The 16^th Annual Konza Prairie LTER Workshop

7:50 a.m. - 12:45 p.m., Saturday, March 12, 2005

Division of Biology - Ackert Hall 221 - Kansas State University

Theme: Synthesis – Learning from the Past & Looking to the Future

Oral Presentations

7:50 John Blair -- Welcome and overview of the workshop goals Download

Synthetic grouping I - Producers

8:00 Alan Knapp¹, John Briggs², Catherine Burns³ and Melinda Smith³. Patterns and controls of net primary production in mesic grasslands: looking beyond the borders of Konza Prairie. ¹Colorado State University, ²Arizona State University, and ³Yale University. Download

8:15 David Hartnett. Plant population constraints on the dynamics of grasslands. Kansas State University. Download

8:30 John Briggs¹, Alan Knapp², John Blair³, Jana Heisler², Greg Hoch⁴, Michelle Lett³, James McCarron⁵, Arthur Stiles¹ and Jason Walker¹. Catastrophic regime shift in an ecosystem: Conversion of a mesic grassland to a shrubland. ¹Arizona State University, ²Colorado State University, ³Kansas State University, ⁴Concordia College, and ⁵Adams State College. Download

Synthetic grouping II - Consumers

8:45 Don Kaufman and Glennis Kaufman. Long-term studies of small mammal dynamics in tallgrass prairie. Kansas State University. Download

9:00 Anthony Joern. Dynamics of insect herbivores in tallgrass prairie. Kansas State University Download

9:15 Brett Sandercock. Population biology of grassland birds. Kansas State University.

Synthetic grouping III – Aquatic studies

9:30 Keith Gido¹, Walter Dodds¹ and Matt Whiles². Synthesis of aquatic studies at the Konza Prairie LTER site. ¹Kansas State University, and ²Southern Illinois University

9:45 Gwen Macpherson. Groundwater chemistry and the potential importance of dry deposition in Flint Hills grasslands. University of Kansas. Download (G. Macpherson) Download (W.C. Johnson)

10:00 - 10:30 Break & Poster Session (Atrium of Chalmers Hall)

Synthetic grouping IV – Ecosystem studies

10:30 John Blair and Loretta Johnson. Linking belowground and aboveground ecosystem responses to fire, grazing and climate in mesic grasslands. Kansas State University. Download

10:45 Loretta Johnson¹, John Blair¹, Dixie Smith², Mark Norris³ and Duncan McKinley¹. Ecological consequences of Juniper encroachment into tallgrass prairie. ¹Kansas State University, ² Pittsburgh State University, and ³Creighton University. Download

Looking to the future – New Research & New Analyses

11:00 Kimberly With¹, William Jensen¹, and Anthony King². Toward a regional assessment of population viability for grassland birds in the Flint Hills. ¹Kansas State University and ²Oak Ridge National Laboratory

11:15 Samantha Wisely. Disease surveillance via carnivore monitoring on Konza Prairie Biological Station. Kansas State University.

11:30 Melinda Smith. Limitations to our understanding of long-term vegetation dynamics. Yale University.

11:45 Steve Travers¹, Karen Garrett¹, Jan Leach², Scott Hulbert¹, Melinda Smith³ and Alan Knapp². The influence of burning frequency and topography on the population genetic structure of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii). ¹Kansas State University, ²Colorado State University, and ³Yale University.

12:00 Phil Fay¹, Dawn Kaufman², John Blair, Scott Collins³, Alan Knapp⁴, Melinda Smith⁵, Jesse Nippert⁴, Chris Harper² and Jobie Carlisle². Rainfall variability, warming, and ecosystem responses in a mesic grassland. ¹University of Minnesota-Duluth, ²Kansas State University, ³University of New Mexico, ⁴Colorado State University, and ⁵Yale University. Download

12:15 Jesse Nippert and Alan Knapp. Water-use patterns among tallgrass prairie plant species: an isotopic approach. Colorado State University.

12:30 Teresa Woods, Suzanne Strakosh, Madhav Nepal, Seemanti Chakrabarti, Nicholas Simpson, Mark Mayfield and Carolyn Ferguson. Introduced species in Kansas: floristic changes and patterns of collection based on an historical herbarium. Kansas State University. Download

Additional Konza Synthesis Presentation

David Hartnett and Gail Wilson: Mycorrhizal Symbiosis and Biocomplexity in Grasslands: A Synthesis Download

Posters (Atrium of Chalmers Hall)

1. Harmony Dalglish, David Hartnett, Gail Wilson and Emily Benson. Belowground meristem populations as regulators of grassland dynamics: A cross site study.

2. Priscilla Baker and Alan Knapp. Patterns of exotic invasive plant productivity in grasslands.

3. Kristy Hajny and David Hartnett. Fire ecology of woody plant populations in tallgrass prairie: Effects of season of fire on regeneration and demography.

4. Valerie Wright. Konza Environmental Education Program, Schoolyard Long-Term Ecological Research: Teaching students science through ecology.

5. Loretta Johnson, James Clark and Scott Collins. Grassland responses to irrigation and N additions.

6. Melinda Smith, Jianfa Bai, John Blair, Philip Fay, Karen Garrett, Scot Hulbert, Alan Knapp, Jan Leach, and Steve Travers. Bridging the divide: Linking geomics to ecosystem responses to climate change.

7. Abby Kula and Harmony Dalglish. Tiller and bud demography of bunch grasses with and without N fertilizer additions.

8. Jana Heisler and Alan Knapp. Disentangling the influence of local versus regional drivers of ANPP in a grassland ecosystem.

9. Jayne Jonas and Anthony Joern. Food selection by a mixed-feeding insect herbivore.

10. Keerthi Mandyam and Ari Jumpponen. Periconia spp. are common root-colonizing fungi in the tallgrass prairie.

11. Duncan McKinley, John Blair and Loretta Johnson. Altered soil nitrogen cycling following Juniperus virginiana encroachment into tallgrass prairie.

12. Jacqueline Nooker and Brett Sandercock. Correlates of male mating success in Greater Prairie-Chickens.

13. Dustin Wilgers and Eva Horne. Effects of different burn regimes on tallgrass prairie herpetofaunal species diversity and community composition in the Flint Hills, KS.