasslands post-anthropogenic disturbance is increasingly important for conserving grassland biodiversity. Two major challenges for prairie restorations are establishing the many subdominant and rarer species found in native prairie, and offsetting the typical decline in richness and diversity over time as restorations age. Repeated seed addition of targeted species is commonly used to override low and declining plant richness and diversity. While this is generally effective early in restoration (i.e., as communities are establishing), its effectiveness in later stages (i.e., when established communities are often losing diversity) remains unknown. I investigated plant community responses to combinations of resource manipulations and disturbances coupled with a seed addition in a 15-yr old restored grassland to test the hypothesis that spatial resource heterogeneity increases the rate of colonization into established prairie restoration communities. Seeds were added to a long-term restoration experiment involving soil depth manipulations (deep, shallow) crossed with nutrient manipulations (reduced N, ambient N, enriched N). Seedling emergence was generally low and only 8 of the 14 forb species added were detected in the first growing season. I found no effect of increased resource heterogeneity on the abundance or richness of seedlings. There was a significant nutrient effect (p\<0.1, α=0.1) on seedling abundance, with higher emergence in the enriched N than the ambient N treatment. I also found unexpected nutrient effects on richness, diversity and Mean C (Mean C = Σ CoCi*Ai, where CoC=Coefficient of Conservatism and A=relative abundance of the ith species). All values, except Mean C, were higher in the enriched N treatment than in either the reduced or ambient N treatments. Mean C was lowest in the enriched N treatment, and highest in the whole-plot control, suggesting that the majority of species contributing to higher richness and diversity in the enriched N treatment were \“weedier\” species. In a separate experiment, I found no effect of small-scale disturbances (aboveground biomass removal or soil disturbance) on seedling abundance or seedling richness. I did find a marginal effect of disturbance type on seedling richness (p=0.11, α=0.1), with higher seedling richness in the soil disturbance than the aboveground biomass removal treatment. I did not find any disturbance effects on community response variables. These results indicate that recruitment from seed additions into well-established restored communities is relatively low in the first year following a seed addition, regardless of resource availability and heterogeneity. Follow-up studies to determine recruitment rates in subsequent years are needed to elucidate whether recruitment responses are driven more by individual species differences or by environmental mechanisms.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, Tallgrass prairie; Ecological restoration; Resource availability and heterogeneity; Long-term; Propagule; Seedling}, url = {http://hdl.handle.net/2097/18205}, author = {Stanton, N.L.} } @article {KNZ001545, title = {Habitat associations of stream fishes in a rare and declining ecosystem}, journal = {American Midland Naturalist}, volume = {170}, year = {2013}, pages = {39 -51}, abstract = {

Describing fish habitat associations and their relevance to conservation remains a central challenge in stream fish ecology. Unfortunately, there are limited opportunities to investigate these associations in unaltered systems and identify critical habitats used by native fishes. Investigation of fish habitat associations in tallgrass prairie is especially vital, owing to their widespread destruction. Our study aim was to identify habitat factors associated with the distribution and density of fishes in two protected tallgrass prairie stream watersheds in eastern Kansas: Kings Creek on the Konza Prairie Biological Station (KPBS) and Fox Creek on the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (TPNP). We sampled fishes and measured eight habitat variables at three sites on KPBS (2006\–2011) and four sites on TPNP (2008\–2011). Multiple regression suggested that species richness was positively associated with pool area (partial r  =  0.70) and discharge (partial r  =  0.50) in Fox Creek (df  =  15, Adj. R2  =  0.60, P \< 0.001). In Kings Creek, species richness was only associated with pool area (df  =  17, R2  =  0.44, P \< 0.001). Redundancy analyses showed common prairie fish species exhibit ontogenetic habitat associations, partitioning adults in deep and juveniles in shallow pools. Strong species area relationships in these minimally altered systems indicates large volume habitats have greater species richness, suggesting water diversions or extractions that reduce habitat are likely to cause declines in native biodiversity.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1674/0003-0031-170.1.39}, url = {https://bioone.org/journals/the-american-midland-naturalist/volume-170/issue-1/0003-0031-170.1.39/Habitat-Associations-of-Stream-Fishes-in-Protected-Tallgrass-Prairie-Streams/10.1674/0003-0031-170.1.39.short}, author = {Martin, E. and Whitney, J.E. and K. B. Gido} } @article {KNZ001615, title = {High-throughput amplicon sequencing of rRNA genes requires a copy number correction to accurately reflect the effects of management practices on soil nematode community structure}, journal = {Molecular Ecology}, volume = {22}, year = {2013}, pages = {5456 -5471}, abstract = {

Nematodes are abundant consumers in grassland soils, but more sensitive and specific methods of enumeration are needed to improve our understanding of how different nematode species affect, and are affected by, ecosystem processes. High-throughput amplicon sequencing is used to enumerate microbial and invertebrate communities at a high level of taxonomic resolution, but the method requires validation against traditional specimen-based morphological identifications. To investigate the consistency between these approaches, we enumerated nematodes from a 25-year field experiment using both morphological and molecular identification techniques in order to determine the long-term effects of annual burning and nitrogen enrichment on soil nematode communities. Family-level frequencies based on amplicon sequencing were not initially consistent with specimen-based counts, but correction for differences in rRNA gene copy number using a genetic algorithm improved quantitative accuracy. Multivariate analysis of corrected sequence-based abundances of nematode families was consistent with, but not identical to, analysis of specimen-based counts. In both cases, herbivores, fungivores and predator/omnivores generally were more abundant in burned than nonburned plots, while bacterivores generally were more abundant in nonburned or nitrogen-enriched plots. Discriminate analysis of sequence-based abundances identified putative indicator species representing each trophic group. We conclude that high-throughput amplicon sequencing can be a valuable method for characterizing nematode communities at high taxonomic resolution as long as rRNA gene copy number variation is accounted for and accurate sequence databases are available.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1111/mec.12480}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/mec.12480}, author = {Darby, D.J. and Todd, T.C. and Herman, M.A.} } @article {KNZ001520, title = {High levels of relatedness between Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) nestmates in a heavily parasitized host community}, journal = {The Auk}, volume = {129}, year = {2012}, pages = {623 -631}, abstract = {

Multiple parasitism of host nests by generalist brood parasites reflects the decisions of laying females and may influence the development and behavior of parasitic young. We used microsatellite and mtDNA control-region haplotype data to examine the relatedness of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) offspring in multiply parasitized nests sampled from a heavily parasitized host community in northeastern Kansas. We also examined how host nest availability influenced the degree of multiple parasitism, and used community-wide parasitism data to explore whether female cowbirds were constrained in their laying decisions. Relatedness estimates for all suitable pairwise comparisons (n = 94 from 41 multiply parasitized nests) found that the mean likelihood than an individual cowbird in a multiply parasitized nest shared its nest with a full sibling was 40.4\% (95\% confidence interval: 28.4\–52.4\%), indicating that many cowbird offspring were reared with full siblings. Extensive community-wide parasitism data revealed that most cowbird offspring shared the nest with \≥1 other conspecific. Additionally, we found that the proportion of available host nests increased steeply at the start of the breeding season and remained high for most of the breeding season, but that the degree of multiple parasitism was unrelated to the number of new nests. We found evidence that laying decisions of female cowbirds were constrained, which suggests that heavy parasitism levels were due to a high degree of competition for host nests. This intense competition for host nests, in turn, results in cowbird offspring often competing with conspecifics in our population, including full siblings, for host parental care.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, brown-headed cowbird, generalist brood parasite, kinship, laying pattern, Molothrus ater, nestmate relatedness}, doi = {10.1525/auk.2012.11236}, url = {https://academic.oup.com/auk/article/129/4/623/5149419}, author = {Rivers, J.W. and Young, S. and Gonzalez, E.G. and Horton, B. and Lock, J. and Fleisher, R.C.} } @article {KNZ001525, title = {High richness and dense seeding enhance grassland restoration establishment, but have little effect on drought response}, journal = {Ecological Applications}, volume = {22}, year = {2012}, pages = {1308 -1319}, abstract = {

Restorations commonly utilize seed addition to formerly arable lands where the development of native plant communities is severely dispersal limited. However, variation in seed addition practices may profoundly affect restoration outcomes. Theory and observations predict that species-rich seed mixtures and seeding at high densities should enhance native plant community establishment, minimize exotic species cover, and may promote resistance and resilience to, and recovery from, environmental perturbations. We studied the post-seeding establishment of native plant communities in large grassland restoration plots, which were sown at two densities crossed with two levels of species richness on formerly arable land in Nebraska, USA, and their responses to drought. To evaluate drought resistance, recovery, and resilience of restored plant communities, we erected rainfall manipulation structures and tracked the response of seeded species cover and total plant biomass during experimental drought relative to controls and in the post-drought growing season. High seed richness and high-density seeding treatments resulted in greater richness and cover of native, seeded species per 0.5 m2 compared to low-richness and low-density treatments. Cover differences in response to seed mixture richness were driven by native forbs. Richness and cover of exotic species were lowest in high-richness and high-density treatments. We found little evidence of differential drought resistance, recovery, and resilience among seeding treatments. Increases in exotic species across years were restricted to drought subplots, and were not affected by seeding treatments. Grassland restoration was generally enhanced and exotic cover reduced both by the use of high-richness seed mixtures and high-density seeding. Given the lack of restoration treatment effects on the resistance, recovery, or resilience of seeded species exposed to drought, and the increases in exotic species following drought, other forms of active management may be needed to produce restored plant communities that are robust to climate change.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1890/11-1970.1}, url = {https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1890/11-1970.1}, author = {Carter, D.L. and John M. Blair} } @article {KNZ001486, title = {Higher-order bud production increases tillering capacity in the perennial caespitose grass Scribner{\textquoteright}s Panicum (Dichanthelium oligosanthes)}, journal = {Botany}, volume = {90}, year = {2012}, pages = {884 -890}, abstract = {

The persistence and dynamics of perennial grass populations strongly depend on tiller recruitment from the bud bank. Because of the structural organization of grasses as populations of phytomers, bud production and tillering are constrained by morphology. An infrequent trait observed in only a few caespitose grasses is the branching of buds to produce higher-order buds prior to tiller development. We studied bud bank dynamics in Dichanthelium oligosanthes (Schult.) Gould a C3 perennial caespitose grass widely distributed in the eastern Great Plains. A hierarchy of bud development occurred in D. oligosanthes, with primary buds branching to produce secondary, tertiary, and quaternary buds. This higher-order bud production increased the overwintering propagule supply for spring recruitment by 4.5 times, and more than half of successful tiller recruits originated as higher-order buds. The temporal patterns of higher-order bud production and development suggest that growing season length may be an important factor determining the extent of higher-order bud production and subsequent year tiller natality in D. oligosanthes. Higher-order bud production likely has important consequences for the population dynamics of grasses. It may increase bud bank densities and tillering capacity, buffer population dynamics, and increase intraclonal tiller densities and resource consolidation in caespitose grasses.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, Bud bank, bunchgrass, Dichanthelium oligosanthes, tillering}, doi = {10.1139/b2012-043}, url = {http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/b2012-043}, author = {Ott, J.P. and D.C. Hartnett} } @article {KNZ001476, title = {Hispid pocket mice in tallgrass prairie: abundance, seasonal activity, habitat association, and individual attributes}, journal = {Western North American Naturalist}, volume = {72}, year = {2012}, pages = {377 -392}, abstract = {

Hispid pocket mice (Chaetodipus hispidus) are found from the grasslands of the Great Plains to the deserts of the southwestern United States, but the natural history and ecology of this species have not been described in native tallgrass prairie at the eastern edge of its range. We initiated an ongoing long-term study of small mammals on Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas (a Long-Term Ecological Research [LTER] site), in autumn 1981. Our sampling scheme for 14 LTER sites was a 20-station trapline; small mammals were sampled in autumn and spring for 30 years and in summer for a shorter period. We combined data for these sites with those from shorter studies on Konza Prairie that used traplines and trapping grids. We recorded only 96 hispid pocket mice over the 30 years of study (\>300,000 trap-nights overall). Pocket mice were more likely to be captured in autumn and summer than in spring. The earliest annual capture was on 20 March and the latest on 7 December; males emerged from torpor in spring before females, whereas females entered torpor later in autumn. Precipitation (January\—September) had a tight limiting effect on maximal number of individuals that were present in autumn. Pocket mice were more common on slope prairie than on upland or lowland prairie, but burning and grazing had no effect. Their spatiotemporal distribution showed a slightly \“anti-nested\” pattern with only weakly preferred sites and no focal years that might indicate favorable conditions. Collectively, our data suggested the presence of 3 age classes when individual body masses (no differences between males and females) were plotted against capture date. Finally, our study illustrates the importance of long-term data sets, especially in the study of uncommon to rare species.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.3398/064.072.0312}, url = {https://bioone.org/journals/Western-North-American-Naturalist/volume-72/issue-3/064.072.0312/Hispid-Pocket-Mice-in-Tallgrass-Prairie--Abundance-Seasonal-Activity/10.3398/064.072.0312.short}, author = {Kaufman, G.A. and Kaufman, D.M.} } @article {KNZ001297, title = {Hierarchical modeling of lek habitats of Greater Prairie-Chickens}, journal = {Studies in Avian Biology}, volume = {39}, year = {2011}, pages = {21 -32}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, url = {https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/documents/R2ES/LitCited/LPC_2012/Gregory_et_al_2011.pdf}, author = {Gregory, A.J. and McNew, L.B. and Prebyl, T.J. and Sandercock, B.K. and Wisely, S.M.} } @article {KNZ001441, title = {Historical processes and landscape context influence genetic structure in peripheral populations of the collared lizard (Crotaphytus collaris)}, journal = {Landscape Ecology}, volume = {26}, year = {2011}, pages = {1125 -1136}, abstract = {

Populations at the periphery of a species\’ range often show reduced genetic variability within populations and increased genetic divergence among populations compared to those at the core, but the mechanisms that give rise to this core-periphery pattern in genetic structure can be multifaceted. Peripheral population characteristics may be a product of historical processes, such as founder effects or population expansion, or due to the contemporary influence of landscape context on gene flow. We sampled collared lizards (Crotaphytus collaris) at four locations within the northern Flint Hills of Kansas, which is at the northern periphery of their range, to determine the genetic variability and extent of genetic divergence among populations for ten microsatellite loci (n = 229). We found low genetic variability (average allelic richness = 3.37 \± 0.23 SE; average heterozygosity = 0.54 \± 0.05 SE) and moderate population divergence (average FST = 0.08 \± 0.01 SE) among our sample sites relative to estimates reported in the literature at the core of the species\’ range in Texas. We also identified differences in dispersal rates among sampling locations. Gene flow within the Flint Hills was thus greater than for other peripheral populations of collared lizards, such as the Missouri glade system where most of the mesic grasslands have been converted to forest since the last glacial retreat, which appears to have greatly impeded gene flow among populations. Our findings signify the importance of considering landscape context when evaluating core-peripheral trends in genetic diversity and population structure.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, Collared lizard, Flint Hills, Microsatellites, tallgrass prairie}, doi = {10.1007/s10980-011-9631-1}, url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007\%2Fs10980-011-9631-1}, author = {Blevins, E. and Wisely, S.M. and With, K.A.} } @article {KNZ001299, title = {Human-mediated selection on life-history traits of Greater Prairie-Chickens}, journal = {Studies in Avian Biology}, volume = {39}, year = {2011}, pages = {255 -266}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, url = {https://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/landbirds/pdfs/McNew_etal_2011_sab2.pdf}, author = {McNew, L.B. and Gregory, A.J. and Wisely, S.M. and Sandercock, B.K.} } @article {KNZ001345, title = {High leaf tissue density grassland species consistently more abundant across topographic and disturbance contrasts in a North American tallgrass prairie}, journal = {Plant and Soil}, volume = {337}, year = {2010}, pages = {193 -203}, abstract = {

Understanding the coupling between plant functional traits and abundance provides insight into the often hidden forces that structure plant communities. To better understand the coupling between leaf traits and abundance of grassland species in a mesic North American grassland, we measured specific leaf area (SLA) and its two components, tissue density and thickness for 125 grassland species. Plants with high tissue density were more abundant over a 17-year period across a range of environments: uplands, grazed and ungrazed watersheds, and frequently and infrequently burned watersheds. The consistent relationships between leaf tissue density and abundance across ecological contrasts imply that belowground resource availability constrains community composition independent of grazing and burning regimes. Leaf tissue density did not explain species abundance in lowlands, where belowground resources are the highest. Neither did it explain the differential abundance of species between grazing or fire frequency contrasts, suggesting that changes in burning or grazing select for species based on other traits. Relative to leaf tissue density, SLA was a poor predictor of abundance, reinforcing a long-observed\—but often ignored\—call that measurements of SLA need to be coupled with thickness measurements in order to effectively predict the performance of species. More generally, future research needs to investigate which belowground resources control community composition in the grassland and whether the importance of water or nutrients change with burning and grazing.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, burning, Functional traits, Grasslands, Grazing, Konza Prairie, topography}, doi = {10.1007/s11104-010-0515-y}, url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007\%2Fs11104-010-0515-y}, author = {Craine, J.M. and Towne, E.G.} } @article {KNZ001194, title = {Heteroduplex molecules cause sexing errors in a standard molecular protocol for avian sexing}, journal = {Molecular Ecology Resources}, volume = {9}, year = {2009}, pages = {61 -65}, abstract = {

Molecular methods are a necessary tool for sexing monomorphic birds. These molecular approaches are usually reliable, but sexing protocols should be evaluated carefully because biochemical interactions may lead to errors. We optimized laboratory protocols for genetic sexing of a monomorphic shorebird, the upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), using two independent sets of primers, P2/P8 and 2550F/2718R, to amplify regions of the sex-linked CHD-Z and CHD-W genes. We discovered polymorphisms in the region of the CHD-Z intron amplified by the primers P2/P8 which caused four males to be misidentified as females (n = 90 mated pairs). We cloned and sequenced one CHD-W allele (370 bp) and three CHD-Z alleles in our population: Z\° (335 bp), Z\′ (331 bp) and Z\″ (330 bp). Normal (Z\°Z\°) males showed one band in agarose gel analysis and were easily differentiated from females (Z\°W), which showed two bands. However, males heterozygous for CHD-Z alleles (Z\′Z\″) unexpectedly showed two bands in a pattern similar to females. While the Z\′ and Z\″ fragments contained only short deletions, they annealed together during the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process and formed heteroduplex molecules that were similar in size to the W fragment. Errors previously reported for molecular sex-assignment have usually been due to allelic dropout, causing females to be misidentified as males. Here, we report evidence that events in PCRs can lead to the opposite error, with males misidentified as females. We recommend use of multiple primer sets and large samples of known-sex birds for validation when designing protocols for molecular sex analysis.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, 2550F/2718R, Bartramia longicauda, CHD-Z, molecular sexing, P2/P8, Upland Sandpiper}, doi = {10.1111/j.1755-0998.2008.02307.x}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1755-0998.2008.02307.x}, author = {Casey, A.E. and Jones, K.L. and Sandercock, B.K. and Wisely, S.M.} } @article {KNZ001286, title = {High propagule production and reproductive fitness homeostasis contribute to the invasiveness of Lespedeza cuneata (Fabaceae)}, journal = {Biological Invasions}, volume = {11}, year = {2009}, pages = {1913 -1927}, abstract = {

Comparative studies of congeneric native and exotic species have proved fruitful in understanding plant traits that foster invasion. Using this approach, we investigate the complex reproductive system of the invasive Lespedeza cuneata (Dum.-Cours.) G. Don in relation to three native congeners in the variable environment of the North American tallgrass prairie. Lespedeza species produce both chasmogamous (CH) and cleistogamous (CL) flowers, and propagate clonally via vegetative buds. Utilizing multiple natural populations over 2 years, we investigated reproductive modes of individuals from bagged and unbagged treatments of each species. We found that L. cuneata produced a mean of five times as many seeds and a significantly greater number of vegetative buds than any native studied, and over twenty times as many CH flowers. Insect visitation significantly affected seed set in CH flowers, though some autonomous CH selfing occurred in all species. The invasive relied relatively less on selfing than the natives and exhibited less variation in reproductive output from both modes of reproduction. We conclude that the diverse reproductive biology and wide regeneration niche of L. cuneata in relation to its native congeners confer a fitness homeostasis that facilitates the successful spread of this invasive under a wide range of conditions.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, Cleistogamy, Fitness homeostasis, Invasive, Lespedeza, Pollination, Propagule production, Regeneration niche, tallgrass prairie}, doi = {10.1007/s10530-008-9369-0}, url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007\%2Fs10530-008-9369-0}, author = {Woods, T.M. and D.C. Hartnett and Ferguson, C.J.} } @article {KNZ001273, title = {Highly polymorphic microsatellites in the North American snakeweed grasshopper, Hesperotettix viridis}, journal = {Journal of Orthoptera Research}, volume = {18}, year = {2009}, pages = {19 -21}, abstract = {

Microsatellite markers are preferred for fine-scale population genetic studies requiring high resolution. The grasshopper Hesperotettix viridis (Thomas) is an oligophagous species that feeds on composites and often exhibits locally restricted diets. Divergence in host plant use in some localities is seen where co-occurring subpopulations select alternate plant species, as expected with the evolution of host shifts and associated lineage divergence. To characterize the host-associated divergence patterns among populations of H. viridis, we developed markers from two microsatellite-enriched genomic libraries. Here we report the characterization and optimization of seven polymorphic di- and tri-nucleotide microsatellite loci for this species. One hundred and six individuals from 5 populations were tested for polymorphism. The number of alleles varied from 4 to 38 in all the populations. Ho ranged from 0.339 to 0.790. Homozygote excess was observed across loci, perhaps due to inbreeding. This is the first report of microsatellite markers for the subfamily Melanoplinae.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, Hesperotettix viridis, host-associated divergence, local adaptation, microsatellite markers, snakeweed grasshopper}, doi = {10.1665/034.018.0111}, url = {https://bioone.org/journals/Journal-of-Orthoptera-Research/volume-18/issue-1/034.018.0111/Highly-Polymorphic-Microsatellites-in-the-North-American-Snakeweed-Grasshopper-iHesperotettix/10.1665/034.018.0111.full}, author = {Grace, T. and Anthony Joern and Brown, S.J. and Apple, J.L. and Wisely, S.M.} } @article {KNZ001228, title = {Hippocampal volumes and neuron numbers increase along a gradient of environmental harshness: a large-scale comparison}, journal = {Proceedings of the Royal Society B}, volume = {276}, year = {2009}, pages = {401 -405}, abstract = {

Environmental conditions may provide specific demands for memory, which in turn may affect specific brain regions responsible for memory function. For food-caching animals, in particular, spatial memory appears to be important because it may have a direct effect on fitness via the accuracy of cache retrieval. Animals living in more harsh environments should rely more on cached food, and thus theoretically should have better memory to support cache retrieval, which may be crucial for survival. Consequently, animals in harsh environments may benefit from more neurons within a larger hippocampus (Hp), a part of the brain involved in spatial memory. Here, we present the first large-scale test of the hypothesis that Hp structure is related to the severity of the environment within a single food-caching species (the black-capped chickadee, Poecile atricapillus) with a large range encompassing a great diversity of climatic conditions. Hp size in birds collected at five locations along a gradient of environmental harshness from Alaska to Kansas ranked perfectly with climatic severity. Birds from more harsh northern climates (defined by lower ambient temperature, shorter day length and more snow cover) had significantly larger Hp volumes and more Hp neurons (both relative to telencephalon volume) than those from more mild southern latitudes. Environmental pressures therefore seem capable of influencing specific brain regions independently, which may result in enhanced memory, and hence survival, in harsh climates.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1098/rspb.2008.1184}, url = {https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2008.1184}, author = {Roth, T.C. and Pravosudov, V.V.} } @phdthesis {KNZ001283, title = {Host associated genetic divergence and sexual isolation in the grasshopper Hesperotettix viridis (Orthoptera: Acrididae)}, volume = {PhD Dissertation}, year = {2009}, pages = {1 -127}, school = {Kansas State University}, type = {Ph.D. Thesis}, address = {Manhattan, KS}, abstract = {

Understanding evolutionary processes that structure genetic variation associated with lineage diversification and speciation is a central problem. Shifts in host plant use by insect herbivores and subsequent divergence in mating signals can lead to sexual isolation, especially when selection for specialization on different hosts restricts gene flow among populations. The grasshopper Hesperotettix viridis (Thomas) is an oligophagous grasshopper feeding on plants primarily in the host plant genera Gutierrezia and Solidago in Kansas. I used mitochondrial and microsatellite genetic markers to evaluate the diversification pattern and underlying evolutionary mechanisms of two putative host races of H. viridis. I also quantified host preferences, the degree of sexual isolation among putative host races and divergence in cuticular attributes to identify the nature and origins of initial barriers that isolated populations in the formative stages of divergence. mtDNA data revealed a star-shaped phylogeny, suggesting isolation in a single refugium ~110,000 years ago based on a molecular clock, followed by rapid population expansion. Microsatellite data reveal significant host-based genetic differentiation and structuring in H. viridis populations in Kansas, including a microsatellite locus under strong divergent selection. Neutral microsatellite loci did not reveal a differentiation pattern specific to host plant use. Significant host-based preferences by individuals that fed on two host plant groups were detected in host paired-feeding preference studies. No-choice mate selection experiments revealed preferences for individuals collected from the same host species independent of location with little mating observed between individuals from different host species. Significant differentiation in color and cuticular composition among different host plant races within the study area was also detected. Correlations between host choice, mate choice and phenotypic divergence were observed and this host associated divergence appears to have a genetic basis. Based on the results of this study, I conclude that divergent selection for host plant use underlies observed sexual isolation among populations in this species. Hesperotettix viridis populations in Kansas that fed on Solidago and Gutierrezia species represent two incipient host races, early stages of diversification that could lead to speciation in insect herbivores.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, Hesperotettix viridis, Host Associated Divergence, Microsatellites, Population genetics, sexual isolation, Speciation}, url = {http://hdl.handle.net/2097/1541}, author = {Grace, T.} } @article {KNZ001206, title = {Headwater influences on downstream water quality}, journal = {Environmental Management}, volume = {41}, year = {2008}, pages = {367 -377}, abstract = {

We investigated the influence of riparian and whole watershed land use as a function of stream size on surface water chemistry and assessed regional variation in these relationships. Sixty-eight watersheds in four level III U.S. EPA ecoregions in eastern Kansas were selected as study sites. Riparian land cover and watershed land use were quantified for the entire watershed, and by Strahler order. Multiple regression analyses using riparian land cover classifications as independent variables explained among-site variation in water chemistry parameters, particularly total nitrogen (41\%), nitrate (61\%), and total phosphorus (63\%) concentrations. Whole watershed land use explained slightly less variance, but riparian and whole watershed land use were so tightly correlated that it was difficult to separate their effects. Water chemistry parameters sampled in downstream reaches were most closely correlated with riparian land cover adjacent to the smallest (first-order) streams of watersheds or land use in the entire watershed, with riparian zones immediately upstream of sampling sites offering less explanatory power as stream size increased. Interestingly, headwater effects were evident even at times when these small streams were unlikely to be flowing. Relationships were similar among ecoregions, indicating that land use characteristics were most responsible for water quality variation among watersheds. These findings suggest that nonpoint pollution control strategies should consider the influence of small upland streams and protection of downstream riparian zones alone is not sufficient to protect water quality.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, geographic information systems, Headwater streams, Nonpoint source pollution, Riparian zones, water quality, Watershed management}, doi = {10.1007/s00267-007-9033-y}, url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007\%2Fs00267-007-9033-y}, author = {W. K. Dodds and Oakes, R.M.} } @article {KNZ001210, title = {Host-plant quality alters grass/forb consumption by a mixed-feeding insect herbivore, Melanoplus bivittauts (Orthoptera: Acrididae)}, journal = {Ecological Entomology}, volume = {33}, year = {2008}, pages = {546 -554}, abstract = {

1.\ Factors affecting the nutritional ecology of mixed-feeding, polyphagous herbivores are poorly understood. Mixed-feeding herbivores do better when they consume both forb and grass species although they typically feed primarily on forbs, which are of relatively higher protein content than grasses. 2.\ In a field experiment, we examined the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization and associated changes in host-plant C:N:P on proportional grass consumption by a mixed-feeding insect herbivore, Melanoplus bivittatus, using natural abundance stable carbon isotope (12C/13C) methods. We also examined a grass-feeding (Phoetaliotes nebrascensis) and forb-feeding (Hesperotettix viridis) species. 3.\ The C isotope signatures of M. bivittatus collected from plots fertilized with nitrogen (+N), phosphorus (+P), nitrogen and phosphorus (+N+P) and no fertilizer were compared with the C isotope signatures of plants in those plots to determine the proportion of assimilated C derived from C4 grasses and C3 forbs in each plot. We also examined the relationship between M. bivittatus diets and plant C:N:P stoichiometry. 4.\ The proportion of grass assimilated approximately doubled in N-fertilized treatments (39.1 \± 0.1\%) compared with non-fertilized treatments (19 \± \<0.1\%), an increase associated with decreased C:N and increased N:P of grasses. 5.\ These results indicate that mixed-feeding M. bivittatus can selectively feed to balance C:N:P intake even when choosing between two structurally and chemically different groups of plants. 6.\ The strong relationship between diet selection and grass stoichiometry also suggests that plant nutrient composition may be more important than defensive chemistry in food choice.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, C3 photosynthetic pathway, C4 photosynthetic pathway, Carbon (C), grasshopper, nitrogen (N), optimal foraging, Orthoptera: Acrididae, phosphorus (P), stoichiometry, tallgrass prairie}, doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2311.2008.01004.x}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2311.2008.01004.x}, author = {Jonas, J.L. and Anthony Joern} } @book {KNZ001329, title = {Humanity{\textquoteright}s Footprint: Momentum, Impact and our Global Environment}, year = {2008}, publisher = {Columbia University Press}, organization = {Columbia University Press}, address = {New York}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, author = {W. K. Dodds} } @article {KNZ001352, title = {Herbivore impact on grassland plant diversity depends on habitat productivity and herbivore size}, journal = {Ecology Letters}, volume = {9}, year = {2006}, pages = {780 -788}, abstract = {Mammalian herbivores can have pronounced effects on plant diversity but are currently declining in many productive ecosystems through direct extirpation, habitat loss and fragmentation, while being simultaneously introduced as livestock in other, often unproductive, ecosystems that lacked such species during recent evolutionary times. The biodiversity consequences of these changes are still poorly understood. We experimentally separated the effects of primary productivity and herbivores of different body size on plant species richness across a 10-fold productivity gradient using a 7-year field experiment at seven grassland sites in North America and Europe. We show that assemblages including large herbivores increased plant diversity at higher productivity but decreased diversity at low productivity, while small herbivores did not have consistent effects along the productivity gradient. The recognition of these large-scale, cross-site patterns in herbivore effects is important for the development of appropriate biodiversity conservation strategies.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1111/j.1461-0248.2006.00925.x}, author = {E.S. Bakker and Ritchie, M.E. and Olff, H. and Milchunas, D.G. and Knops, J.M.H.} } @phdthesis {KNZ001074, title = {Host-parasite interactions on an experimental landscape}, volume = {PhD Dissertation}, year = {2006}, pages = {1 -106}, school = {Kansas State University}, type = {Ph.D. Thesis}, address = {Manhattan, KS}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, url = {http://krex.k-state.edu/dspace/handle/2097/186}, author = {Kosciuch, K.L.} } @article {KNZ00970, title = {Habitat of origin and changes in water chemistry influence development of western chorus frogs}, journal = {Journal of Herpetology}, volume = {39}, year = {2005}, pages = {254 -265}, abstract = {A variety of biotic and abiotic variables have been shown to affect length of larval period and size of juveniles at metamorphosis in amphibians. However, influence of water quality on phenotypic plasticity of growth and development of tadpoles generally has received less attention. We examined how abiotic factors in the larval environment change over time and how these changes affect the growth and development of larval amphibians. Western Chorus Frogs, Pseudacris triseriata, in tallgrass prairie breed in ephemeral aquatic habitats including intermittent streams and bison wallows. Our objectives were to determine whether abiotic factors in the larval environment of P. triseriata changed predictably as pools dried and to determine whether these changes affected growth and development of tadpoles when the environment was simulated in the laboratory. In our field studies, pH increased gradually in wallows, whereas ammonium increased in streams, as each habitat dried. In the laboratory, we examined the effects of increased levels of pH and ammonium on growth and development of tadpoles collected from both wallows and streams. Tadpoles collected from streams metamorphosed significantly faster in the high ammonium treatment than tadpoles from wallows. In contrast, tadpoles from wallows metamorphosed faster in the high pH treatment than tadpoles collected from streams. Growth rates of tadpoles from streams were not significantly affected by high pH, whereas those from wallows were not significantly affected by high ammonium treatments. We suggest that changes in abiotic factors over the course of the larval period may influence developmental rate and that natal habitat may determine how tadpoles respond to changes in abiotic factors.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1670/171-03A}, author = {N.M. Gerlanc and Kaufman, G.A.} } @article {KNZ00962, title = {Habitat use and susceptibility to predation of four prairie stream fishes: implications for conservation of the endangered Topeka shiner}, journal = {Copeia}, year = {2005}, pages = {38 -45}, abstract = {Local extirpations of the federally endangered Topeka Shiner (Notropis topeka) have been linked to the introduction of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides). However, because other native minnow species have persisted at these locations, our objective was to test whether Topeka Shiners were more susceptible to predation by Largemouth Bass than other native minnows. We conducted behavioral observations of Topeka Shiners, Red Shiners (Cyprinella lutrensis), Bluntnose Minnows (Pimephales notatus), and Common Shiners (Luxilus cornutus) in an indoor experimental stream, in which we examined the interactive effects of cover and the presence of a predator on longitudinal and lateral position, height in water column, cover use, and activity of these minnows. Significant differences in habitat use and response to bass were observed among species, but there was no evidence to suggest that Topeka Shiners would be more susceptible to predation than other native species. Subsequent experiments in outdoor experimental streams that allowed Largemouth Bass to forage on an assemblage of these four minnows indicated that consumption rates across species were similar, further suggesting that Topeka Shiners were not more susceptible to predation than the other minnows. Although our experiments suggest that Largemouth Bass randomly prey on this guild of minnows, the added mortality and potential indirect effects of this introduced predator likely have negative effects by further reducing the abundance of already rare Topeka Shiners.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1643/CE-04-226R1}, author = {Knight, G.L. and K. B. Gido} } @article {KNZ00966, title = {Harshness: characterization of intermittent stream habitat over space and time}, journal = {Marine and Freshwater Research}, volume = {56}, year = {2005}, pages = {13 -23}, abstract = {Frequently disturbed environments, such as intermittent streams, are ecologically useful for studying how disturbance characteristics (e.g. frequency, magnitude) affect community structure and succession. We developed a harshness index that quantifies ecologically pertinent spatial and temporal characteristics of prairie intermittent streams that may limit or reduce diversity and abundance to predict benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage characteristics. The index incorporates 11 variables that describe the hydrological regime (e.g. average flow, flow variability, drying and flooding) and distance to perennial surface water. We started with 27 variables, but removed 16 that did not increase the predictive value of the index. The relationships among index values and annual mean macroinvertebrate assemblage characteristics (taxonomic richness, diversity, evenness and abundance) were tested over two years using seven sites that represent a range of flow permanence (recent and historical), flood magnitude (recent and historical) and surface-water connectivity. Mean annual taxonomic richness was significantly related to the harshness index. Evenness and abundance were not related to harshness. Further analyses indicated that distance to the nearest permanent habitat was less important than annual or historical hydrological parameters, even though prior research had documented higher rates of colonisation at sites that were closer to nearest permanent habitat. Both annual factors that can alter abundance and colonisation immediately (e.g. floods, drought in each year) and historical factors (e.g. probability of drying, average length of dry period over decades) may influence assemblage characteristics. Historical factors may influence evolutionary adaptations of invertebrates and may predominate when relative disturbance rates are lower such as in years with less flooding.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1071/MF04244}, author = {Fritz, K.M. and W. K. Dodds} } @mastersthesis {KNZ001012, title = {Hyporheic oxygen flux and substratum spatial heterogeneity: effects on whole-stream dynamics}, volume = {MS Thesis}, year = {2005}, pages = {1 -65}, school = {Kansas State University}, type = {M.S. Thesis}, address = {Manhattan, KS}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, author = {Wilson, K.C.} } @article {KNZ00754, title = {Habitat patchiness and plant species richness}, journal = {Ecological Letters}, volume = {4}, year = {2001}, pages = {417 -420}, abstract = {The pattern of woody species richness decline with a decrease in woody vegetation cover was studied within a tallgrass prairie. The decline in species richness is highly non-linear, with a well-defined threshold below which species richness collapses. This relationship can be understood after considering information on how landscape structure changes with woody vegetation cover, and how species richness is related to landscape structure.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1046/j.1461-0248.2001.00242.x}, author = {Bascompte, J. and Rodriguez, M.A.} } @article {KNZ00729, title = {Henslow{\textquoteright}s Sparrow habitat associations on Kansas tallgrass prairie}, journal = {Wilson Bulletin}, volume = {112}, year = {2000}, pages = {115 -123}, abstract = {We examined macro- and microhabitat characteristics of breeding Henslow{\textquoteright}s Sparrows (Ammodramus henslowii) on Fort Riley Military Reservation, Kansas during 1995 and 1996. Survey points were identified at the macrohabitat scale as either grassland, savanna, or woodland edge. A military disturbance index was used to quantify the severity of training disturbance to the vegetation at survey and bird use sites. At the large scale, Henslow{\textquoteright}s Sparrows were associated with grassland habitat last burned in 1993, two or three years previously. Microhabitat at Henslow{\textquoteright}s Sparrow use sites had lower tree density than random survey points, but neither shrub density nor military disturbance index differed between use sites and survey points during spring. In summer, the military track index was higher on Henslow{\textquoteright}s Sparrow{\textquoteright}s use sites. Habitat used by Henslow{\textquoteright}s Sparrows was consistently tall and dense vegetation with high litter cover during early spring, late spring, and summer whereas the vegetation of random survey points changed in response to vegetation growth. Characteristics of Henslow{\textquoteright}s Sparrow use sites included high cover by litter and dense, structurally homogeneous vegetation, whereas litter depth and standing dead vegetation, physiognomic diversity, and military disturbance did not differ from random survey points.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, tallgrass prairie}, doi = {10.1676/0043-5643(2000)112[0115:HSSHAO]2.0.CO;2}, author = {Cully, J.F. and Michaels, H.L.} } @article {KNZ00732, title = {Host plant species effects on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in tallgrass prairie}, journal = {Oecologia}, volume = {122}, year = {2000}, pages = {435 -444}, abstract = {Symbiotic associations between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are ubiquitous in many herbaceous plant communities and can have large effects on these communities and ecosystem processes. The extent of species-specificity between these plant and fungal symbionts in nature is poorly known, yet reciprocal effects of the composition of plant and soil microbe communities is an important assumption of recent theoretical models of plant community structure. In grassland ecosystems, host plant species may have an important role in determining development and sporulation of AM fungi and patterns of fungal species composition and diversity. In this study, the effects of five different host plant species [Poa pratensis L., Sporobolus heterolepis (A. Gray) A. Gray, Panicum virgatum L., Baptisia bracteata Muhl. ex Ell., Solidago missouriensis Nutt.] on spore communities of AM fungi in tallgrass prairie were examined. Spore abundances and species composition of fungal communities of soil samples collected from patches within tallgrass prairie were significantly influenced by the host plant species that dominated the patch. The AM fungal spore community associated with B. bracteata showed the highest species diversity and the fungi associated with Pa. virgatum showed the lowest diversity. Results from sorghum trap cultures using soil collected from under different host plant species showed differential sporulations of AM fungal species. In addition, a greenhouse study was conducted in which different host plant species were grown in similar tallgrass prairie soil. After 4 months of growth, AM fungal species composition was significantly different beneath each host species. These results strongly suggest that AM fungi show some degree of host-specificity and are not randomly distributed in tallgrass prairie. The demonstration that host plant species composition influences AM fungal species composition provides support for current feedback models predicting strong regulatory effects of soil communities on plant community structure. Differential responses of AM fungi to host plant species may also play an important role in the regulation of species composition and diversity in AM fungal communities.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, fungal diversity, Grasslands, Host specificity, Soil communities}, doi = {10.1007/s004420050050}, author = {Eom, A.H. and D.C. Hartnett and G.T. Wilson} } @article {KNZ00628, title = {Hybridization of Mountain Bluebird and Eastern Bluebird in Northeastern Kansas}, journal = {Kansas Ornithological Society}, volume = {49}, year = {1998}, pages = {21 -32}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268287117_Hybridization_o_Mountain_Bluebird_and_Eastern_Blubird_In_Northeastern_Kansas}, author = {Cavitt, J.F. and Pearse, A.T. and Rintoul, D.A.} } @inbook {KNZ00642, title = {Hydrology and aquatic chemistry}, booktitle = {Grassland Dynamics: Long-Term Ecological Research in Tallgrass Prairie}, year = {1998}, pages = {159 -176}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, organization = {Oxford University Press}, address = {New York}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, tallgrass prairie}, author = {Gray, L.J. and G. L. Macpherson and Koelliker, J.K. and W. K. Dodds}, editor = {Alan K. Knapp and J. M. Briggs and D.C. Hartnett and Scott. L. Collins} } @article {KNZ00559, title = {Hydrogeology of thin-bedded limestones: the Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research site, Northeastern Kansas}, journal = {Journal of Hydrology}, volume = {186}, year = {1996}, pages = {191 -228}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, author = {G. L. Macpherson} } @article {KNZ00394, title = {Herbivory and its consequences}, journal = {Ecological Applications}, volume = {3}, year = {1993}, pages = {10 -16}, abstract = {We argue that herbivores often induce nonlinear or biphasic growth and development in plants. Collectively these individual responses translate into a system{\textemdash}level optimization curve wherein at low levels of herbivory overall community responses show increases in production potential, whereas extreme herbivory causes extreme reduction in productivity. The transition between these two states defines a point of optimal herbivory in respect to C and N processes.We present four case examples from the literature demonstrating such nonlinear responses, suggesting a widespread existence for this herbivore{\textemdash}plant phenomenon. The nonlinear responses appear to demonstrate temporal and spatial scale dependencies.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.2307/1941781}, author = {Dyer, M.I. and Turner, C.L. and Seastedt, T.R.} } @article {KNZ00393, title = {The hierarchical continuum concept}, journal = {Journal of Vegetation Science}, volume = {4}, year = {1993}, pages = {149 -156}, abstract = {Two general models have been proposed to explain the structure of the plant community: the community-unit model of Clements and the continuum model of Whittaker and Curtis, the latter based on Gleason{\textquoteright}s individualistic distribution of species. It is generally assumed that most ecologists now accept the continuum model. Empirical evidence suggests, however, that the continuum in its current form does not fully describe the observed patterns of vegetation along environmental gradients. In this paper, we introduce the hierarchical continuum as a general concept to represent dynamic community structure along regional spatial gradients. The hierarchical continuum is derived from a combination of the individualistic distribution of species, hierarchical assemblage structure, and the core-satellite species hypothesis. The hierarchical continuum concept predicts that the distribution of species across sites in a region will be polymodal, which reflects hierarchical structure, and that the distribution and abundance of species within and between sites will be spatially and temporally dynamic. Regional distribution of plant species in North American tallgrass prairie, southeastern flood-plain hardwood forests, northern upland hardwood forests, and boreal forests were either bimodal or polymodal as predicted by the hierarchical continuum concept. Species in tallgrass prairie were spatially and temporally dynamic with an average turnover of 8{\textendash}9 species per 50 m2 yr1. In addition, the hierarchical continuum concept predicts the potential for fractal (self-similar) patterns of community structure, and provides a framework for testable hypotheses concerning species distributions along environmental gradients.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, community structure, Continuum model, Gradient analysis, Hierarchical structure}, doi = {10.2307/3236099}, author = {Scott. L. Collins and Glenn, S.M. and Roberts, D.W.} } @article {KNZ00342, title = {Hematological and blood chemistry parameters of American bison grazing on Konza Prairie, Kansas}, journal = {Journal of Wildlife Diseases}, volume = {27}, year = {1991}, pages = {417 -420}, abstract = {

Normal hematological and blood chemistry were measured in 45 American bison (Bison bison) that were divided into three age groups for comparison. There was a statistically significant (P less than .05) increase with advancing age in mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, absolute neutrophil and eosinophil counts, total protein, globulin, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen. There was a statistically significant (P less than .05) decrease with advancing age in levels of sorbital dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, glucose, sodium, calcium and phosphorus. Key words: Hematology, blood chemistry, American bison, Bison bison, age groups

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, author = {Vestweber, J.G. and Johnson, D.E. and Merrill, G.L. and Staats, J.J.} } @article {KNZ00268, title = {A hierarchical analysis of species abundance patterns in grassland vegetation}, journal = {The American Midland Naturalist}, volume = {135}, year = {1990}, pages = {633 -648}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {http://www.jstor.org/stable/2462027}, author = {Scott. L. Collins and Glenn, S.M.} } @article {KNZ00286, title = {House mice (Mus musculus) in natural and disturbed habitats in Kansas}, journal = {Journal of Mammalogy}, volume = {71}, year = {1990}, pages = {428 -432}, abstract = {

The relative density of house mice (Mus musculus was less than 0.05 individuals/trapline (20 stations with 15 m between stations) in mixed-grass prairie, planted grasslands, woodlands, and crop fields in north-central Kansas and in tallgrass prairie and woodlands in eastern Kansas. The only exception was in crop-field fencerows in north-central Kansas (0.29 individuals/trapline). Percent abundance of Mus in the rodent assemblage also was low (less than 0.5\% of all rodents) in grasslands, woodlands, mowed hayfields, and roadside ditches, but not in crop fields (2.6\% for a mixture of types of crop fields) or crop-field fencerows (4.1\%). Percent abundance varied significantly (P less than 0.05) among different types of crop fields with the highest values in alfalfa fields and lowest values in wheat fields. Our observations suggest that Mus is seldom, if ever, common in grasslands and woodlands, and only infrequently common in crop fields such as sorghum fields with bales containing grain during winter

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, tallgrass prairie}, doi = {10.2307/1381956}, author = {D.W. Kaufman and Kaufman, G.A.} } @proceedings {KNZ00227, title = {Hulbert{\textquoteright}s study of factors effecting botanical composition of Tallgrass Prairie}, year = {1989}, pages = {115 -133}, publisher = {University of Nebraska Press}, address = {Lincoln, NE}, abstract = {

Lloyd Hulbert\&$\#$39;s death in May 1986 left a wealth of unfinished projects as well as the legacy of Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas. One of these was an incomplete manuscript on fire, mowing, and soil effects on the tallgrass prairie, in which canopy cover and frequency in 27 soil-treatment combinations from Konza Prairie were reported. Treatments included unburned and April burned at 1-, 2-, and 4-year intervals, annual burning during three seasons, and mowing during two seasons. Soils ranged from deep and non-rocky to shallow, rocky, silty clay loams. Late April burning favored tall C4 grasses at the expense of most forbs, whereas autumn and March burning allowed many forbs to do well. More species occurred on shallow, rocky soils than on deep soils. Annuals and biennials succeeded in mowed areas but not in burned areas. Tables of partially summarized data are included with this report so that other researchers may make use of them. Key words: tallgrass prairie, fire, mowing, soil, plant communities, species richness, Kansas

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, tallgrass prairie}, author = {D.J. Gibson}, editor = {Bragg, T.B. and Stubbendieck, J.} } @article {KNZ00179, title = {Hydrologic and riparian influences on the import and storage of coarse particulate organic matter in a prairie stream}, journal = {Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science}, volume = {45}, year = {1988}, pages = {655 -665}, abstract = {

The hydrologic regime and zonation of riparian vegetation influenced the quantity and quality of coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM; greater than 1 mm) stored in the channel and upper bank of a prairie stream. In a 5.4 km intermittent reach of the South Branch of Kings Creek on Konza Prairie, Kansas, total annual import was lowest in headwater reaches and increased downstream. Total storage of benthic CPOM in the dry channel on the bank before the flow period was highest in the fourth- and fifth-order gallery forest zone (999 g ash-free dry mass.m-2) and less in upstream reaches (320-341 g.m-2). These longitudinal patterns of CPOM annual import and storage (before the flow period) were opposite those predicted by the river continuum concept for streams draining forested regions. Following flow, headwater channels had more CPOM (291 g.m-2) than downstream reaches. On the bank, storage was always highest in downstream reaches. Composition of CPOM both in the channel and on the bank varied with changes in riparian vegetation; grass tissues dominated in headwater channels, while wood and leaves of trees and shrubs were more abundant downstream. During the flow period, storage of CPOM increased only in headwater channels, where retention was high despite the lack of woody debris. In this intermittent prairie stream, benthic CPOM may not contribute consistently to the terrestrial/aquatic linkages that are suggested in the river continuum concept because of (1) a paucity of large CPOM sources (e.g. trees, shrubs) in the upper reaches and (2) a hydrologic regime that reduces the amount , as well as the predictability, of stored CPOM. The biota of prairie streams must have opportunistic food gathering and reproductive strategies to take advantage of variable food resources in a flow environment that is itself very unpredictable

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, gallery forest}, doi = {10.1139/f88-079}, author = {Gurtz, M.E. and Marzolf, G.R. and Killingbeck, K.T. and Smith, D.L. and McArthur, J.V.} } @article {KNZ00178, title = {Hydrologic influences on leaf decomposition in a channel and adjacent bank of a gallery forest stream}, journal = {The American Midland Naturalist}, volume = {120}, year = {1988}, pages = {11 -21}, abstract = {

Hydrologic extremes of flooding and drought typically occur each year in prairie streams. Two experiments were conducted in a fifth- order, gallery forest reach of King\&$\#$39;s Creek, Kansas, to assess the effect of hydrologic conditions on decomposition of leaves in the stream channel and on the adjacent floodplain. Temporal patterns of weight loss were examined in the first experiment. Leaves of bur oak and hackberry decomposed more rapidly in the channel than on the adjacent bank. A sharp drop in percent remaining for hackberry in the 2nd month (mid- December to mid-January) coincided with a period of high shredder densities on hackberry leaves. On the bank, decomposition of hackberry leaves was fastest during intervals that included one or more inundations of the leaf packs. Bur oak leaves decomposed more slowly than hackberry leaves and were influenced less by the hydrologic history. In the second experiment, spatial variation in decomposition rate of hackberry leaves was examined by placing 20 pairs of leaf packs in a transect extending from the center of the stream channel on the top of the upper bank. Position on the transect affected the frequency and duration of inundations on the floodplain, which ranged from one (minimum of 0.2 hr) to 17 times (272 cumulative hr under water), while three pairs of packs in the channel were always under water. The logarithm of percent remaining after 274 days was significantly correlated with number of hours inundated and number of times inundated, although other factors such as soil moisture or amount of flood-deposited silt may have influenced differences in decomposition rates along the transect. We concluded that flood frequency, during and timing affected both spatial and temporal patterns of decomposition, especially of a fast-decomposing species, in the riparian forest of an intermittent prairie stream

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, gallery forest}, doi = {10.2307/2425882}, author = {Gurtz, M.E. and Tate, C.M.} } @article {KNZ00105, title = {Historical development of gallery forest in northeast Kansas}, journal = {Vegetatio}, volume = {65}, year = {1986}, pages = {29 -37}, abstract = {

Woody vegetation, soils, age-diameter relationships and historical development are described for 18 gallery forest stands on Konza Prairie, a tallgrass prairie reserve in northeast Kansas. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) coupled with the importance values of dominant species was used to identify four stand types in these forests: Quercus muehlenbergii, Q. muehlenbergii-Q. macrocarpa, Q. macrocarpa-Q. muehlenbergii, and Celtis occidentalis-Q. macrcocarpa. Location of these groups on the first DCA axis was correlated with decreasing slope and increasing percent silt (i.e. a moisture gradient form xeric to mesic). Shrub cover increased with droughtness and decreased with both stand basal area and total reproduction. Original Land Office Survey suggest a dramatic expansion of gallery forests along the stream channels and ravines during the period from 1859-1939. Further expansion occurred through 1978. Increases in woody vegetation were attributed to decreased fire intensity and frequency since European settlement. Q. macrocarpa and/or Q. muehlenbergii were the oldest and largest trees in each stand, but were poorly represented as young trees and seedlings. In contrast, Celtis occidentalis, Cercis canadensis and Ulmus spp. were well represented as young trees and were vigorously reproducing singly or in combination in all stands. The growth of these species into trees occurred 10 to 30 years after the major recruitment of Q. macrocarpa and Q. muehlenbergii into the tree size class. It suggested that the oaks will be replaced by C. occidentalis on the more mesic sites and by C. canadensis on the more xeric sites. The potential of Ulmus spp. as an overstory dominant is probably limited by the Dutch Elm Disease

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, tallgrass prairie}, doi = {10.1007/BF00032124}, author = {Abrams, M.D.} } @article {KNZ00128, title = {How fox squirrels influence the invasion of prairies by nut-bearing trees}, journal = {Journal of Mammalogy}, volume = {67}, year = {1986}, pages = {326 -332}, abstract = {

The purpose of this study was to gain information on how squirrels respond to nuts buried on prairie-forest ecotones as a means of understanding how squirrels influence the invasions of prairies by nut-bearing trees. Of the three common species of nut-bearing riparian forest trees studies, seedlings of black walnut, Juglans nigra, the species whose nuts are most highly preferred by fox squirrels, Sciurus niger, tended to occur farthest from the forest edge onto the prairie. Squirrels removed walnuts buried in the woods in direct proportion to the density of nuts buried, rather than in proportion to the distance the nuts were located from a conspecific nut-bearing tree. In contrast, when walnuts were experimentally buried at extremely high densities in prairies next to woods during a good mast year, squirrels removed those nuts more quickly that were nearer the forest and did not remove nuts buried farther than 9 m from the edge of the canopy. Because walnut seedlings were observed at much greater distances from the forest edge, we speculate that squirrels may bury nuts on open prairies at considerable distances from forest cover in poor mast years, when the benefit of fewer nuts lost to other squirrels outweighs the added rick of predation in the prairie

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, animal, fox, prairie}, doi = {10.2307/1380886~}, author = {Stapanian, M.A. and Smith, C.C.} } @article {KNZ0096, title = {Habitat selection by small mammals of the tallgrass prairie: experimental patch choice}, journal = {The Prairie Naturalist}, volume = {17}, year = {1985}, pages = {65 -70}, abstract = {

Small mammals were sampled in 44 experimental burn plots on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area (NPRNA). These plots included burned and unburned upland and burned and unburned lowland tall-grass prairie. Peromyscus maniculatus was most common in burned upland, Reithrodontomys megalotis in unburned lowland, and Sigmodon hispidus in lowland with no response to fire treatment. Experimental patch choice was similar to habitat selection documented by earlier work on large watershed units on KPRNA

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, tallgrass prairie}, author = {Peterson, S.K. and Kaufman, G.A. and D.W. Kaufman} } @mastersthesis {KNZ0080, title = {Habitat selection by small mammals: seasonality of responses to conditions created by fire and topography in tallgrass prairie}, volume = {MS Thesis}, year = {1985}, pages = {1 -44}, school = {Kansas State University}, type = {M.S. Thesis}, address = {Manhattan, KS}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, tallgrass prairie}, url = {http://krex.k-state.edu/dspace/handle/2097/27450}, author = {Gurtz, S.P.} } @article {KNZ0082, title = {Herpetofauna of the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas}, journal = {The Prairie Naturalist}, volume = {17}, year = {1985}, pages = {101 -112}, abstract = {

Herpetofauna of the Konza prairie Research Natural Area (KPRNA), a tall-grass prairie research site in the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas, was sampled in terrestrial and aquatic habitats to compile a species list as well as to gather information on habitat distribution of individual species. Twenty-nine species, including 1 salamander, 8 frogs and toads, 3 turtles, 4 lizards, and 13 snakes were recorded from terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Three types of limestone outcrops were sampled intensively by trapping, searching under rocks and logs and capturing or recording animals seen while walking the outcrops. Data from these outcrops demonstrated differences in species richness and relative density of herpetiles with 7 species and 15 individuals recorded for a grass-dominated outcrop, 9 species and 49 individuals for a shrub- dominated outcrop, and 11 species and 50 individuals for a tree-dominated outcrop (sampling effort at the three sites was the same). Habitat distribution is described for species found on KPRNA using habitat records from captures and sightings. Finally, for species not found but possibly present (based on their distribution in Kansas, Collins 1982), the likelihood of occurrence on KPRNA is discussed

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, tallgrass prairie}, author = {Heinrich, M.L. and D.W. Kaufman} } @article {KNZ0083, title = {History and use of Konza Prairie Research Natural Area}, journal = {The Prairie Scout}, volume = {5}, year = {1985}, pages = {63 -95}, abstract = {

Konza Prairie, a few miles south of Manhattan, Riley County, Kansas, lies in the western part of the tallgrass or true prairie. The dense roots and the very tough rhizomes (underground stems) of the tallgrass prairie of North American and of the Danube Basin of Europe made the sod so tough that neither area could be plowed (\"broken\" the pioneers called it) until the nineteenth century after the special sod breaking plow was developed. Nine faculty in five departments at KSU began meeting in 1956 to discuss the need for a prairie area for ecological research to complement the prairie areas being used to study livestock production. In searching for an appropriate name, it was decided to choose one of the various spellings of the Kansa tribe; the oldest tribe that lived in the area for which a name is known. The Deweys acquired the land that became the Dewey Ranch parcel-by-parcel from 1872 to 1926. Konza Prairie Research Natural Area is the premier research site for tallgrass prairie, a fact certainly not anticipated by the cowboys and other who helped raise cattle on the area from the middle of the 1800s until the area was purchased by the Nature Conservancy in the 1970s. Because fire and native herbivores (bison, elk, and pronghorn) are part of this natural system, the experimental design includes them. Cattle are also included to compare domestic with native grazers. Research focuses on the vegetation, soils, insects, earthworms, nematodes (soil roundworms), birds, mammels, streams, and other components. Plans are to continue these studies for decades in order to assess the effects of weather variation, so pronounced in this continental area

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, tallgrass prairie}, author = {Hulbert, L.C.} } @mastersthesis {KNZ0060, title = {Herpetofauna of the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in the Flint Hills region of Kansas with respect to habitat selection}, volume = {MS Thesis}, year = {1984}, pages = {1 -49}, school = {Kansas State University}, type = {M.S. Thesis}, address = {Manhattan, KS}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, habitat, prairie, tallgrass}, url = {http://krex.k-state.edu/dspace/handle/2097/11804}, author = {Heinrich, M.L.} } @article {KNZ0029, title = {Hail damage to breeding birds and their nests on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area}, journal = {Kansas Ornithological Society Bulletin}, volume = {33}, year = {1982}, pages = {29 -30}, abstract = {

This report documents damage caused by high winds and hail to breeding birds and their nests on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area about 12 km south of Manhattan, KS in Riley and Geary Counties

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, bird, damage, Hail, prairie}, author = {Finck, E.J.} }