Kings Creek Data
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Two branches of Kings Creek run through the Konza Prairie watershed. These streams provide opportunity to study an ecosystem quite different from that of the tallgrass prairie even though they are part of the larger grassland biome. Water movement and geology affect the creek bed where areas of erosion and soil deposition are taking place. Floods change the stream channel in major ways, sometimes washing out stream invertebrates, sometimes cutting off a meandering loop or oxbow. A new short-cut channel may result, eventually becoming the main channel of the stream. Permanent camera stands have been set up to photo the stream channel from two different positions. The photos below were taken from the same place on different dates. Look for changes in the stream bed, the vegetation and the little waterfall. |
What differences
do you see?
What might be the cause of these
differences?
What do you think the dates have to do with these differences?
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June 14, l999 |
June 28, l999 |
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August 18, 1999
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Amount of precipitation is a primary factor determining the geomorphology in these streams. Average monthly precipitation on Konza Prairie is 5.7 cm during the winter and 27.5 cm during the summer. The seasonal changes in the amount of water are due to changes in temperature as well as rainfall. Evaporation, affected by temperature and wind, plays a role in the total amount of water available. Precipitation exceeds actual evaporation for most of the year except for summer. To see the complete data sets of precipitation for the Manhattan area, go to http://www.konza.ksu.edu/data_catalog/manhattan/ . |
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To see a graph of
real-time data for stream flow in
Kings Creek on the Konza Prairie, [Note that the data is not being taken all year around.] Click on the "LTER Stream Flow Data" button at the bottom of this page to see real data from one branch of Kings Creek. There are some "queries" to help you ask questions of the database. Click on the "Stream Invertebrates" button to see the kinds of living things found in Kings Creek. |
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