03035nas a2200229 4500008004100000245009300041210006900134300001500203490000700218520227700225653001502502653003902517653002202556653002902578653003102607653002202638100001502660700001502675700001602690700001202706856008702718 2011 eng d00aSoil texture affects soil microbial and structural recovery during grassland restoration0 aSoil texture affects soil microbial and structural recovery duri a2182 -21910 v423 a
Many biotic and abiotic factors influence recovery of soil communities following prolonged disturbance. We investigated the role of soil texture in the recovery of soil microbial community structure and changes in microbial stress, as indexed by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles, using two chronosequences of grasslands restored from 0 to 19 years on silty clay loam and loamy fine sand soils in Nebraska, USA. All restorations were formerly cultivated fields seeded to native warm-season grasses through the USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program. Increases in many PLFA concentrations occurred across the silty clay loam chronosequence including total PLFA biomass, richness, fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and actinomycetes. Ratios of saturated:monounsaturated and iso:anteiso PLFAs decreased across the silty clay loam chronosequence indicating reduction in nutrient stress of the microbial community as grassland established. Multivariate analysis of entire PLFA profiles across the silty clay loam chronosequence showed recovery of microbial community structure on the trajectory toward native prairie. Conversely, no microbial groups exhibited a directional change across the loamy fine sand chronosequence. Changes in soil structure were also only observed across the silty clay loam chronosequence. Aggregate mean weighted diameter (MWD) exhibited an exponential rise to maximum resulting from an exponential rise to maximum in the proportion of large macroaggregates (>2000 μm) and exponential decay in microaggregates (<250 μm and >53 μm) and the silt and clay fraction (<53 μm). Across both chronosequences, MWD was highly correlated with total PLFA biomass and the biomass of many microbial groups. Strong correlations between many PLFA groups and the MWD of aggregates underscore the interdependence between the recovery of soil microbial communities and soil structure that may explain more variation than time for some soils (i.e., loamy fine sand). This study demonstrates that soil microbial responses to grassland restoration are modulated by soil texture with implications for estimating the true capacity of restoration efforts to rehabilitate ecosystem functions.
10aAggregates10aConservation Reserve Program (CRP)10aMicrobial biomass10aPhospholipid fatty acids10aSoil microbial communities10atallgrass prairie1 aBach, E.M.1 aBaer, S.G.1 aMeyer, C.K.1 aSix, J. uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0038071710003020?via%3Dihub02931nas a2200169 4500008004100000245011900041210006900160300000800229490000600237520236600243100001502609700001602624700001502640700001602655700001202671856007802683 2010 eng d00aContrasting ecosystem recovery on two soil textures: implications for carbon mitigation and grassland conservation0 aContrasting ecosystem recovery on two soil textures implications a5 -0 v13 aUnderstanding processes that promote or constrain ecosystem recovery from disturbance is needed to predict the restorative potential of degraded systems. We quantified a suite of ecosystem properties and processes across two chronosequences of restored grasslands on contrasting soil textures to test the hypothesis that restorations on silty clay loam soil would exhibit greater recovery of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools and fluxes than on loamy fine sand because soil with higher clay content possesses a greater capacity to physico-chemically protect organic matter. Warm-season grass aboveground net primary productivity was similar between the two soil textures. Root biomass increased and root quality (as indexed by C:N ratio) decreased across both chronosequences. An asymptote in the accumulation of N in roots in the silty clay loam chronosequence resulted in wider C:N ratios of roots than in the loamy fine sand chronosequence. Total soil C (TC) and microbial biomass C (MBC) increased across the silty clay loam chronosequence at 21.2 and 5.7 g C·m−2·yr−1, respectively, and contained >6 times the amount of C in large macroaggregates and nearly 3 times the aggregate mean weighted diameter (MWD) relative to cultivated soil following 15 yrs of restoration. In contrast, there were no changes in TC, MBC, or MWD in the loamy fine sand chronosequence. Total and microbial biomass N increased at 2.0 and 0.27 g N·m−2·yr−1, respectively, across the silty clay loam chronosequence, and restored soil contained nearly 6 times large macroaggregate N than cultivated soil following 15 yrs of restoration. Potential net N mineralization rates declined with years of grass establishment in both soil textures, but overall rates were lower in the silty clay loam soil relative to the loamy fine sand, which was attributed to lower quality root systems, more improved soil structure, and larger microbial biomass. Thus, the potential for restored agricultural lands to mitigate CO2 emissions over the short term cannot be generalized across all soils. Lastly, the low restorative potential of cultivated loamy fine sand soil through grassland restoration within two decades (relevant to many conservation programs) underscores the need to prioritize preservation of remnant sand prairies.
1 aBaer, S.G.1 aMeyer, C.K.1 aBach, E.M.1 aKlopf, R.P.1 aSix, J. uhttps://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1890/ES10-00004.100618nas a2200145 4500008004100000245014100041210006900182300001100251490000700262653002200269100001600291700001700307700001900324856012900343 2002 eng d00aLife history, secondary production, and ecosystem significance of acridid grasshoppers in annually burned and unburned tallgrass prairie0 aLife history secondary production and ecosystem significance of a40 -490 v4810atallgrass prairie1 aMeyer, C.K.1 aWhiles, M.R.1 aCharlton, R.E. uhttp://lter.konza.ksu.edu/content/life-history-secondary-production-and-ecosystem-significance-acridid-grasshoppers-annually02485nas a2200169 4500008004100000245012600041210006900167300001300236490000800249520184200257100001702099700001902116700001602135700001402151700001902165856013102184 2001 eng d00aEmergence of periodical cicadas (Magicicada cassini ) from a Kansas riparian forest: densities, biomass and nitrogen flux0 aEmergence of periodical cicadas Magicicada cassini from a Kansas a176 -1870 v1453 aThe 1998 emergence of 17-y periodical cicadas (Magicicada cassini) on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area (KPRNA), Kansas, was quantified using emergence trap transects and counts of emergence holes. Emergence density, biomass (emergence production) and associated nitrogen flux were estimated for the entire 100 ha gallery forest of Kings Creek, the major drainage network on KPRNA. Emergence commenced on 22 May 1998 and lasted for 24 d, with 87% of the individuals emerging within the first 9 d. Males dominated early during the emergence, and the sex ratio for the entire population was estimated at 54:46 male:female. Average emergence abundance and biomass estimated from trap transects located in low areas where cicadas were most abundant were 152/m2 and 34.9 g ash-free dry mass (AFDM)/m2, respectively. Based on emergence hole counts, average density and biomass for the 59 ha of gallery forest where cicadas emerged were 27.2 individuals/m2 and 6.3 g AFDM/m2, and emergence hole densities >100/m2 were evident in low areas of the drainage. Emergence density generally decreased with increasing elevation in the catchment. Belowground to aboveground N flux associated with M. cassini emergence in high density areas was ∼3 g N/m2, and the average for the entire emergence area was 0.63 g N/m2. The total number of individuals that emerged from the Kings Creek riparian forest was estimated at 19.6 million, which represents 4.6 metric tons AFDM and ∼0.5 metric tons N. This linear, fragmented, gallery forest of the Flint Hills supports a high density of M. cassini, and an emergence event constitutes a significant belowground to aboveground flux of energy and nutrients. Thus, the periodical cicada may be an exception to the notion that insects generally do not represent important resource pools at the ecosystem level.1 aWhiles, M.R.1 aCallaham, M.A.1 aMeyer, C.K.1 aBrock, B.1 aCharlton, R.E. uhttp://lter.konza.ksu.edu/content/emergence-periodical-cicadas-magicicada-cassini-kansas-riparian-forest-densities-biomass-and02602nas a2200229 4500008004100000245010700041210006900148300001300217490000800230520182600238653001402064653002102078653001802099653002602117653002002143100001902163700001702182700001602199700001402215700001902229856012402248 2000 eng d00aFeeding ecology and emergence production of annual cicadas (Homoptera: Cicadidae) in tallgrass prairie0 aFeeding ecology and emergence production of annual cicadas Homop a535 -5420 v1233 aThe emergence phenology and feeding ecology of annual cicadas in tallgrass prairie are poorly documented. However, these large insects are abundant, and their annual emergence represents a potentially important flux of energy and nutrients from belowground to aboveground. We conducted a study at Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in eastern Kansas to characterize and quantify cicada emergence and associated energy and nutrient fluxes. We established emergence trap transects in three habitat types (upland prairie, lowland prairie, and riparian forest), and collected cicadas every 3 days from May to September. A subset of trapped cicadas was used for species- and sex-specific mass, nutrient, and stable isotope analyses. Five species were trapped during the study, of which three were dominant. Cicadetta calliope and Tibicen aurifera exhibited significantly higher emergence production in upland prairie than in lowland prairie, and were not captured in forested sites at all. T. dorsata emerged from all three habitat types, and though not significant, showed a trend of greater abundance in lowland grasslands. Two less abundant species, T. pruinosa and T. lyricen, emerged exclusively from forested habitats. Nitrogen fluxes associated with total cicada emergence were estimated to be ∼4 kg N ha–1 year–1 in both grassland habitats, and 1.01 kg N ha–1 year–1 in forested sites. Results of stable isotope analyses showed clear patterns of resource partitioning among dominant cicada species emerging from grassland sites. T. aurifera and C. calliope had δ13C and δ15N signatures indicative of feeding on shallowly rooted C4 plants such as the warm-season grasses dominant in tallgrass prairie ecosystems, whereas T. dorsata signatures suggested preferential feeding on more deeply rooted C3 plants.10agrassland10aInsect emergence10aNutrient flux10aresource partitioning10aStable isotopes1 aCallaham, M.A.1 aWhiles, M.R.1 aMeyer, C.K.1 aBrock, B.1 aCharlton, R.E. uhttp://lter.konza.ksu.edu/content/feeding-ecology-and-emergence-production-annual-cicadas-homoptera-cicadidae-tallgrass00588nas a2200133 4500008004100000245011200041210006900153260004300222300001000265490001400275653002200289100001600311856012700327 2000 eng d00aLife history and secondary production of grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in a Kansas tallgrass prairie0 aLife history and secondary production of grasshoppers Orthoptera aManhattan, KSbKansas State University a1 -900 vMS Thesis10atallgrass prairie1 aMeyer, C.K. uhttp://lter.konza.ksu.edu/content/life-history-and-secondary-production-grasshoppers-orthoptera-acrididae-kansas-tallgrass