An Introduction to Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve.

Transcription

1 An Introduction to Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve.

2 Habitats at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve Cedar Creek Natural Ecosystem Science Reserve is within the meeting point of the three largest ecosystems of North America. Here the western prairies, the northern evergreen forests, and the leafy forests of the east all converge in a remarkable combination of plants and animals over a nine-square-mile area. More specifically we have the following habitats: Savanna Prairies and old fields White cedar forest Hardwood knolls Marshes and Fens Floating mat bog Lake

3 What Cedar Creek is all about The people of Cedar Creek are dedicated to understanding our planet's ecosystems and how they are changing under human pressures. Through research, conservation, and education, Cedar Creek will continue to bridge the gaps between science, community, and government.

4 What Cedar Creek is all about From the earliest work at Cedar Creek to the most modern experiments today, research has focused on ecology and the services ecosystems provide to the planet and to human society.

5 Major Experiments Cedar Creek Natural History Area is one of many worldwide Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites. There are many experiments set up to investigate the following topics: Biodiversity and productivity Dynamic effects of N on populations, communities and ecosystems t Land use and succession Biomass productivity of old fields of varying ages Herbivore-plant interactions Fire frequency effects on ecosystem function AND MANY MORE!

6 Major Experiments t Experiment 120 or Big Biodiversity is the world's largest (20 acres) and longest-running biodiversity experiment. The experiment has shown that a greater variety of plants means the ecosystem: is more productive absorbs more pollutants captures more CO 2 from the air Better withstands drought has less disease

7 Major Experiments BioCON (Biodiversity, CO 2, and Nitrogen) is a global change experiment set in an old field to explore how plant communities will respond to three major environmental changes that are occurring on a global scale: increasing nitrogen deposition increasing atmospheric CO 2 decreasing biodiversity t

8 Major Experiments Prescribed burning of the Cedar Creek savannas started in the 1960 s; this makes it one of the longest-running scientific fire experiments anywhere in the world. t

9 Major Experiments In the Cedar Creek burn units, researchers are currently: Studying the effects of fire at individual, community, and ecosystem levels. Developing effective methods of savanna restoration.

10 As an intern you will learn many ecological field methods including Prairie, old field, and savanna plant identification

11 As an intern you will learn many ecological field methods including Maintaining biodiversity treatments a.k.a. Weeding!

12 As an intern you will learn many ecological field methods including Harvesting and identifying aboveground biomass Poa pratensis Sorghastrum nutans Andropogon gerardii

13 Taking root cores to estimate belowground biomass production.

14 Estimating percent cover

15 Soil sampling to determine the soil s net nitrogen mineralization rate.

16 Extracting soil ammonium and nitrate.

17 Measuring a number of abiotic factors, including Soil CO2 flux (shown here).

18 Biking to the field sites well, not really a field method, but it is fun and earth friendly.

19 Prescribed burning!

20 Intern Opportunities To ensure the interns are gaining more than just field experience, we organize: Weekly seminars led by Cedar Creek researchers and other well known ecologists Several journal discussions on environmental issues A graduate school advising session led by both professors and graduate students Natural history tours and field trips

21 Intern Opportunities Conduct an independent research project* under the advisement of a Cedar Creek researcher. And present your findings at the Annual Intern Research Symposium in August. *These projects can be done in addition to your primary work. We can pay 2hrs/wk to work an independent project, so some after-work time is required to complete a good project. If your project is turning out to be really significant, we can allow more paid time.

22 Intern Opportunities Past interns have investigated: Invasibility and biodiversity Mycorrhizal community composition and abundance Rates of N-fixation by different legume species Oak establishment in old fields Insect and deer herbivory Soil microbial effects on plant communities The intermediate disturbance hypothesis. And many other ecological topics! Many interns complete these projects for credit, some are of high enough quality that they get published in a scientific journal.

23 Intern Opportunities Some potential project ideas for this summer include: Herbivore damage in plants in response to global change (elevated CO 2, elevated N deposition, and decreased biodiversity). Biodiversity and how it affects plant pathogen or insect damage. Plant community recovery patterns following extreme N-deposition Characterizing current to-be-restored savannas (i.e. plant community composition, tree health, fuel abundance) and developing savanna restoration methods. Incorporating historic land use changes into a GIS data base for Cedar Creek. Phylogenetic structure of Cedar Creek communities through succession: The role of trait evolution in competitive interactions and environmental filtering

24 Intern Opportunities Visits to other research sites In 2002, we toured the Konza Prairie LTER research site near Manhattan, Kansas.

25 Intern Opportunities visits to other research sites In 2003, we visited the Trout Lake LTER station and the Aspen FACE site near Rhinelander, WI Aspen FACE tour Trout lake tour

26 As an intern, you will be living in one of the following The Duplex OR OR The Bur Oak House

27 As an intern, you will be living in one of the following The Dome OR The Dorms (but we don t have a picture of it.) OR Your very own tent.

28 Annual Cedar Creek Olympics An annual event in which each intern crew is pitted against all others to win the much coveted gold rebar. slow 1st 2nd The weeding bench relays

29 Annual Cedar Creek Olympics The most celebrated event, the tug-o-war.

30 Annual Cedar Creek Olympics Some of the events The bike race The limbo The soil toss

31 Extracurricular activities at Cedar Creek Ultimate Frisbee!

32 Extracurricular activities at Cedar Creek Camping and hiking around the 5,000 acres that comprise Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve

33 Extracurricular activities at Cedar Creek Birding is excellent at Cedar Bog Lake or anywhere on Cedar Creek property

34 Extracurricular activities at Cedar Creek Canoeing on Fish Lake

35 Intern Trips Crossing the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park, MN

36 Intern Trips Interns usually organize several backpacking excursions to the Superior Hiking Trail.

37 Intern Trips Interns also organize trips to the Boundary Waters during the summer

38 Intern Trips Interns often visit nearby state parks (Interstate, Banning, and Wild River) and other recreation areas. Banning State Park

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