2009 LTER All Scientists Meeting - KBS

Positive feedback between increasing atmospheric CO2 and ecosystem productivity

Ilya Gelfand — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:35:54 +0000

Poster Number:

397

Presenter/Primary Author:

Ilya Gelfand

Co-Authors:

Hamilton, S.K.

Co-Authors:

Robertson, G.P.

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.

Population dynamics and mortality tradeoffs of bold and shy foraging: A field study with sunfish

Melissa Kjelvik — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:45:00 +0000

Poster Number:

396

Presenter/Primary Author:

Melissa Kjelvik

Co-Authors:

Gary Mittelbach

Co-Authors:

Laurel Lindemann

Student Poster:

Yes

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

Kyle Wickings — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:25:02 +0000

Poster Number:

392

Presenter/Primary Author:

Kyle Wickings

Co-Authors:

Stuart Grandy

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

Jonathan O'Brien — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:11:06 +0000

Poster Number:

391

Presenter/Primary Author:

Jonathan O'Brien

Co-Authors:

Steve Hamilton

Co-Authors:

Laura Podzikowski

Co-Authors:

Yi-Kuang Wang

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

Craig Harris — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:59:07 +0000

Poster Number:

362

Presenter/Primary Author:

Craig Harris

Co-Authors:

Leighanna Beach

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.

Student Poster:

Yes

Impact of Agricultural Practices on Bacterial Carbon Use Efficiency

Zarraz Lee — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 20:07:32 +0000

Poster Number:

312

Presenter/Primary Author:

Zarraz Lee

Co-Authors:

Thomas M. Schmidt

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

Student Poster:

Yes

Pathways to Ecological Literacy: Developing a Biodiversity Learning Progression

Brook Wilke — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:20:56 +0000

Poster Number:

298

Presenter/Primary Author:

Brook Wilke

Co-Authors:

Laurel Hartley

Co-Authors:

Charles Anderson

Co-Authors:

Eric Keeling

Co-Authors:

Jonathon Schramm

Co-Authors:

Robin Tinghitella

Co-Authors:

Liz Ratashak

Co-Authors:

Yeni Garcia

Co-Authors:

Shawna McMahon

Co-Authors:

Cornelia Harris

Co-Authors:

Mitch Burke

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

Stuart Grandy — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:21:53 +0000

Poster Number:

275

Presenter/Primary Author:

Stuart Grandy

Co-Authors:

Kyle Wickings

Co-Authors:

Noah Fierer

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

Julie Doll — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:04:58 +0000

Poster Number:

246

Presenter/Primary Author:

Phil Robertson

Co-Authors:

Stuart H. Gage

Co-Authors:

Katherine L. Gross

Co-Authors:

Stephen K. Hamilton

Co-Authors:

Douglas A. Landis

Co-Authors:

Thomas M. Schmidt

Co-Authors:

Sieglinde S. Snapp

Co-Authors:

Scott M. Swinton

Co-Authors:

Julie E. Doll

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

Jessica Woltz — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:11:44 +0000

Poster Number:

154

Presenter/Primary Author:

Jessica Woltz

Co-Authors:

Julianna K. Tuell

Co-Authors:

Rufus Isaacs

Co-Authors:

Doug A. Landis

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.

Student Poster:

Yes

Contest Result:

1st Place