KBS

Kellogg Biological Station LTER

Positive feedback between increasing atmospheric CO2 and ecosystem productivity

Poster Number: 
397
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Ilya Gelfand

Increasing atmospheric CO2 will likely affect both the hydrologic cycle and ecosystem productivity. Current assumptions that increasing CO2 will lead to increased ecosystem productivity and plant water use efficiency (WUE) are driving optimistic predictions of higher crop yields as well as greater availability of freshwater resources due to a decrease in evapotranspiration.

Feeding by the Oribatid Mite Scheloribates Alters Microbial Activity and Carbon Cycling

Poster Number: 
392
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Kyle Wickings

Oribatid mites are among the most diverse soil mesofauna, and they possess a variety of metabolic and morphological feeding adaptations. Unfortunately, our understanding of the mechanisms by which oribatids may influence decomposition dynamics is incomplete. A microcosm experiment was conducted in which corn and oak leaf litter were incubated in the presence and absence of actively feeding oribatid mites Scheloribates sp. Our objective was to quantify the effects of Scheloribates sp. on microbial activity and carbon cycling within litter.

Fate of N assimilated by stream biofilms: a benthic chamber study

Poster Number: 
391
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Jonathan O'Brien

Recent 15N tracing studies have highlighted the important role biotic assimilation plays in stream N retention, yet the fate of N following assimilation is not well understood. One potentially important fate is indirect denitrification, a process in which locally mineralized and nitrified N is denitrified before being exported to the water column. We conducted a series of in-situ chamber experiments in which patches of stream bottom were labeled with 15N to investigate the fate of assimilated N.

Management of Residential Natural Resources by Recent Rural In-migrants

Poster Number: 
362
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Craig Harris

Population growth and urban sprawl are two issues that have long concerned environmentalists. Another, more modern phenomenon is that of urban to rural migration, wherein residents of urban or suburban areas buy property in areas more rural, less developed. This study is concerned with the land use decisions made by these new rural residents. The study is centered in Southwest Michigan, Barry Township within Barry County. The area is one of shifting land use patterns and increasing residential development.

Impact of Agricultural Practices on Bacterial Carbon Use Efficiency

Poster Number: 
312
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Zarraz Lee

Impact of Agricultural Practices on Bacterial Carbon Use Efficiency
Z. M. Lee and T. M. Schmidt
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Pathways to Ecological Literacy: Developing a Biodiversity Learning Progression

Poster Number: 
298
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Brook Wilke

Humans make decisions daily that impact biodiversity, and it is essential that citizens understand the implications of these decisions. Yet, ecological systems are extremely complex, with many details still being discovered. Our challenge is to identify the underlying principles and concepts governing the distribution of organisms, and then communicate these details to students in a way that influences their citizenship decisions as participants in local and global communities. 

Nitrogen fertilizer effects on soil communities and decomposition dynamics in agricultural systems

Poster Number: 
275
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Stuart Grandy

Many ecosystems, including grassland, forest, alpine, and desert, have shown responses to N enrichment. These responses vary considerably but include changes in soil respiration rates, enzyme activities, and microbial community structure. Surprisingly, little work has examined the effects of N enrichment on soil communities and processes in agricultural systems despite the high rates of N applied in most crop production systems.

KBS LTER: Field Crop Ecology

Poster Number: 
246
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Phil Robertson

The KBS LTER site is in a diverse, rural-to-semirural landscape typical of the U.S. Great Lakes and upper Midwest regions. Research at KBS asks how diverse plants, animals, and microbes in agricultural landscapes can contribute to farm productivity, environmental performance, and profitability. We study annual and perennial crops including corn, soybean, and wheat rotations, forage crops such as alfalfa, and biofuel crops such as poplars, switchgrass, and native successional communities.

Predator and pollinator response to flowering strips varies with landscape diversity

Poster Number: 
154
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Jessica Woltz

Landscapes provide ecosystem services to agricultural systems by supporting pollinators and predators of crop pests, services valued at $US 3 and $US 4.5 billion/yr respectively. Habitat management is the practice of providing nectar, pollen and shelter to beneficial insects in cropping systems, often in the form of flowering strips. However, the potential for flowering strips to increase biocontrol and pollination depends on the existing abundances of beneficial insects in the landscape, and highly simplified landscapes may support fewer beneficial insects than more diverse landscapes.

Contest Result: 
1st Place
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