Modeling canopy stomatal conductance in a temperate grassland ecosystem - Kim, J.; Verma, S.B. (Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 1991)

Mycorrhizas and root architecture - Hetrick, B.A.D. (Experientia, 1991)

New records for Kansas mosses, II - Merrill, G.L. (Transactions of the Kansas, Academy of Science, 1991)

New records for Kansas mosses, III - Merrill, G.L. (Evansia, 1991)

Physiological interactions along resource gradients in a tallgrass prairie - Schimel, D.S.; Kittel, T.G.F.; Alan K. Knapp; Seastedt, T.R.; Parton, W.J.; Brown, V.B. (Ecology, 1991)
Spatial variability in availability of resources that limit photosynthesis (water and N) leads to variation in rates of atmosphere- biosphere exchange. N content and allocation are canopy properties that link ecosystem, physiological, and biophysical processes and that vary in space at scales relevant to atmosphere-biosphere interaction. We studied landscape-scale variation in these and related canopy properties in Kansas Tallgrass Prairie (USA). The tallgrass ecosystem was suited to this investigation because primary production in the prairie is constrained by N availability. This work was designed to aid in interpertation and spatial extrapolation of gas exchange measurements made using aerodynamic techniques as part of FIFE (First ISLSCP Field Experiment), a NASA- supported study. We collected data on spatial disrtibution of biomass, leaf area index (LAI), canopy N mass. N concentration ([N]), and gas exchange along topographic and management gradients. We also measured height distribution of N, light interception, and gas exchange within canopies as a function of position in the landscape. Substantial variation in biomass, LAI, N accumulation, and N allocation occurred over time, with topography, and as a result of previous burning. The verticle gradient of [N] and photosynthetic capacity within canopies were correlated, in space and time, with biomass and canopy light interception. The gradients were steper in high biomass sites than in low biomass sites. In addition, proportional N allocation to the upper layer increased with time (12% in June, 32% in August) as biomass increased. As nutrient uptake increased within the tallgrass landscape, biomass increased and light limitation in the lower canopy was induced. As this light limitation increased with increasing biomass, or with accumulation of dead vegetation, allocation of N to the upper canopy increased. Height distribution of photosyntheticd capicity paralleled within-canopy N allocation and light interception. As resource ratios (light, water and nitrogen) varied in the landscape, so did rates of gas exchange. This work suggests that in interactions between light extinction, N allocation, and photosynthesis that have been proposed for monospecific stands apply to the multispecies, but structurally simple, canopy of the tallgrass prairie. Models of plant performance based on evolutionary arguments may provide a powerful basis for spatial extarapolation of atmosphere-ecosystem exchange rates from sites to landscape and larger regions. Key words: atmosphere-ecosystem exchange, FIFE; Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research site; leaf area index; light interception; nitrogen allocation; photosynthetic capacity; photosynthetically active radiation; remote sensing; toposequences
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Regional analysis of the central Great Plains - Burke, I.C.; Kittel, T.G.F.; Lauenroth, W.K.; Snook, P.; Yonker, C.M.; Parton, W.J. (BioScience, 1991)

Relationship between mycorrhizal activity, burning, and plant productivity in tallgrass prairie - Bentivenga, S.P.; Hetrick, B.A.D. (Canadian Journal of Botany, 1991)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Remote sensing measurements of production processes in grazing lands: the need for new methodologies - Dyer, M.I.; Turner, C.L.; Seastedt, T.R. (Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 1991)
Remote sensing of grazinglands to obtain estimates of productivity relies entirely upon absorption and reflectance properties of the vegetation and its background to provide accurate qualitative and quantitative values. Interpretations of these signals are highly dependent on vegetation responses to perturbations, such as grazing or alterations in nutrient cycles. If remote sensing models of grassland growth ignore feedbacks derived from grazing animals, or only negative feedbacks are assumed, there is a likelihood of errors developing during model validation. We review fundamental assumptions made when using remote sensing data from grazing systems and give examples of the problems involved

Role of vescular-arbuscular mycorrhizae in phosphorus acquisition from unavailable phosphorus sources - Jayachandran, K. (Kansas State University, 1991)

Root architecture of warm and cool-season grasses: relationship to mycorrhizal dependence - Hetrick, B.A.D.; G.T. Wilson; Leslie, J.F. (Canadian Journal of Botany, 1991)

Seasonal variation of heterogeneity in tallgrass prairie: a quantitative measure using remote sensing - J. M. Briggs; Nellis, M.D. (Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 1991)
Remote sensing may be a tool to quantitatively measure the change in heterogeneity that takes place in a landscape over a growing season. Seven different SPOT satellite scenes of the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area were analyzed to assess the potential of using textural algorithms as a quantitative measure of seasonal variation in heterogeneity. Unburned watersheds usually have greater heterogeneity than annually burned watersheds. However, the greatest amount of heterogeneity as measured by textural analysis occurs in those area with a mixture of forest and upland tallgrass prairie. Results suggest that remote sensing textural algorithms, in combination with normalized vegetation difference indices, can provide insight regarding both temporal changes that occur seasonally and the influences of periodic spring fires and management practices on the tallgrass prairie ecosystem
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Serologic survey for selected microbial pathogens in Bison from Kansas - Vestweber, J.G.; Merrill, G.L.; Staats, J.J.; Veatch, J. (Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 1991)
A serologic survey was conducted on an American bison (Bison bison) herd in Kansas for antibodies against Brucella spp., Leptospira interrogans serovar canicola, pomona, grippotyphosa, icterohaemorrhagiae, and hardjo, Anaplasma spp., bluetongue virus, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus and bovine viral diarrhea virus. There was an increase in prevalence of bluetongue antibodies from 38% in 1987 to 100% in 1989 in animals greater than or equal to 24 mo-old. Prevalence of antibodies against the other livestock pathogens were either negative or at levels associated with previous vaccination. Key words: Americam bison, Bison bison, epizootiology, serosurvey, microbial pathogens

Soil, nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter processing by earthworms in tallgrass prairie - James, S.W. (Ecology, 1991)
Earthworms represent the dominant fraction of soil macroinvertebrate biomass in Kansas tallgrass prairie and thus may have a large impact on nutrient budgets. To evaluate this impact I estimated cast production and rates of nutrient processing by the native genus Diplocardia and by exotic Lumbricidae in permanent plots on two soil types at Konza Prairie Research Natural Area. Total cast production was estimated from field population estimates, soil climate data, and cast production-temperature relationships obtained in the laboratory. The organic matter and mineral N and P contents of surface casts by month were used to estimate total processing of these substances in the field. Earthworms present in the study sites were Diplocardia longiseta, D. kansensis, D. rugosa, D. singularis, D. smithii, D. verrucosa, and the European species Aporrectodea caliginosa and Octolasion cyaneum. Estimated total cast production and nutrient processing by Diplocardia spp. exceeded that of exotics in both soil types, in spite of higher populations of Lumbricidae in one soil. Total annual soil consumption by all earthworms was 4-10% of the A- horizon, depending on the soil type. Organic matter equivalent to 10% of total soil organic matter in the top 15 cm or to 100-300% of plant annual belowground production appears to pass through the earthworms each year. Mineral N processed was approximately 10-12% of annual plant N uptake, comparable to half of the input from precipitation, while the P processed was equivalent to 50% of annual uptake. In contrast to other grassland systems studied, the introduction of Lumbricidae had a negative effect on soil turnover and nutrient mineralization due to the lower throughput of Lumbricidae and their relative intolerance of summer soil temperatures. Key words: Aporrectodea, Diplocardia, earthworms, invasion ecology, native vs exotic species, nutrient cycling, Octolasion, organic matter, N and P in feces, soil turnover, tallgrass prairie
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Stable isotope diagrams of freshwater food webs - Fry, B. (Ecology, 1991)

Stochastic analysis of the dynamics of nitrogen concentration in a stream ecosystem - Nassar, R.; Stewart, R.; Tate, C.M. (Ecological Modeling, 1991)

Anthecology of Schrankia nuttallii (Mimosaceae) on the tallgrass prairie - Bernhardt, P. (Plant Systematics and Evolution, 1990)
Schrankia nuttalii flowers through late spring on the tallgrass prairie. Although each stem produces an average of 26 capitate inflorescences only 12% of those inflorescences will open each day to disperse and receive polyads. Each inflorescence may live up to 48 hours but anthers abscise by late afternoon on the first day and the filaments change color and lose their scent. The 78-93 florets comprising each inflorescence open synchronously before dawn or during early morning hours. First day inflorescences of S. nuttallii are herkogamous and fragrant. They are nectarless. Bombyliid flies and male bees are infrequent floral foragers so the major pollinators include female bees representing five families: Anthophoridae, Apidae, Colletidae, Halictidae, and Megachilidae. All foraging insects ignore second day inflorescences although stigmas are still receptive. Although 97% of all bees collected on S. nuttallii carry Schrankia polyads in their scopae or corbiculae 59% also carry the pollen/pollinaria of one or more coblooming angiosperms. At least 98% of all bees carrying mixed pollen loads incorporate the pollen/pollinaria of one or more necetariferous taxa (e.g. Asclepias spp., Asteraceae, Convolvulaceae, Delphinium spec., etc.). Species of halictid bees are more likely to carry pure loads of S. nuttallii polyads (70%) than bees of the four remaining families. Due to the nectarless florets and high degree of polylectic foraging bee-pollination in S. nuttallii converges more closely with the pollination systems of some Australian Acacia spp. than with most other xeric/tropical genera of mimosoids studied in the western hemisphere. Key words: Angiosperms, Mimosaceae, Schrankia nuttallii, Halictidae, bee pollination, anthecology
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Bison grazing patterns and plant responses on Kansas tallgrass prairie - Vinton, M.A. (Kansas State University, 1990)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Contributions of the long-term ecological research program - Franklin, J.F.; Bledsoe, C.S.; Callahan, J.T. (BioScience, 1990)
The importance of long-term phenomena in ecology is well documented. Transient responses that extend over decades, or even centuries, are common, such as the gradual changes associated with community succession, soil development, and population of large vertebrates. Other ecological phenomena are infrequent (rare or episodic) events, including such disturbances as floods, hurricanes, wildfires, or volcanic eruptions, and the reproduction of long-lived plant species. Long-term studies are essential to understand such phenomena, as well as for the formation and testing of ecological theory. Research with an extended time perspective is crucial if one accepts the premise that long-term phenomena have a central role in ecological science. Such studies are uncommon despite this obvious need and repeated evidence of the misleading nature of short-term research. Factors contributing to the rarity of long-term studies include difficulties in obtaining sustained financial support and in providing continuing leadership. The National Science Foundation (NSF), responding to this need for support of long-term studies in ecology, initiated a program in Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) in 1980. This initiative followed an extended planning period involving ecological scientists of varied interests. The LTER now has 17 sites with more than 400 associated scientific personnel

Differential responses of C3 and C4 grasses to mycorrhizal symbiosis, phosphorus fertilization, and soil microorganisms - Hetrick, B.A.D.; G.T. Wilson; Todd, T.C. (Canadian Journal of Botany, 1990)
The responses of five C4, warm-season and five C3, cool-season tallgrass prairie grasses to phosphorus (P) fertilization, mycorrhizae, and soil microorganisms were compared in greenhouse studies. The warm-season grasses responded positively to mycorrhizae and to P fertilization, but mycorrhizal plants did not respond to P. The soil microflora reduced mycorrhizal plant dry weight and root colonization. In contrast, cool-season grasses did not respond to mycorrhizae or P fertilization. Soil microorganisms did not suppress cool-season plant growth, but root colonization was reduced in nonsterile soil. For the warm-season grasses there was an inverse relationship between mycorrhizal root colonization and P fertilization and a positive relationship between root colonization and plant dry weight. For the cool-season grasses there was also an inverse relationship between root colonization and P fertilization, but the relationship between root colonization and plant dry weight was negative. In both the warm-season and cool-season grasses, low levels of mycorrhizal root colonization persisted even when P fertilization was sufficient to eliminate mycorrhizal effects on plant growth. Thus, warm-and cool-season grasses display profoundly different strategies for nutrient acquisition. Key words: cool-season grasses, warm-season grasses, vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Distribution of polyploid variation in big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii , Poaceae) across the tallgrass prairie region - Keeler, K.H. (Genome, 1990)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Dynamics of an aggregation of blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) attacking a prairie legume - Evans, E.W. (Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 1990)
An aggregation of adults of the ashgray blister beetle, Epicauta fabricii (LeConte), was censused repeatedly for activity on the legume Baptisia australis (L.) in the tallgrass prairie of eastern Kansas. The aggregation persisted for three weeks. Males were more abundant than females throughout the period of aggregation, although females gradually increased in relative abundance over the three-week period. Overall, only 5% of observations were of mating; mating activity was greatest in the early stages of aggregation. The two sexes were similar in the frequency of feeding and in the kinds of plant tissue on which they fed. During the first two weeks of aggregation, the beetles fed primarily on reproductive tissues; in the last week of aggregation, they fed primarily on leaves and stems. The timing of beetle tenure on the host plant was well-suited for consuming the large crop of developing young fruits. Voracious feeding by blister beetles greatly reduced host plant reproductive success; only 20% of the buds, flowers, and fruits present when the aggregation was initiated escaped consumption by the beetles. The seasonal timing of aggregations results in early-opening flowers (and associated fruits and seeds) of the host plant having the greatest chance of escaping destruction by the blister beetles
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Effect of silicon nutrition on grass growth rate, grass structure, grass fertility and on the food choice of the prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster - Muhtasib, H.U. (Kansas State University, 1990)

The effect of slope on the surface energy balance in a tallgrass prairie - Nie, D. (Kansas State University, 1990)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Effects of burning on infiltration, overland flow, and sediment loss on tallgrass prairie - Duell, A.B. (Kansas State University, 1990)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Effects of fire on plant community structure in tallgrass prairie - Scott. L. Collins; D.J. Gibson (Fire in North America Tallgrass Prairies, 1990)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Effects of grazing on primary production and surface climatological variables in tallgrass prairie - Turner, C.L. (Kansas State University, 1990)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Effects of small mammal and invertebrate herbivory on plant species richness and abundance in tallgrass prairie - D.J. Gibson; Freeman, C.C.; Hulbert, L.C. (Oecologia, 1990)
A factorial field experiment was designed to test the effects of small mammals and above-and below-ground invertebrates on plant species richness and composition in native tallgrass prairie at Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, northeast Kansas. Over a 4-year period, Microtus ochrogaster densities were maintained by live-trapping in fenced plots, and invertebrate levels were reduced using the pesticides carbaryl for aboveground invertebrates and an organophsphate (isofenphos) for below-ground invertebrates. ANOVA according to a split-plot design of plant species biomass data harvested in 1984 and 1986 revealed few significant effect of either small mammal densities or pesticide application. Of 54 species harvested from both sample dates, only 10 were significantly affected by either treatment. Analysis of species richness according to 8 life-form classes provided a clearer pattern of response than did biomass either by species or life-form class. For example, numbers of C4 grasses were reduced by increasing small mammal densities, whereas numbers of C4 annual forbs were lowest when above-ground herbivory was reduced. While consumers have been shown to have strong effects on successional communities, the few significant results observed in this study suggests that the manipulated levels of small mammals and insects had few effects on a mature tallgrass prairie. Key words: herbivory, tallgrass prairie, small mammals, invertebrates, plant communities
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Experimental analysis of the use of prairie canopy by foraging rodents - Jekanoski, R.D. (Kansas State University, 1990)

Field bioassessment for selecting test systems to evaluate military training lands in tallgrass prairie - Schaeffer, D.J.; Seastedt, T.R.; D.J. Gibson; D.C. Hartnett; Hetrick, B.A.D.; James, S.W.; D.W. Kaufman; Schwab, A.P.; Herricks, E.E.; Novak, E.W. (Ecosystem Health.V.1 Environmental Management, 1990)
Ecosystems responses to physical or chemical stress may vary from changes in single organisms to alteration of the structure and function of the ecosystem. These responses to stress cannot be predicted exactly. Ecosystems repeatedly exposed to physical and/or chemical stress can be used to study the separate and combined environmental effects of stress. Such studies also allow the development of procedures to select test systems for the analysis of stress in ecosystems. A preliminary field survey of six military training sites at Fort Riley, Kansas, USA, was conducted to identify and verify ecological test systems for evaluating ecosystem responses to physical and/or chemical stress. Comparisons of these data with data collected concurrently from Konza Prairie Research Natural Area reference sites showed that soil microarthropods, some species of macroarthropods, small mammals, and native earthworm species were negatively affected by stress. In contrast, plant species diversity, plant foliage biomass, soil mycorrhizae, and many soil characteristics were within the boundaries of nominal variations observed on "pristine" Konza Prairie. Introduced European earthworms appeared to be positively affected by training activities. This study provided a test of systematic procedures to support impact analysis, ecological toxicology, and ecosystem risk assessment
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Fire in North American tallgrass prairie - Scott. L. Collins; Wallace, L.L. (Fire in North American tallgrass prairie, 1990)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Fire temperature heterogeneity in contrasting fire-prone habitats: Kansas tallgrass prairie and Florida sandhills - D.J. Gibson; D.C. Hartnett; Smith-Merrill, G. (Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 1990)
Spatial patterns of fire temperatures from a tallgrass prairie and adjacent Gallery forest in northeast Kansas and a sandhill community in central Florida were recorded using temperature sensitive pyrometers. The objectives of the study were to determine, in both habitats, the range of temperatures reached during prescribed burning under a range of different conditions. Both habitats are characterized by frequent, low- intensity fires confined to the herbaceous vegetation and low shrubs. In tallgrass prairie, fire temperature maxima ranged from 19 to 399oC (n=243). The highest temperatures were associated with fires in isolated tree and shrub canopies (399oC). Fires were hotter in headfires compared with backfires (47oC difference), on lowlands compared with uplands (12oC difference), and in areas that had not been burned for many years compared with areas burned annually (34oC difference). In the Florida sandhill, fire temperature maxima ranged from 35 to 538oC (n=240), with the highest temperatures recorded at ground level in sites which had not been burned for at least 5 years. Compared with frequently burned areas, areas that have not burned for many years build up high fuel loads that support a more homogeneous, hotter fire. In the tallgrass prairie, homogeneity of fire temperatures was greatest in areas of intermediate fire frequencies. The greater spatial heterogeneity in fire characteristics of prairie with very high fire frequency (annual fire) and very low frequency (greater than 15 years between fires) is likely a result of low fuel loads and more patchy vegetation structure, respectively. In sandhill, low fuel loads and patchy distribution of fuel contribute to high spatial variability in fire temperatures in annually burned sites. Key words: fire, Florida, grassland, Kansas, sandhill, temperature
Keywords: fire; gallery forest; tallgrass prairie

A hierarchical analysis of species abundance patterns in grassland vegetation - Scott. L. Collins; Glenn, S.M. (The American Midland Naturalist, 1990)

House mice (Mus musculus) in natural and disturbed habitats in Kansas - D.W. Kaufman; Kaufman, G.A. (Journal of Mammalogy, 1990)
The relative density of house mice (Mus musculus was less than 0.05 individuals/trapline (20 stations with 15 m between stations) in mixed-grass prairie, planted grasslands, woodlands, and crop fields in north-central Kansas and in tallgrass prairie and woodlands in eastern Kansas. The only exception was in crop-field fencerows in north-central Kansas (0.29 individuals/trapline). Percent abundance of Mus in the rodent assemblage also was low (less than 0.5% of all rodents) in grasslands, woodlands, mowed hayfields, and roadside ditches, but not in crop fields (2.6% for a mixture of types of crop fields) or crop-field fencerows (4.1%). Percent abundance varied significantly (P less than 0.05) among different types of crop fields with the highest values in alfalfa fields and lowest values in wheat fields. Our observations suggest that Mus is seldom, if ever, common in grasslands and woodlands, and only infrequently common in crop fields such as sorghum fields with bales containing grain during winter
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

The influence of fire on belowground processes of tallgrass prairies - Seastedt, T.R.; Ramundo, R.A. (Fire in North American Tallgrass Prairie, 1990)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

The influence of food perishability on caching behavior by the eastern woodrat (Neotoma floridana) - Wooster, D. (Kansas State University, 1990)

The influence of mycorrhizae on big bluestem rhizome regrowth and clipping tolerance - Hetrick, B.A.D.; G.T. Wilson; Owensby, C.E. (Journal of Range Management, 1990)
Mycorrhizal symbiosis is critical to growth of many warm-season prairie grass seedlings, but its effect on regrowth of rhizomes has not been determined. As forage species, the effect of grazing on the symbiosis is also important. When the impact of mycorrhizae on regrowth of Andropogon gerardii Vit. rhizomes was assessed, A. gerardii rhizomes collected from the field and grown with mycorrhizal inoculum produced larger plants than rhizomes grown in the absence of the symbiont. The effect of the symbiosis on clipping (simulated grazing) tolerance was quantified by growing A. gerardii in steamed or nonsterile prairie soil, with or without mycorrhizal fungus inoculation. Plants were cliped and a portion of the plants harvested at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 weeks after planting. As an additional control, Benomyl fungicide was applied to plants to inhibit the symbiosis. Mycorrhizal clipped plants were larger than nonmycorrhizal clipped plants, but the difference diminished with successive clippings. Mycorrhizal root colonization also decreased in response to repeated clipping. Maximum shoot and root biomass of mycorrhizal plants was produced at 12 and 18 weeks, respectively. Fungicide-treated plants did not grow appreciably after the first clipping. Thus, mycorrhizae improved clipping tolerance, but with repeated intensive clipping, significant changes in root/shoot ratio occurred and eventually mycorrhizal root colonization and growth benefit were lost. Key words: grazing, vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae, big bluestem, herbage yield

Influence of plant litter on patch use by foraging Peromyscus maniculatus and Reithrodontomys megalotis - D.W. Kaufman; Kaufman, G.A. (The American Midland Naturalist, 1990)
The effect of plant litter on foraging patch choice by prairie deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii) and western harvest mice (Reithrodontomys megalotis) was examined in laboratory trials. In each trial, equal amounts of millet seeds were simultaneously offered overnight in three patches with different amounts of litter. Both deer mice and harvest mice removed significantly more seeds from the patch with the least litter as compared to the other two patches. The mean proportion of seeds taken from the patch with the the least litter by harvest mice (56.9%) was significantly smaller than that taken by deer mice (84.5%), as expected from patterns of habitat selection in tallgrass prairie. During the 2nd night, seeds were offered only under one depth of litter (15-420 g per patch for deer mice and 30-420 g for harvest mice). The amount of seeds taken was not influenced by increased litter depth for either species, although foraging success was expected to decrease as litter depth increased
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Influence of plant size on the carbon and water relations of Cucurbita foetidissima HBK - Alan K. Knapp; Fahnestock, J.T. (Functional Ecology, 1990)
Plant size varies by two orders of maginitude within populations of Cucurbita foetidissima HBK. a perennial, prostrate vine of deserts and grasslands in the western USA. Differences in plant size in in this species growing in Kansas (USA) brome grassland were most evident in leaf size (10 times greater in larger vs 13 g in small plants). and taproot mass (c 7000g in large vs 13g in small plants). This study examined the influence of plant size on net photosynthetic CO2 uptake (A), stomatal conductance to water vapour (g), transpiration rate (E), xylem pressure potential and leaf temperature (Tleaf). During a period of drought in which co-occurring grasses and forbs experienced significant water stress (xylem pressure potential< -2*5 MPa), xylem pressure potential in large- and intermediate-sized plants of C. foetidissima was always> -0*6 MPa. In small plants, minimum xylem pressur potential was c-1*3 MPa. No substantial diurnal reductions in A or g were measured in the two groups of larger plants, but CO2 uptake was reduced to zero after midday in small plants, presumably due to water stress. Increased mass of succulent taproots and greater rooting depth may have contributed to greater xylem pressure potential in larger vs small individuals of C. foetidissima. Water use efficiency (WUE) was greater in larger vs small individuals of C. foetidissima. Water use efficiency (WUE) was greater in leaves from large- and intermediate-sized plants relative to small plants under all environmental conditions. During brief periods of low irradiance due to clouds or artificial shading, 5-10oC reduction in Tleaf in plants with large leaves resulted in low E, enhancing WUE. Much smaller reductions in Tleaf and E occurred during shade in the small leaves of small individuals. These results indicate the greater size in C. foetidissima, while not increasing interception of irradiance in this grassland, resulted in greater independence from resource limitations as well as water conservation during periods of variable sunlight. Key words: Cucurbita, photosynthesis, plant size, water stress
Keywords: Water relations

Introduction: Fire as a natural distubance in tallgrass prairie ecosystems - Scott. L. Collins (Fire in North America Tallgrass Prairies, 1990)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Lands for long-term research in conservation biology - Bildstein, K.L.; Brisbin, J. (Conservation Biology, 1990)
Success in conservation biology depends upon a synergistic combination of short-term tactics and long-term strategies. Although the former are often necessary to forestall immediate habitat losses, the latter provide the critical framework of understanding needed to develop effective short-term priorities. Although many conservation biologists now emphasize short-term tactics, prudence dictates the concomitant establishment of long-term research projects aimed at answering fundamental ecological questions. One deterrent to amassing such long-term data bases, aside from time and funding, is a lack of suitable sites where such studies can be conducted on a large scale. We describe two established major land-holding networks in the United States that could serve as appropriate places to develop long-term studies: The National Science Foundation's Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites, and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Environmental Research Parks (NERPs). Because they consist of established research facilities, both networks can provide conservation biologists with "low cost" baseline information on ecological processes, as well as acess to a number of representative terrestrail and acquatic habitats under more or less "controlled" conditions suitable for long-term studies. We recommend that conservation biologists explore the possibility of using these or similarly available sites in their research programs

Net carbon dioxide exchange in canopies of burned and unburned tallgrass prairie - Gale, W.J.; Kirkham, M.B.; Kanemasu, E.T.; Owensby, C.E. (Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 1990)
Net carbon dioxide exchange (NCE) rates were measured in a tallgrass prairie, a grassland with high productivity, to determine photosynthetic rates of the canopy. Canopy measurements were made in large, plexiglass chambers (1.21 m long; 0.91 m wide; 1.40 m tall) placed on burned and unburned areas of the prairie. The NCE rates of the canopy were compared with those of individual leaves of Andropogon gerardii Vitman (big bluestem). In addition, CO2 flux from the soil was quantified and compared with net photosynthetic flux. The canopy NCE rates were generally lower than those made on individual leaves. In mid-summer (11 July 1987), the maximum canopy NCE rates were 55% and 64% of those measured on individual leaves in burned and unburned treatments, respectively. Canopy NCE rates were lower than individual-leaf NCE rates for two reasons. First, the individual-leaf measurements were made on young, unshaded, healthy leaves, while the canopy measurements were made on all types of leaves including senescing, shaded, and damaged leaves. Second, soil CO2 flux into the chambers lowered NCE values. The CO2 flux from the soil ranged from 7.2% to 28.4% of the total NCE. One needs to add soil CO2 flux rates to the measured canopy NCE rates to obtain canopy NCE rates closer to individual-leaf NCE rates. Soil CO2 flux decreased when conditions became dry, reaching a low of 0.06mg CO2m-2s-1, but increased after rain to 0.16mg CO2m-2s-1. Also, after rain, when plants were well watered, they were not light saturated at 1900æEm-2s-1. The NCE rates on the burned treatment were either higher or similar to those on the unburned treatment. For example, on 11 July 1987, NCE rates were higher on the burned treatment (0.66 mg CO2m-2s-1) compared to the unburned treatment (0.47 mg CO2m-2s-1). During the rest of July and August, the rates of the two treatments were not significantly different. but in September and October, the NCE rates were again higher on the burned treatment compared to the unburned treatment. The results indicated that canopy NCE rates may be more indicative of the productivity of the prairie than individual-leaf measurements made only on young, highly productive leaves
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Patch structure in tallgrass prairies: dynamics of satellite species - Glenn, S.M.; Scott. L. Collins (Oikos, 1990)
Space in tallgrass prairie communities is dominated by a few core species. A large number of less abundant, satellite species occupy the remaining space. These satellite species define vegetation patches that vary withinn and between growing seasons. In order to determine if patch structure was random we established five permanent 100-m2 blocks in undisturbed tallgrass prairie in Oklahoma and Kansas. Presence of core and satellite species in each m2 was sampled over one or two growing seasons. Patch types were defined by cluster analysis. Characteristics of patch structure included number of patch types, patch type diversity, patch composition, number of spatial groups, group size, and fractal dimension of the spatial groups. We generated simulated data sets with random species associations, in which we quantified patch structure. Actual patch structure, defined mainly by satellite species, was not significanly different from simulated patch structure, except that simulated patches were more fragmented. Therefore, processes that affect species associations may not be important controls of patch structure of satellite species within the spatial and temporal scale of this analysis. Because there was some degree of spatial autocorrelation in patch structure, dispersal processes may have significant effects on patch structure at this scale. In order to understand grassland community dynamics, we propose that satellite species should be modelled using stochastic models constrained by core species dynamics. This approach may be applicable to any community with major components operating at different hierarchical levels
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Patterns and controls of nitrogen in tallgrass prairie streams - Tate, C.M. (Ecology, 1990)
A descriptive and experimental approach was used to study patterns of nitrogen concentrations in tallgrass prairie streams in Kansas. Nitrate concentrations varied depending on the year, season, time of day, stream flow conditions, source of water, and location where the sample was taken. Mean nitrate concentrations during the dormant season decreased from 1982 to 1984, corresponding to above normal precipitation during this same period. Nitrate concentrations decreased from third-order (grass/shrub riparian vegetation) to fourth-order channels (gallery forests). Nitrate, organic N, and total N were higher in a third-order intermittent stream than in a third-order perennial stream. Water from seeps and tributaries had higher nitrate concentrations than stream water; however, streams and tributaries had higher organic N than seeps. Maximum nitrate concentrations during storm flows were directly related to the magnitude of storms and inversely related to the frequency of storm events. The activity of terrestrial vegetation influenced nitrate concentrations within streams, seeps, and tributaries; nitrate concentrations were always higher during periods of vegetation dormancy. Aquatic biota influenced both spatial patterns (downstream decrease in nitrate concentrations and increase in organic N) and diel patterns of nitrate concentration (night greater than day). Uptake rates of nitrate by biota were greater during the day than during the night as determined by experimental addition of nitrate. Nitrogen (N) and/or phosphorus (P) limitations of algal growth were tested experimentally using nutrient- diffusing substrata (clay saucers filled with enriched agar) and enrichment of artificial channels. Addition of N and P in combination increased algal biomass (chlorophyll a and ash-free dry mass) over controls or single addition of N or P. Thus, algal biomass was N and P limited; however, individual taxa responded to specific N and/or P concentrations or atomic N:P ratio. Key words: flooding, intermittent stream, nitrate, nitrogen, nutrient limitation, organic nitrogen, periphyton, phosphorus, tallgrass prairie, stream
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Population ecology, social organization, and mating systems in the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii) in mixed-grass prairie in Kansas - Kaufman, G.A. (Kansas State University, 1990)

Prevalence of botfly (Cuterebra sp.) parasites in populations of small mammals in eastern Kansas - Clark, B.K.; D.W. Kaufman (The American Midland Naturalist, 1990)
Prevalence of botfly (Cuterebra sp.) parasitism in populations of small mammals was studied in tallgrass prairie of northeastern Kansas during 1985-1987. Four species of rodents, Neotoma floridana, Peromyscus leucopus, P. maniculatus, and Reithrodontymys megalotis, were parasitized and all infestations occurred between 1 June and 30 September. Prevalence was greatest in July and August of all species. Proportions of N. floridana (0.31) and P. leucopus (0.24) parasitized were similar and significantly greater than those of P. maniculatus (0.08) and R. megalotis (0.02). Over 95% of the parasitized animals were adults with no differences noted due to sex. Parasitized individuals resided longer on the study area than unparasitized animals for N. floridana, P. leucopus and R. megalotis, but not P. maniculatus. The relationship between residence time and parasitism, as well as higher proportions of infestation for N. floridana and P. leucopus, probably due to overlap in preferred habitat (woody vegetation in ravines and contiguous lowlands) between adult Cuterebra and these rodents
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Relationship of native and introduced mycorrhizal fungi to mycorrhizal dependence of Andropogon gerardii and Koeleria pyranidata - Hetrick, B.A.D.; G.T. Wilson (Mycologia, 1990)
To determine whether VAM (vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal) fungi from prairie soil would alter the mycorrhizal dependence of warm- and cool-season grasses or the response of these hosts to the soil microbiota, 2-wk old seedlings of A. gerardii or K. pyranidata were planted in 6x25 cm pots containing 525 g (dry weight) steam-pasteurized soil (2 h at 80 C and allowed to cool and equilibrate for 72 h thereafter), pasteurized soil amended with 100 ml/pot non-sterile soil sievings, or non-sterile prairie soil

Response of Andropogon gerardii to simulated acid rain - Fahnestock, J.T.; Alan K. Knapp (Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 1990)
In this study the authors examined the effects that moderate exposure to acidic precipation had on growth and physiological responses in Andropogon gerardii, the dominant grass in tallgrass prairie. Naturally occurring monocultures of A. gerardii were treated with simulated acid rain (pH 4.0 or 3.0) or precipitation with a pH similar to natural rainfall (pH 5.0) throughout a growth season. No visual effects of the acid rain treatments were observed and there were no statistically significant effects on net photosynthetic CO2 uptake, stomatal conductance to water vapor, or tiller mass in A. gerardii. However, tiller density was significantly reduced as treatment pH decreased. These data suggest that a moderate increase in the number of rainfall events with low pH will have little discernible short-term impact on tallgrass prairie dominated by A. gerardii, but longer-term effects need to be evaluated
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Satellite remote sensing and field experiments - Sellers, P.J.; Hall, F.G.; Strebel, D.E.; Asrar, G.A.; Murphy, R.E. (Remote Sensing of Biosphere Functioning, 1990)
The past few years have seen an increasing pressure brought to bear on biologists to apply their research efforts to larger spatial scales. The motivation for this pressure has scientific as well as sociopolitical roots. First, from the science viewpoint, it has become apparent that satellite-based and atmospheric observing techniques can allow researchers a different view of biospheric functioning by spatially integrating the effects of biospheric states and fluxes, respectively, at moderate cost

Separability of soils in a tallgrass prairie using SPOT and DEM Data - Su, H.; Kanemasu, E.T.; Ransom, M.D.; Yang, S. (Remote Sensing of the Environment, 1990)
A sufficient transformation technique is important in using computer-aided soil pattern recognition to interpret soils in soil surveys. This study was conducted using the Systeme Probatoire d'Observation de la Terre (SPOT) satellite images and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data to seperate five major sils in a tallgrass prairie near Manhattan, Kansas. The high resolution SPOT satellite im;ages were integrated with DEM data. the soils were sampled and classified using conventional soil survey procedures to extract the important soil features from SPOT and DEM data. A pairwise transformed divergence analysis was also conducted to evaluate the several aanonical variables in order to sufficiently separate the soils. Consequently, two canonical variables derived from training samples were selected. Our results suggest that canonically transformed data were superior to combined SPOT and DEM data. High resolution SPOT images and DEM data can be used to aid secondd- order soil surveys in grasslands
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Short-term responses of small mammals to experimental fire in tallgrass prairie - Clark, B.K.; D.W. Kaufman (Canadian Journal of Zoology, 1990)
Short-term responses of small mammals to experimental fire were examined in a 13-ha site on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas. A 6.1 ha portion was burned in spring 1987, whereas the 6.9 ha control site was left unburned in 1987, as was the entire 13 ha in spring 1986. In the absence of fire, less than 1% of all small mammals (n=130) caught in both March and April 1986 completely shifted from one area to the opposite area. No differences occurred in appearance of new individuals between the two areas in April 1986. In April 1987, the Reithrodontomys megalotis (n=14) and Microtus ochrogaster (n=6) caught in the burned area before fire and recaught after fire moved to the unburned area, but no individual from either species move the opposite way. Most Synaptomys cooperi (75%, n=4) moved away from the burned area, but no animals were available to test for movements into the burned area. Most new individuals for fire-negative species were captured in the unburned area after fire: 93% of R. megalotis (n=46), 96% of Blarina hylophaga (n=27), 100% of M. ochrogaster (n=4), and 100% of S. cooperi (n=1). In contrast, Peromyscus maniculatus exhibited a fire-positive response, with one of four moving from unburned to burned and none of five moving the opposite way, and most new individuals recorded after fire were in the burned area (88%, n=24)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Site-specific underestimation of wetfall NH+4 using NADP data - Ramundo, R.A.; Seastedt, T.R. (Atmospheric Environment, 1990)
Estimates of NH4+ in weekly composited wetfall samples were measured by two laboratories, one at Kansas State University and that operated by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) in Illinois. NH4+ samples were lower in the NADP estimates and exhibited a strong seasonal difference in concentrations. Losses were likely not due to volatilization; microbial immobilization of NH4+ likely occurred during transport of samples. Differences in estimates of annual ammonium ion deposition were larger than those observed for average weekly concentrations because of seasonal rainfall patterns. NADP values will require site-specific corrections for models describing or predicting regional or national patterns of nitrogen inputs in wetfall. Key words: Ammonium, NADP, nitrate, wetfall

Size-dependent allocation to seed and vegetative reproduction in four clonal composites - D.C. Hartnett (Oecologia, 1990)
Populations of Silphium speciosum, Vernonia baldwinii, Solidago canadensis and Pityopsis graminifolia were studied to determine whether biomass allocation to sexual and vegetative reproduction and the balance between them were size-dependent and whether interpopulation differences in allocation patterns could be predicted from differences in population size distributions. All four species showed strong linear relationships between inflorescence mass and vegetative mass with negative y-intercepts. As a result, sexual reproductive effort (SRE) was a monotonically increasing function of ramet size. Genet size was a poor predictor of SRE. In each species, the regression parameters of these relationships differed significantly between burned and unburned habitats indicating size-independent interpopulation differences in patterns of reproductive effort as well as size-dependent effects. Interpopulation variation in vegetative reproductive effort (VRE) was greater than variation in SRE, but neither VRE nor the pattern of partitioning of VRE among daughter rhizomes showed significant relationships to plant size. Key words: reproductive allocation, life history, vegetative reproduction

Small mammals and grassland fires - D.W. Kaufman; Finck, E.J.; Kaufman, G.A. (Fire in North American Tallgrass Prairies, 1990)
For study of fire effects, the general null hypothesis is that fire will have no impact on the population density of individual animal species. Any species that fails to change numerically due to fire would be classified as a fire-neutral species. Alternatively, a population that could exhibit either a positive or negative numerical response to fire. Such species we classify as fire-positive or fire-negative species, respectively. Most early work on animals and fire was aimed at describing these general population responses. However, understanding the structure and function of grasslands demands that we know patterns of population changes from prefire through a multiyear, post-fire period, rather than simply ascertaining whether species are fire- positve, fire-negative, or fire-neutral over a short postfire period
Keywords: fire

Studies of the prairie vole (Micotus ochrogaster) in ungrazed tallgrass prairie of the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area - Bixler, S.H. (Kansas State University, 1990)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Acquisition of phosphorus by Va mycorrhizal fungi and the growth responses of their host plants - Hetrick, B.A.D. (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sulphur Utilization by Fungi, 1989)

Bryopyhtes on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area - Merrill, G.L. (University of Nebraska Press, 1989)
Fifty-eight species of mosses (37 genera, 18 families) and 4 species of liverworts (3 genera, 3 families) are reported from Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, a 3,487- hectare tallgrass prairie preserve in northeastern Kansas. Factors affecting the growth and persistence of bryophytes on the prairie are discussed. The occurrence of bryophytes in presettlement tallgrass prairies was probably influenced by natural disturbance due to grazing and recurring fire
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Canopy photosynthesis - Norman, J.M.; Polley, W. (Photosynthesis, 1989)
Published

Carbon isotopes in soils and palaeosols as ecology and palaeoecology indicators - Cerling, T.E.; Quade, J.; Wang, Y.; Bowman, J.R. (Nature, 1989)
There are few quantitative techniques in use today for palaeoecological reconstruction in terrestrial depositional systems. One approach to such reconstructions is to estimate the proportion of C3 to C4 plants once present at a site using carbon isotopes from paelaeosol carbonates1-3. Until now, this has been hampered by an inadequate understanding of the relationship between the carbon isotopic composition of modern soil carbonate and coexisting organic matter. Here we have found that the two systematically differ by 14-16% in undisturbed modern soils. This difference is compatible with isotopic equilibrium between gaseous CO2, and aqueous and solid carbonate species in a soil system controlled by diffusive mass transfer of soil CO2 derived from irreversible oxidation of soil organic matter. Organic matter and pedogenic carbonate from palaeosols of Pleistocene to late Miocene age in Pakistan also differ by 14-16%. This indicates that diagenesis has not altered the original isotopic composition of either phase, thus confirming their use in palaeoecological reconstruction

Comparative analysis of temporal and spatial variability in aboveground production in a deciduous forest and prairie - J. M. Briggs; Seastedt, T.R.; D.J. Gibson (Holarctic Ecology, 1989)
Production patterns of tallgrass prairie and adjacent eastern deciduous forest were summarized for a five to seven year period. Each system responded differentially to annual or growing season rainfall and solar energy (measured by pan water evaporation). Overall, forest productivity was negatively correlated with annual precipitation; the prairie exhibited no relationship with precipitation. These differences probably reflect the lack of water limitation of the forest and the "downstream" position of the forest. Wood and seed production in the forest were the most variable components measured in our study. Neither variable was related to forest foliage production. Seed production in the prairie was also variable within and between years but was related to prairie foliage production. Prairie seed production was not correlated with seed production of the forest. The two ecosystems respond differentially and independently of each other within the range of climatic variation observed here. Such differences have potential significance to consumers who use both systems for habitat or resources
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

A comparison of soil hydraulic properties on Konza Prairie burning treatments - Klittich, W.M. (Kansas State University, 1989)
Keywords: burning

Correlations between stream insect emergence and densities of insectivorous birds in the tallgrass prairie - Gray, L.J. (University of Nebraska Press, 1989)
Previous observations in riprarian habitats of Kings Creek, Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas indicated that emerging aquatic insects represent a concentrated source of food for insectivorous birds, particularly the flycatcher and gleaner guilds. This hypothesis was tested by concurrent measurments of net insect emergence (total emergence minus adults returning to the stream) and densities of birds at six sampling sites from June to August 1987 and May to June 1988. Significant positive correlations with emergence were found for flycatchers (r=0.93) and gleaners (r=0.91), the two insectivore guilds containing the majority of individuals along Kings Creek. Observations also showed that flycatcher and gleaner populations rapidly respond to temporal changes in insect emergence. Key words: fly catcher, gleaner, bird, aquatic insect, tallgrass prairie, stream, Kansas
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Data management in the FIFE information system - Strebel, D.E.; Newcomer, J.A.; Ormsby, J.P.; Hall, F.G.; Sellers, P.J. (1989)
The First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE) was conducted during 1987 on a 15 X 15 km area in central Kansas, including the Konza Prairie Natural Research Area. The experiment goal of understanding and modeling the effects of vegetation on the heat an mass fluxes in the atmosphere/land surface boundary layer required a flexible and responsive information system with georeferenced data to permit the necessary coordinated analyses. The FIFE Information Syseem (FIS) met this goal in a variety of ways, depending on the type of data and the type of scientific investigation involved. The FIS has served the FIFE investigatiors as a tool for experiment design, as well as for organizing and manipulating the complex data set. Two specific requirements were rapid and simple access to specialized user specified data sets and quick evolution as the science needs changed. As a result, the FIS differs in several important ways from "classical" data systems, covering the spectrum of conceptual, managerial, and organizational issues. Our experience indcates that the design, development, and operation of an information system supporting such an experiment must be flexible and under direct day-to-day control of scientist/users. This experience has also led to a number of observations (both technological and organizational) for designing and building both future experiment support data bases and long term data systems supporting scientific research. Key words: FIFE, Information Systems, ISLSCP
Keywords: ISLSCP

Death Camas (Zigadenus nuttallii) in Kansas: pollen collectors and a florivore - Tepedino, V.J.; Alan K. Knapp; Eickwort, G.C.; Ferguson, D.C. (Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 1989)
All parts of plants of the genus Zigadenus (Liliaceae) contain numerous alkaloids through both vegetative and reproductive periods. The purpose of this note is to report the findings of incidental observations and insect collections made during a sutdy of the ecophysiologiy of Z. nuttallii
Keywords: insect

Density and growth stage-dependent responses to defoliation in two rhizomatous grasses - D.C. Hartnett (Oecologia, 1989)
Responses to defoliation were studied in two tallgrass prairie perennials (Andropogon gerardii and Panicum virgatum) established from seed at three densities. P. virgatum was also grown from transplanted rhizomes of established clones. Plants of both species displayed a continuum of responses to defoliation, from large reductions in biomass, tillering and seed production to significant increases in one or more performance measures. In crowded populations, defoliation shifted plants into subordinate positions within the competitive hierachy. Plants competing inrtaspecifically and those that were initally small suffered more from defoliation than either plants grown at low density or those that were larger than their neighbors. At the highest plant density, the effects of defoliation or initial plant size were overshadowed by the effects of crowding. When defoliated and grown at similar densities, P. virgatum and A. gerardii grown from seed showed large reductions in biomass, seed production, and new rhizome production, but established P. virgatum ramets grown from rhizomes showed increases in these performance measures. Thus herbivory may be particularly detrimental to P. virgatum during juvenile stages before perennating organs have developed. Overcompensation of P. virgatum clones in reaponse to defoliation only occurred if all ramets within the clone were defoliated. In clones containing both defoliated and undamaged ramets, there were no differences in their performance, suggesting that genets are capable of integrating the effects of differential defoliation among shoots. Defoliated P. virgatum clones allocated a smaller fraction of their total biomass to new rhizomes, indicating that the short-term regrowth response following defoliation may incur a longer-term cost associated with gradual reduction in biomass of the perennating organs and reduced genet success. Key words: Herbivory, Competition, Clonal growth, Panicum, Andropogon
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Density dependent phytotoxicity: distinguishing resource competition and allelopathic interference in plants - Wiedenhamer, J.D.; D.C. Hartnett; Romeo, J.T. (Journal of Applied Ecology, 1989)
1) Experimental plant populations were grown at varying densities and varying levels of phytotoxins in the soil to investigate the potential interacting influences of allelopathy and resource competition on plant response and yield-density relationships. 2) Experiments were performed with (a) bahiagrass, Paspalum notatum, grown in soil treated with gallic acid and hydroquinone, putative inhibitors produced by Polygonella myriophylla and (b) tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum, grown in soils from under and around black walnut, Juglans nigra. 3) Phytotoxicity decreased as plant density increased. This was attributed to plant dilution of phytotoxins, i.e., the sharing of the available phytotoxin among many plants at high densities such that each received a small sub- lethal dose. 4) Phytotoxins caused characteristic deviations from expected yield-density relationships. Low to moderate phytotoxin concentrations caused a decrease in the slope of the log yield-log density relationship. Contrary to the expected consequences of increased density and resource competition, the presence of high phytotoxin concentrations may cause a reversal in the slope of predicted log yield-log density relationships at low plant densities, such that maximum individual plant weight occurs at an intermediate density. 5) Demonstration of either decreasing phytotoxicity with increasing plant density or a reversal in slope of the predicted log yield-log density relationship is proposed as an indication of the presence of toxic substances in soil. 6) The ecological implications of these results are discussed

Detecting soil information on a native prairie using Landsat TM and SPOT satellite data - Su, H.; Ransom, M.D.; Kanemasu, E.T. (Soil Science Society of America Journal, 1989)
Computer pattern recoginiton techniques were used to discriminate soil information from the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and the French Systeme Probatoire d'Observation de le Terre (SPOT) satellite data on a native prairie near Manahttan, KS. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data were merged to Landsat TM and SPOT data to delineate soil mapping units within the study area. Soil mapping units from a conventional soil survey were compared with a classified soil spectral map obtained from Landsat TM or SPOT, and DEM derived elevation, slope, and aspect data, using an overall accuracy assessment. The overall accuracy of soil spectral classesfrom TM and SPOT data were merged. A higher average accuracy for soil mapping units was obtained with a low frequency filtering transformation of the data. For Landsat TM data, Band 5 (middle infrared, 1.55-1.75 æm) was most useful for soil information extraction, and a higher overall accuracy was obtained in the dormant season compared with the accuracy in the growing season. The overall accuracy (about 57%) from SPOT data was slightly higher than the accuracy (about 53%) from Landsat TM at a similar wavelength range. Our results indicate that high resolution Landsat TM and SPOT satellite data can be used to aid second-order soil surveys in areas where the dominant land use is rangeland

Dissolved organic carbon concentrations in soil water collected in Tully soils from a tallgrass prairie - Fedynich, A.M. (Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 1989)
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from soil water was monitored in a tallgrass prairie using porous cup lysimeters positioned at two depths (20 and 80 cm) in Tully soils on six watersheds representing two different burn treatments and a control. In 1983, DOC averaged 31.8 + 2.5 (SE) mg/liter and ranged from 1.1 to 169.5 mg/liter. DOC was lower in 1984, averaged 4.6 + 0.3 (SE) mg/liter and ranged from 1.4 to 22.8 mg/liter. Mean DOC concentration at the 20 cm and 80 cm depths across six watersheds were similar during 1983 but differed in 1984 with higher DOC concentrations occurring at the 20 cm depth. Depth comparisons within watersheds for samples taken in 1983 indicated that soil profile depth did not significantly affect DOC concentrations. In 1984, three of six watersheds had significantly higher levels of DOC at the 20 cm depth. During 1983, a seasonal effect in DOC concentrations occurred early in the year, peaked in June and July, and declined thereafter. In 1984, seasonal fluctuations were not evident, possibly reflecting restricted sampling dates. Mean comparisons during 1983 between annual burned, 4-year burned, and unburned sites indicated that annual burned sites had lower DOC levels than unburned sites. In 1984, differences resulting from burn regimes were not apparent. Results suggest that many factors acting independently or synergistically influence DOC concentrations, reflecting the complexity of DOC dynamics in the tallgrass prairie
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Effects of animal disturbance on tallgrass prairie vegetation - D.J. Gibson (The American Midland Naturalist, 1989)
Plant species associated with animal disturbances (ant hills, badger mounds, pocket gopher mounds, prairie vole burrow systems and bison wallows) were examined on a tallgrass prairie in northeast Kansas. Vegetation growing on disturbed sites was a function of both the type of disturbance and the surrounding vegetation. Annuals were an important component of the flora on some disturbances, e.g., badger mounds, but on other sites, e.g., pocket gopher mounds and ant hills, common perennial prairie species were more abundant. These effects of animals illustrate the importance of disturbance in maintaining species richness and spatial heterogeneity in tallgrass prairie
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Effects of available P and N:P ratios on non-symbiotic dinitrogen fixation in tallgrass prairie soils - Eisele, K.A.; Schimel, D.S.; Kapustka, L.A.; Parton, W.J. (Oecologia, 1989)
Prescribed burning is a major control over element cycles in Tallgrass prairie (Eastern Kansas, USA). In this paper we report potential effects on fire on non-symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Fire resulted in additions of available P in ash, which may stimulate nitrogen fixation by terrestrial cyanobacteria. Cyanobacterial nitrogenase activity and biomass responded positively to additions of ash or P in laboratory assays using soil. Further assays in soils showed that cyanobacteria responded to changes in available N: available P ratio (aN:P) across a range of concentrations. Nitrogen fixation rate could be related empirically to a N:P via a log-linear relationship. Extrapolation of laboratory results to the field yielded a maximal estimate of 21 kg N ha-1y-1. Results support arguments from the marine and terrestrial literature that P availability is central to regulation of ecosystem N budgets. Key words: Cyanobacteria, fire, acetyline reduction, ash
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Effects of manipulation on foliage characteristics of Andropgon gerardii Vitman - Ramundo, R.A.; Shapley, T.D.; Turner, C.L.; Dyer, M.I.; Seastedt, T.R. (University of Nebraska Press, 1989)
The effects of burning, mowing, and nitrogen fertilizer on the chlorophyll, nitrogen, and phosphorus content of big bluestem were measured using a factorial experimental design at Konza Prairie Research Natural Area. While spring burning usually increased foliage production, burning had no effect on mid-season chlorophyll or nitrogen concentrations. Chlorophyll concentrations were significantly increased by fertilizer and mowing treatments. Nitrogen concentrations of foliage were higher on fertilized and mowed plots. Mowing also increased phosphorous concentrations of foliage, but nitrogen fertilizer significantly reduced phosphorus concentrations. These results support other research indicating that 1) nitrogen use efficiency (grams biomass produced per gram of foliage nitrogen) is higher on burned prairie, 2) removal of foliage by mowing results in more nutrient-rich regrowth, and 3) the amount of phosphorus available to big bluestem foliage is limited. The dilution of phosphorus caused by added nitrogen was a consequence of increased productivity on these plots and suggessts phosphorus uptake in excess of requirements for maximum growth. The relationships between burning, mowing, and nitrogen on the spectral reflectance patterns of vegetation indicated that chlorophyll (or nitrogen) concentrations of foliage appeared to more strongly affect indices of greenness and plant vigor than did the amount of plant biomass. Key words: biomass, burning, mowing, big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii, chlorophyll, nitrogen, phosphorus, Kansas
Keywords: burning

The effects of spatial scale on Konza landscape classification using textural analysis - Nellis, M.D.; J. M. Briggs (Landscape Ecology, 1989)
Spatial scale is inherent in the definition of landscape hererogeneity and diversity. For example, a landscape may appear heterogenous at one scale but not quite homogeneous at another scale. In assessing the impact of burning and grazing on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area (a tallgrass prairie), spatial scale is extremely important. Textural contrast algorithms were applied to various scales of remote sensing data and related to landscape units for assessment of heterogeneity under a variety of burning treatments. Acquired data sets included Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS), with 80 m resolution, Landsat thematic mapper (TM), with 30 m resolution, and high resolution density sliced aerial photography (with a 5 m resolution). Results suggest that heterogeneous areas of dense patchiness (e.g., unburned areas) must be analyzed at a finer scale than more homogeneous areas which are burned at least every four years. Key words: spatial scale, textural analysis, tallgrass prairie, remote sensing, landscape ecology, Kansas
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Emergence production and export of aquatic insects from a tallgrass prairie stream - Gray, L.J. (The Southwestern Naturalist, 1989)
Composition, numbers, and biomass of aquatic insects emerging frim Kings Creek, a tallgrass prairie stream in Kansas, were quantified during the summers of 1986 and 1987 at six study sites. Mean emergence was 101 individuals m-2d-1 and 20.3 mg m-2d-1. The most common taxa were Chironomidae (Diptera) and Ephemeroptera. Discharge greatly influenced emergence production with lowest production rates occurring as streams dried. Aquatic adults and terrestrial insects falling into the stream averaged 2.7 mg m-2d-1, thus net export was 17.6 mg m-2d-1. Because stream export exceeds terrestrial arthropod production, prairie streams may be important feeding areas for terrestrial predators
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Feeding ecology of some earthworms in Kansas tallgrass prairie - James, S.W.; Cunningham, M.R. (The American Midland Naturalist, 1989)
Morphological correlates of food choice and habitat use in earthworms developed on Lumbricidae and some New Zealand Megascolecidae applied in a general sense to some North American species of the genus Diplocardia (Megascolecidae), but use of the same criteria between taxa is not valid. Intestinal infolding was less extensive in the Diplocardia than in the Lumbricidae, but species of both groups that feed below ground had the greatest development of dorsal infolding of the intestine. The Diplocardia species present in North American prairie included one topsoil-surface feeding species and four species that feed below ground on unrecognizable organic matter, with infrequent root and leaf fragments
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Is fire a disturbance in grasslands? - Evans, E.W.; Finck, E.J.; J. M. Briggs; D.J. Gibson; James, S.W.; D.W. Kaufman; Seastedt, T.R. (University of Nebraska Press, 1989)
Many grasslands, and in particular the tallgrass prairies of North America, are generally thought to be maintained by periodic fire. Semantic disagreement among researchers, however, threatens to hamper discussion of fire as an ecological force in grassland ecosystems. Some authors emphasize that fires are disturbances (or perturbations) since these fires disrupt or alter ecosystem states, trends and dynamics (e.g., accumulating nitrogen is volatilized, plant and animal communities change in composition). Other researchers point out that, because these fire-induced disruptions and alterations can maintain the status quo of the ecosystem (e.g., prevent it from becoming woodland), it is the lack of fire rather than fire itself that should be considered a disturbance. We argue that, since both points of view are useful, there is little to be gained by labeling loosely either fire or lack thereof as a "disturbance" in grassland ecosystems. Key Words: disturbance, fire, grasslands, perturbation, prairie, Kansas
Keywords: fire

Hulbert's study of factors effecting botanical composition of Tallgrass Prairie - D.J. Gibson (University of Nebraska Press, 1989)
Lloyd Hulbert's death in May 1986 left a wealth of unfinished projects as well as the legacy of Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas. One of these was an incomplete manuscript on fire, mowing, and soil effects on the tallgrass prairie, in which canopy cover and frequency in 27 soil-treatment combinations from Konza Prairie were reported. Treatments included unburned and April burned at 1-, 2-, and 4-year intervals, annual burning during three seasons, and mowing during two seasons. Soils ranged from deep and non-rocky to shallow, rocky, silty clay loams. Late April burning favored tall C4 grasses at the expense of most forbs, whereas autumn and March burning allowed many forbs to do well. More species occurred on shallow, rocky soils than on deep soils. Annuals and biennials succeeded in mowed areas but not in burned areas. Tables of partially summarized data are included with this report so that other researchers may make use of them. Key words: tallgrass prairie, fire, mowing, soil, plant communities, species richness, Kansas
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Influence of habitat on acorn selection by Peromyscus leucopus - J. M. Briggs; Smith, K.G. (Journal of Mammalogy, 1989)
Acorn selection by white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) was tested with mice from four different habitats and acorns from six species of oaks (Quercus). Three mice captured in white-oak (subgenus Lepidobalanus) forests in northwestern Arkansas selected acorns from the white-oak group (post [Q. stellata] and white [Q. alba] oaks) over those from the red-oak (subgenus Erthrobalanus) group (pin [Q. palustris], willow [Q. phellos], and black [Q. velutine] oaks). These mice were able to subsist for more than two months on a diet of only acorns, provided that acorns from post oaks were available. These mice developed signs of tannin poisoning when maintained on acorns only from the red-oak group. Eleven mice captured in white-oak forests in eastern Kansas also consumed more acorns from the white-oak (post, bur [Q. macrocarpa], and chinquapin [Q. muehlengergii] oaks) than from the red-oak group (black, norther red [Q. rubra], and pin oaks). However, seven mice captured in red-oak group forest in eastern Kansas consumed more acorns from the red-oak group than from the white-oak group and showed no signs of tannin poisoning. Five mice captured in habitats without oaks consumed equal amounts of acorns from the two subgenera. These results suggest that exposure to acorns may determine acorn selection by P. leucopus independent of fat, protein, or tannin content of the acorns. Acorn selection may be labile, as seven mice captured in white-oak forests in eastern Kansas consumed equal amounts of bur and black oak acorns after being given only red-oak acorns for 9 days

Influence of mycorrhizal fungi and fertilization on big bluestem seedling biomass - Hetrick, B.A.D.; G.T. Wilson; Owensby, C.E. (Journal of Range Management, 1989)
The relationship between fertilization of prairie soils and mycorrhizal symbiosis in big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vit.) was explored. In 10 steamed prairie soils of varied P level, inoculation with a mycorrhizal fungus resulted in a 7- to 70-fold increase in big bluestem seedling biomass, compared to noninoculated controls. Fertilization with N and K (25-0-25) significantly increased biomass of mycorrhizal seedlings but did not alter growth of nonmycorrhizal seedlings. In a second experiment which assessed the impact of N and P on seedling growth, in both steamed and nonsterile soil, P fertilization did not significantly increase plant biomass, while N fertilization did substantially increase biomass of mycorrhizal, but not nonmycorrhizal plants. Fertilization with N and P together produced the greatest biomass in both mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants. Apparently, in the range soils tested N is the most limiting nutrient, despite the low P availability exhibited by these soils. In the absence of mycorrhizae, however, P is most limiting and no response to N is observed unless sufficient P is also applied. These studies confirm an extremely important role for mycorrhizal fungi on big bluestem seedling growth. Key words: phosphorous, nitrogen, Glomus etunicatum, mycorrhizae, Andropogon gerardii

Influence of plant litter and habitat structure on small mammal assemblages: experimental manipulations and field observations - Clark, B.K. (Kansas State University, 1989)

Intergrating field experiences with remote sensing for understanding vegetation indices - Nellis, M.D. (Current Trends in Remote Sensing Education, 1989)
Students of the geographic field research techniques course at Kansas State University were presented with the problem of integrating data collected from field experiences with Landsat MSS digital data to better understand the influence of physical and cultural factors on the condition of vegetation. As part of a National Science Foundation sponsored program, Konza Prairie Natural Area in the Kansas Flint Hills, has developed a diversity of rangeland management strategies based on watershed units. During the summer of 1987, students were asked to gather information at the Konza site on field conditions along transects for selected watersheds. Students noted dominant vegetation types, density of vegatitive cover, and relative vegetetive greenness. Landsat MSS digital data sets for a date similat to the field data were then analyzed by the students using a microcomputer-based digital image processing system. Mean brightness values for each MSS band by selected watersheds were calculated and entered into two algorithms that estimated soil brightness and green vegetation index. Students then compared field data with the derived soil brightness and green vegetation indices, and determined reasons for variation in indices between watersheds

Interspecific interactions among phytophagous insects of tallgrass prairie: an experimental test - Evans, E.W. (Ecology, 1989)
Densities of the grasshopper Phoetaliotes nebrascensis (Acrididae) were manipulated in native tallgrass prairie at Konza Prairie, Kansas, to measure competitive and facilitative effects on densities of co-occurring phytophagous insects. In late June 1987, P. nebrascensis nymphs were transferred among enclosed plots (each 550-900 m2) to produce three pairs of plots with grasshoppers either removed or added. Pretransfer densities in the six plots were estimated at approximately 5 nymphs/m2, 2-2.5 nymphs/m2 were then removed or added. Densities of the manipulated species and other abundant phytophagous insects were subsequently monitored (by sweep net) through mid-August. The manipulations in late June resulted in mean densities of P. nebrascensis nymphs 1.5-4 times as large on addition plots as on removal plots; these differences persisted through mid-August. No significant differences between treatments were found, however, in the numbers of individuals of other Acrididae or Tettigoniidae on four post-transfer sampling dates (July to mid-August). Significant differences were also not found in the numbers of individuals of Phasmatidae, Homoptera, or phytophagous Hemiptera and Coleoooptera, or in the biomasses of live grass, dead grass, or forbs present in mid-August. 1987 was a year of moderate primary production on Konza Prairie. The manipulations produced experimental treatments that mimicked intermediate vs relatively high natural densities of P. nebrascensis. The results indicate that under these conditions, changes in P. nebrascensis density have little net short-term impact, competitive or otherwise, on the population dynamics of co-occurring grasshoppers or other phytophagous insects. Key words: Acrididae, competition, facilitation, grasshoppers, grassland, herbivory, interspecific interactions, phytophagy, Phoetaliotes nebrascensis, tallgrass prairie
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Landsat thematic mapper digital data for predicting aboveground biomass in a tallgrass prairie ecosystem - J. M. Briggs; Nellis, M.D. (University of Nebraska Press, 1989)
Landstat thematic mapper digital data was found to offer an excellent potential for regular monitoring of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem by providing estimates of aboveground biomass production. Data from several channels of a May thematic mapper scene were analyzed individually and in various combinations using stepwise regression in Statistical Analysis System (SAS). These procedures were used to determine the most appropriate multiple regression equation for estimating production of 1) total live aboveground biomass, 2) grasses, 3) forbs, 4) previous years dead, and 5) current years dead. Regression equations were based on satellite-derived estimates relative to ground level biomass values for watersheds on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area under a variety of burning treatments. Results suggest that multiple channel equations were most appropriate for measuring production of forbs and total live aboveground biomass. Channel one (0.45 to 0.52 æmeters) and channel four (0.76 to 0.90 æmeters) were applicable to estimate production of grass and levels of previous years litter, respectively. However, none of the channels were accurate in predicting current years dead. Further plans involve using thematic mapper data to estimate aboveground biomass over an entire growing season on Konza and exploring the potential of using satellite data to monitor grassland production across the Great Plains. Key Words: tallgrass prairie, remote sensing, aboveground biomass, Landstat, thematic mapper, monitoring, Konza Prairie, Kansas
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Mapping surface soil moisture with L-band radiometric measurements - Wang, J.R.; Schmugge, T.J.; Shiue, J.C.; Engman, E.T. (Remote Sensing of Environment, 1989)

Measuring and modeling spectral characteristics of a tallgrass prairie - Asrar, G.A.; Myneni, R.B.; Li, Y.; Kanemasu, E.T. (Remote Sensing of the Environment, 1989)
This study was conducted to evaluate the diurnal and seasonal, spectral reflectance characteristics of burned and unburned areas of a tallgrass prairie, based on field measurements and models of radiation transport in plant canopies. Burning of the senescent vegetation, resulting from the previous years' growth, is a common management practice, which results in improved productivity and affects the succession of grass species. The burned and unburned grass canopies showed distinctly different, diurnal and seasonal, spectral reflectance characteristics in the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum. These were attributed to the differences in development of the two plant canopies and the azimuthal differences in sensor-sun-canopy positions during field measurements of spectral reflectance. The radiation transfer model properly simulated the diurnal spectral behavior of the two canopies. The simulated, seasonal, spectral reflectance values for the unburned grass canopy were greater than the measured ones, because of limitations in proper representation of the layer of senescent vegetation in the model
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Microarthropods in decaying wood from temperate coniferous and deciduous forests - Seastedt, T.R.; Reddy, M.V.; Cline, S.P. (Pedobiologia, 1989)
Microarthropod population densities in large woody debris increase the decay process. Maximum densities were about 2 X 106 individuals per m3 of wood, but remained 2-10 times lower than population densities found in an equivalent amount of litter and soil from either coniferous or deciduous forests. Oribatid mites are the most abundant microarthropods in wood. Species diversity of all microarthropod groups is lower in decaying wood compared with species numbers in litter and soil. The dominant species in wood appear to be mycophagous; the number of wood-feeding microarthropods composes a small minority of both species and numbers of fauna found in decaying boles. Key words: coniferous forest, decay, decidous forest, population density, microarthropods, mites, Oribatids, species diversity, wood

Mycorrhizal mediation of phosphorus availability: synthetic iron chelate effects on phosphorus solubilization - Jayachandran, K.; Schwab, A.P.; Hetrick, B.A.D. (Soil Science Society of America Journal, 1989)

New records for Kansas mosses - Merrill, G.L. (Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 1989)
Bryophyte collecting in Riley County, Kansas and neighboring counties since September 1987 has yielded four species of mosses not previously reported from the state of Kansas. In addition to these species, new records are cited for 13 species considered rare in occurrence in the state, and new county records are given for an additional 34 species. One hundred fifty-six species of mosses are now known to occur in the state. The moss flora of Kansas is still inadequately known, and further systematic collecting anywhere in the state can be expected to yield additional distributional records

Nitrogen dynamics of soil water in burned and unburned tallgrass prairie - Hayes, D.C.; Seastedt, T.R. (Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 1989)
Porous cup lysimeters were used to study the effects of spring burning for 5 yr on soil water N dynamics of tallgrass prairie. NO3--N concentration within the the rooting zone (20 cm depth) were unaffected by burning and averaged 27 æg 1-1. Concentrations at 80 cm were also similar for burned and unburned prairie and averaged 13 æg 1-1. Organic N was the dominant form of N in soil water, and showed a strong effect of treatment and depth. Oraganic N concentration averaged 409 æg 1-1 at 20 cm depth on unburned watersheds versus 295 æg 1-1 on burned watersheds (P< 0.05). Values were not influenced by burning at 80 cm depths but were 30-50% lower than those observed at 20 cm. Soil water N concentrations averaged < 30% of those observed in bulk precipitation inputs, and while fire is responsible for the maintenance of the tallgreass prairie flora, fire does not appear to be an important factor affecting groundwater export of N in this biome. Total N concentrations increased from an average of ca.200 æg 1-1 in 1982 to an average of ca.400 æg 1-1 during 1986, while lysimeter volumes declined from > 400 to ca.200 sample-1. These changes were not related to precipitation, and suggests that the soil environment sampled by the lysimeters changes through time
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Passerine breeding birds of Konza Prairie - Zimmerman, J.L. (Kansas Ornithology Society Bulletin, 1989)
This paper provides a current listing of passerine species with documented breeding records. Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens), Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe, Great crested flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus), Eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus), Scissor-tailed flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus), Horned lark (Eremophila alpestris), Northern rough-winged swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis), Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), Blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata), Black-capped chickadee (Parus atricapillus), Tufted titmouse (Parus bicolor), White-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), Bewick's wren (Thryomanes bewickii), House wren (Troglodytes aedon), Sedge wren (Cistothorus platensis), Blue-gray gnatcatcher (Polioptilla caerulea), Eastern bluebird (Sialis sialis), American robin (Turdus migratorius), Gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), Brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum), Loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Bell's vireo (Vireo bellii), Louisiana waterthrush (Seiurus motacilla), Common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas), Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), Indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea), Dickcissel (Spiza americana), Rufous-sided towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), Field sparrow (Spizella pusilla), Grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), Henslow's sparrow (Ammocramus henslowii)Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), Eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna), Common grackle (Quiscalus quisula), Brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater), Orchard oriole (Icterus spurius), Northern oriole (Icterus galbula), American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis), House sparrow (Passer domesticus). The following passerines probably nest on Konza Prairie, but no direct evidence of breeding has been obtained: American Crow, Carolina Wren, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Black-and-White Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Summer Tanager, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Lark Sparrow

Polyploid polymorphism in the prairie grass big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) - Keeler, K.H.; Kwankin, B. (University of Nebraska Press, 1989)
A suprising number of plant species contain individuals of a variety of levels of polyploidy, so that the species is polymorphic for polyploidy. This paper considers possible general causes for this phenomenon in plants of the Great Plains of North America. First we compared the frequency of intraspecific polyploidy in three major plant families, Poaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae. The majority of grass species (Poaceae) and the minority of composite and legume species (Asteraceae and Fabaceae) are polyploid polymorphic. The frequency of grass species with intraspecific polyploidy suggests shared causatin or at least shared tolerance of this character. Having established that the situation occurs frequently in grasses, we analyzed a single species, big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii, looking for information on the function of polyploid polymorphism. We used flow cytometry to determine amount of nuclear DNA per cell; In big bluestem this correlates with chromosome number. Individuals with 7 pg nuclear DNA had 2N=60 chromosomes, and were therefore hexaploid, since in Andropogon x=10. Most other individuals had approximately 10 pg nuclear DNA and 80 (occasionally 90) chromosomes. Seven-pg DNA individuals were predominatnt everywhere, but the frequency of higher polyploids (10 pg nuclear DNA) went from virtually 0 on the eastern end of the tallgrass prairie region to 40% at the western end. Within native prairies in the west, the full range of variation existed between sites. A recent origin for polyploid polymorphism is suggested in big bluestem and probably other Great Plains grasses, and the data seem most compatible with a transitional situation, although other explanations cannot be ruled out

Population biology - D.W. Kaufman; Kaufman, G.A. (Advances in the Study of Peromyscus (Rodentia), 1989)
Recent literature on Peromyscus encompasses both descriptive and experimental studies that have led to new insights in population ecology, behavioral ecology, and community ecology. Genetic variation has been assessed in over 20 species of Peromyscus, with several studies focused on understanding patterns of macrogeographic differntiation, including island effects. Detailed analyses of the dynamics of microgeographic genetic structure are needed to better understand the organization and dynamics of populations. Additionally, little is known about the adaptive significance of biochemical variation. Social interactions in populations of Peromyscus are being examined in greater detail than before and are potentially important to the study of population regulation. Advances in understanding microhabitat selection and distribution, mostly involving P. leucopus and P. maniculatus, have been accomplished through use of multivariate statistical techniques and to lesser degree experimental manipulations. A major part of the increased effort in microhabitat analysis of Peromyscus species has been the result of studies of interspecific microhabitat partitioning. However, integrated studies of habitat selection, foraging, interspecific competition, and differential risk of predation are needed to better assess and describe interspecific resource partitioning within assemblages and the influence of age and sex on intraspecific resource partitioning. Ecological limits to population size, organization of populations, sex ratios, foraging behavior, and predation risk are less studied in Peromyscus, although some interesting observations have been made

Preliminary modelling of transpiration from the FIFE site in Kansas - Stewart, J.B.; Gray, L.W. (Agricultural and Forest Meterology, 1989)

Relationship between mycorrhizal dependence and competitive ability of two tallgrass prairie grasses - Hetrick, B.A.D.; G.T. Wilson; Harnett, D.C. (Canadian Journal of Botany, 1989)
The impact of mycorrhizal symbiosis on growth of Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem) and Koeleria pyranidata (junegrass) was compared. Andropogon gerardii was 98% dependent on the symbiosis, whereas K. pyranidata displayed less than 0.02% dependence. Mycorrhizal fungus inoculation resulted in 50 times larger A. gerardii plants but did not alter growth of K. pyradidata. When competing in pairs, A. gerardii dominated when the mycorrhizal symbiosis was present and K. pyradidata dominated when it was not present. Dry weight of mycorrhizal A. perardii was altered, whether grown alone or with K. pyranidata, but mycorrhizal K. pyranidata grew well only in the absence of competition and failed to grow appreciably if A. gerardii was present. Without mycorrhizal fungus inoculation, A. gerardii did not grow and had no deleterious effects on K. pyranidata. When P. fertilization was substituted for mycorrhizal fungus inoculation, A. gerardii grew better alone than in competition with K. pyranidata at low P levels but was not affected by competition at high P levels. Koeleria pyranidata was not affected by competition at low P levels, but high P fertilization resulted in reduced dry weight of K. pyranidata plants when in competition with A. gerardii. Phenologic separation of growing seasons avoids interspecific competition between these two grasses and may be one mechanism contributing toward their coexistence. Since low temperatures limit mycorrhizal nutrient uptake, phenologic separation of growing seasons could also avoid the competitive advantage of warm-season grasses conferred by their mycorrhizal dependence
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Rodents and shrews in ungrazed tallgrass prairie manipulated by fire - D.W. Kaufman; Kaufman, G.A.; Finck, E.J. (University of Nebraska Press, 1989)
Natural Prairie was a mosaic of patches of depths of plant litter due to topoedaphic conditions and to spatial-temporal variation in fire and grazing. Such variation in litter depth undoubtedly influenced the distribution and abundance of small mammals. To examine this issue, small mammals were censused and plant litter depth was measured during autumn from 1981 to 1984 on the Konza Prairie Natural Research Area near Manhattan, Kansas. Five to 11 sites subjected to fire at different times from 1967 to 1984 were sampled during each of the four years of the study. Relative densities of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) were negatively correlated to litter depth, wheras relative densities of Elliot's short-tailed shrews (Blarina hylophaga) and western harvest mice (Reithrodontomys megalotis) were positively correlated to the depth of plant litter. White-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), typically found in wooded and brushy habitats, were captured in prairie sites, but no significant association with plant litter was evident. Although prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) were expected to be positively associated with litter, no significant relationship was found for 1982 (the only year with sufficiently high densities to test for a possible pattern). Key words: small mammals, plant litter, tallgrass prairie, fire, rodents, shrews, Kansas
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Silica, nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics of tallgrass prairie - Seastedt, T.R.; Ramundo, R.A.; Hayes, D.C. (University of Nebraska Press, 1989)
Experiments were conducted on big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) in the greenhouse and on a tallgrass site on Konza Prairie to evaluate the effects of simulated grazing on the cycling of silica (SiO2), nitrogen, and phosphorus. Concentrations of all elements increased in vegetation that had been clipped or pruned. The absolute amount of nitrogen obtained by plants in the greenhouse experiment was increased by clipping foliage. Phosphorous exhibited only neutral or negative responses, while the absolute amount of silica declined in all but one experiment involving root pruning. In that experiment, the absolute amount of silica in roots was increased by 25% by cutting a portion of the root system. These results suggest that the direct effects of clipping or pruning on the absolute amounts of elements cycled through vegetation are usually neutral or negative. Increased silicification or grazed foliage is suggested to be a consequence of delayed senescence and reduced leaf area. This interpretation provides a proximate reason why silicification is an "inducible defense" against herbivores. Key words: big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii, simulated grazing, nutrients, productivity, roots, Kansas
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Small mammals in tallgrass prairie: patterns associated with grazing and burning - Clark, B.K.; D.W. Kaufman; Finck, E.J.; Kaufman, G.A. (The Prairie Naturalist, 1989)
Impacts of cattle grazing and prescribed spring burning on small mammals were assessed in (1) ungrazed and unburned, (2) ungrazed and burned, and (3) grazed and burned grassland habitats in the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas. Twelve species of small mammals were represented by the 287 individuals captured. Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus; 41% of all individuals), Elliot's short-tailed shrews (Blarina hylophaga; 22%), white-footed mice (P. leucopus; 14%), and prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster; 11%) were the four most common species. Deer mice avoided ungrazed, unburned sites, whereas Elliot's short-tailed shrews and prairie voles were most abundant in ungrazed, unburned habitats. Habitat use by these species was probably influenced by differences in amount of litter and vegetation cover resulting from grazing and burning. White-footed mice were most common in grazed, burned sites, probably due to the numerous shrub patches in this habitat. Assemblage diversity and total numbers of small mammals captured were not significantly influenced by either grazing or burning
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Soil phosphorus chemistry: A systems approach - Hetrick, J.A. (Kansas State University, 1989)

Suppression of mycorrhizal fungus spore germination in nonsterile soil: relationship to mycorrhizal growth response in big bluestem - Hetrick, B.A.D.; G.T. Wilson (Mycologia, 1989)

Suppression of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus spore germination by nonsterile soil - G.T. Wilson; Hetrick, B.A.D.; Kitt, D.G. (Canadian Journal of Botany, 1989)

Timing of reproduction in a prairie legume: seasonal impacts of insects consuming flowers and seeds - Evans, E.W.; Smith, C.C.; Gendron, R.P. (Oecologia, 1989)
Seasonal patterns of insect damage to reproductive tissue of the legume Baptisia australis were studies for three years in native tallgrass prairie. Contrasting seasonal patters of damage were associated with the major species of insect consumers. The moth Grapholitha tristegana (Olethreutidae) and the weevil Tychius sordidus (Curculionidae), which together infested 80-100% of developing fruits (pods), consistently damaged more seeds on average in early than in late maturing pods. But while late opening flowers were less subject to attack from moths and weevils, they were more subject to attack from chewing insects, particularly blister beetles (Epicauta fabricii, Meloidae), which destroyed more than 80% of all flowers and developing young pods (including moth and weevil larval inhabitants). The blister beetle arrived late in the flowering season and fed particularly on young reproductive tissue, allowing larger, older pods that had developed from early opening flowers to escape destruction. The relative abundances and impacts of blister beetles, moths, and weevils varied from year to year. Adding to the uncertainty of reproductive success of the host plant were the large and variable amounts of damage to immature buds inflicted by insects (including the blister beetles and weevil adults) and late killing frosts. Thus, timing of flowering is critical to success in seed production for B. australis. The heavy impacts of insects and weather can result in a very narrow window in time (which shifts from year to year) during which B. australis can flower with any success. The opposing pressures exerted by insects and weather on floral reproductive success may act in concert with other features in the plant's biology to foster the maintenance of considerable diversity in flowering times among individuals in local populations of B. australis. Key words: flowering time, grassland, herbivory, phenology, seed predation
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Use of fluorescent pigments to study social interactions in a small nocturnal rodent, Peromyscus maniculatus - Kaufman, G.A. (Journal of Mammalogy, 1989)
Social interactions within free-living populations of small mammals are poorly known wityh exception of some diuranal rodents such as the ground- dwelling sciurids. The ease of observing diurnal species in contrast to nocturnal ones accounts for differences in availability of data. Many investigators have inferred social interactions in nocturnal rodents from captures of conspecifics in single-catch live traps. However, it is difficult to know whether these data represent social interactions (social traveling where two individuals enter the trap simultaneously); or trapping bias (intensive traps that require the weight of two individuals to activate the trigger mechanism. Even if multiple captures reflect social interactions among individuals, rareness of records makes it desirable to find other methods for studying social behavior in nocturnal rodents. Herein, I describe a technique for assessing social interactions in nocturnal rodents under field conditions. The technique, which uses transfer of flourescent pigments to ascertain which individuals have interacted during the night, was tested with the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)

Variance in digestive efficiencies of four sympatric avian granivores - Shuman, T.W.; Robel, R.J.; Zimmerman, J.L.; Kemp, K.E. (Auk, 1989)
The efficiency with which an animal obtains energy from its diet is critical to its survival during stressful periods (e.g. winter in terperate zones). We determined the variance in digestive efficiencies among four winter sympatric bird species: the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis), Harris' Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula), and American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea). These species are granivorous birds characterized by strong beaks adapted for cracking seeds (Bent 1968). Of the four species, only the Northern Cardinal ia a year-round resident of Kansas

Active microwave remote sensing of a natural, tallgrass prairie and a projected disk component model to explain the behavior of a modified dielectric disk model - Martin, R.D. Jr. (Kansas State University, 1988)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Aggregation and aggregate stability in forest and range soils - Strickland, T.C.; Sollins, D.S.S.; Kerle, E.A. (Soil Science Society of America Journal, 1988)
A simple method for measuring aggregation and aggregate stability across soils of widely varying structure and texture is presented. The method uses standard techniques of particle-size analysis to measure yield of fine particles (greater than 26 micrometers estimated spherical diameter) after three types of dispersion treatments: shaking in water or in sodium oxalate (Ox), and sonication in sodium pyrophosphate (PPi). PPi sonication, which provided maximum dispersion, served as our benchmark; it is substantially more effective than the commonly used stirring in hexametaphosphate. Aggregation was then calculated as yield of fines after PPi sonication minus yield of fines after the water shake, the minimum dispersion treatment. Aggregate stability was measured by comparing yield of fines after the Ox shake, the mild dispersion treatment, with that after the water shake; aggregate instability was then calculated. The five soils studied varied markedly in both aggregation and aggregate stability, suggesting that mechanisms of aggregate stabilization differ markedly across soil types. Despite these differences, our method of quantifying mild dispersion by skaing with Ox, which should have negligible effect on subsequent microbiological studies, relative to complete dispersion by PPi sonication should be consistent and applicable over a reasonably wide range of soil types. Key words: dispersion, Sodium oxalate, ultrasound, intersite comparison

Apparent metabolizable energy content of foods used by mourning doves - Shuman, T.W.; Robel, R.J.; Dayton, A.D.; Zimmerman, J.L. (Journal of Wildlife Management, 1988)
We collected metabolic efficiency and consumption data on 12 seed diets fed to captive mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) under simulated winter conditions. Doves consumed 7-17 g/day of 8 diets (i.e., acceptable) and 0.8-3.5 g/day of 4 diets (i.e., unacceptable). Metabolic efficiencies of doves on the 8 acceptable diets ranged from 69 to 94%. The foods differed in apparent metabolizable energy value to doves

Avian habitat selection in the attenuated riparian forest on the tallgrass prairie - Mikesell, F.L. (Kansas State University, 1988)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Breeding season habitat selection by the Henslow's sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) in Kansas - Zimmerman, J.L. (The Wilson Bulletin, 1988)
Vegetation was compared for areas sequestered within territories and those excluded from territories. Males establish territories in patches with greater coverage by standing dead vegetation, lesser coverage by woody vegetation, and taller live grasses. It is hypothesized that the primary ultimate cause for this proximate selection is the depressing effect of standing dead vegetation on aboveground grass productivity which results in a more open substrate for this ground-dwelling species

Caching behavior by eastern woodrats (Neotoma floridana ) in relation to food perishability - Reichman, O.J. (Animal Behavior, 1988)
Two experiments were conducted on eastern woodrats to determine whether the preference for food items gathered for their caches and the sequence of use of items in the cache varied with perishability. In the first experiment, woodrats were given either 2 kg each of two non- perishable items, laboratory chow and bur oak acorns (which they used more than chow), or 2 kg each of preferred, but perishable, grapes and the non-perishable chow. As hypothesized, the woodrats both ate and stored acorns when they were paired with chow (there would be no advantage to either eating or storing the less-used chow). In contrast, when given grapes and chow, the woodrats continued to eat grapes but stored primarily chow. That is, the utility of the items appeared to change depending on whether they were to be eaten or stored. In the second experiment, woodrats were given excess amounts of chow or grapes that were 2, 4, 6, and 8 days old. They ingested chow in the proportions available, as the chow did not spoil with age. However, they consumed grapes in proportions significantly different from those available. It was anticipated that they would eat the oldest grapes first and store the freshest grapes, but neither this pattern nor any other was obvious in relation to the age of the grapes. The results suggest that woodrats discriminate between food items based on their perishability, and vary their decisions about what to ingest and store accordingly

Canopy net carbon dioxide exchange by burned and unburned tallgrass prairie - Gale, W.J. (Kansas State University, 1988)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Causes of fire effects in tallgrass prairie - Hulbert, L.C. (Ecology, 1988)
Eleven experimental treatments were applied to 2 x 2 m plots over 2 yr at Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Riley County, Kansas, to ascertain why burning tallgrass prairie causes increased production and flowering. Warming of the soil in unburned plots resulted in an increase in both total production and flower stalk production of dominant tall grasses, primarily big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans), but the increase was small (34% increase in biomass; 78% increase in number of flower stalks) compared with that in burned plots (151% increase in biomass; 435% increase in flower stalks). Increased surface light intensity also appears to be a factor affecting changes in productivity following burning as suggested by the combined responses of increased productivity with removal of standing dead, whether by clipping or burning, and decreased productivity with shading. Further, the addition of ammonium nitrate increased yield 41% and flowering 168% for the dominant grasses, suggesting that any factor increasing nitrogen availability would affect these vegetative parameters. Neither ash left from burning nor hrating of the soil surface during burning produced detectable effects on subsequent vegetative growth. Different results for some parameters between years and between species suggest that many complex interactions operate to affect the grassland's response to burning, but surface light, soil surface temperature, and nitrogen appear to be particularly important factors. Key words: aboveground biomass, bluestem prairie, burning, fire, flowering, soil temperature, tallgrass prairie
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Community composition and emergence phenology of Chironomidae (Diptera) in prairie streams with different flow regimes - Kavanaugh, J.L. (University of Kansas, 1988)

Community dynamics of prairie grasshoppers subjected to periodic fire: predictable trajectories or random walks in time? - Evans, E.W. (Oikos, 1988)
Grasshopper communities were sampled by sweep net at six sites in native tallgrass prairie at Konza Prairie, Kansas, USA, in 1982-86 to assess community change from year to year in prairie burned once every four years. Species richness, diversity, and composition of grasshoppers did not vary in regular fashion with the four-year fire cycle. Furthermore, the ratio of grass- to forb-feeding grasshoppers generally did not change consistently during the fire cycle at individual sites, although for all sites combined, the relative abundance of grass feeders initially increased after a fire and subsequently declined in succeeding years without fire. Observed year to year changes in grasshopper communities were tested against those predicted by a random walk model of community change using ordination (DCA) results for species composition at individual sites in individual years. This analysis revealed that local communities varied in restricted, compensatory fashion such that they tended to return towards some central or characteristic species composition when displaced. Thus while fire itself imparts relatively little predictability to grasshopper community dynamics in periodically unburned prairie, such dynamics are nevertheless to a limited degree predictable
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Comparative learning abilities and foraging strategies of Dipodomys merriami and Chaetodipus intermedius - Rebar, C.E. (Kansas State University, 1988)

Computer modeling of water yield from Kings Creek watershed - Bartlett, C.A. (Kansas State University, 1988)

Considerations in modeling the hydrology of Konza Prairie long-term ecological research site - Koelliker, J.K. (Modeling Agricultural, Forest and Rangeland Hydrology, 1988)
Participation by hydrologists in this project were merely in an advisory capacity until 1985. Since that time, participation has been limited to about 0.4 scientist-year per year and much of that time has been spent in design of measurement and sampling systems, calibration of flumes, and data reduction and interpretation. A recently completed MS thesis "Computer Modeling of Water Yield from Kings Creek Watershed" (Bartlett, 1988) represents the first attempt to model the hydrology of KPRNA. The results of parts of that work are summarized herein. The objectives were to (1) build a model specifically designed for the Kings Creek watershed; (2) to develop a climatological data set to calibrate this model; (3) to predict the runoff and percolation volumes for the subplots of the watershed; (4) to predict the streamflow in Kings Creek; and (5) to predict the long-term water yield for the watershed

Detecting soil information on the Konza Prairie using high resolution satellite data - Su, H. (Kansas State University, 1988)

Differential use of experimental habitat patches by foraging Peromyscus maniculatus on dark and bright nights - Travers, S.E.; D.W. Kaufman; Kaufman, G.A. (Journal of Mammalogy, 1988)
To assess the influence of illumination on choice of microhabitat by foraging rodents, we tested the use of exposed and protected patches by deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) when seeds were equally available in two or more patch types in large laboratory arenas. Based on field observations, we expected that, under higher levels of illumination, the ratio of foraging activity in exposed microhabitats to that in protected ones would be lower. We present data from three experiments that uphold this expectation

Diplocardia hulberti and D. rugosa , new earthworms (Annelida: Oligochaeta : Megascolecidae) from Kansas - James, S.W. (Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 1988)
Two species of the megascolecid earthworm genus Diplocardia (subfamily Acanthodrilinae) are described from collections made in tallgrass prairie in north-central Kansas. Diplocardia hulbertri has similarities to D. meansi and some undescribed material in Gates (1977), while D. rugosa appears to be closely related to D. smithii
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Effects of burning regime on buried seed banks and canopy coverage in Kansas tallgrass prairie - Abrams, M.D. (The Southwestern Naturalist, 1988)
Vegetation cover and buried seeds were studied on three upland sites burned at different intervals (unburned, 4-year burn, and annual burn) in tallgrass prairie in northeastern Kansas. Vegetation of all sites (89 species total) was dominated by Andropogon gerardii (76 to 81% cover). Schizachyrium scoparium and Sorghastrum nutans cover was higher, whereas Poa pratensis and Sporobolus hererolepis cover was lower on more frequently than on less frequently burned sites. A total of 735 seedlings comprising 28 species were recorded in soil samples from the three treatments. Seed density was variable within and between treatments but was generally highest in unburned treatment and lowest in annually burned prairie. Many Sporobolus cryptandrus were recorded in each treatment. The number of forb seedlings was not significantly different between treatments and was dominated by Erigeron strigosus and Oxalis stricta. Many species that germinated from buried seeds were not recorded as vegetation on the site, and much of the vegetation was not represented as seedlings. The scarcity of viable buried seeds of the dominant tallgrasses and forbs suggest that they are highly dependent on vegetative propagation
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Effects of dormant-season herbage removal on Flint Hills rangeland - Auen, L.M.; Owensby, C.E. (Journal of Range Management, 1988)
Intensive-early stocking in the Kansas Flint Hills has greatly increased livestock production efficiency. The potential grazing of regrowth on intensive-early stocked Flint Hills pastures was studied by monthly mowing to 5-cm height form October to April, 1983-1985. Those treatments had no effect on total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC) in Andropogon gerardii Vitman rhizomes or on herbage production the following seasons. Since there was no reduction in herbage yield for any mowing date, cattle producers can apparently restock IES pastures after 1 October. Key Words: total nonstructural carbohydrates, Andropogon gerardii , winter removal, near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Effects of prescribed fire on woody vegetation in a gallery forest understory in northeastern Kansas - Abrams, M.D. (Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 1988)
Woody vegetation in the understory of a gallery forest dominated by large bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) trees in eastern Kansas was surveyed before (1983) and after two years of annual prescribed burning in April (1984 and 1985). Elm (Ulmus spp.) was the dominant reproduction on the area before burning and increased after burning because of prolific basal sprouting. Five rarer species, including bur oak and chinquapin oak (Q. muehlenbergii), were recorded in 1983 or 1984, but were absent in 1985. Sapling density averaged 1200 per ha prior to burning in 1983 and 0.0 after burning in 1984 and 1985. Total shrub cover significantly decreased from 59.9 percent in 1983 to 9.5 percent in 1985, as a result of decreases in buckbrush (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) and rough-leaf dogwood (Cornus drummondii)
Keywords: gallery forest

Effects of soil microorganisms on mycorrhizal contribution to growth of big bluestem grass in nonsterile soil - Hetrick, B.A.D.; G.T. Wilson; Kitt, D.G.; Schwab, A.P. (Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 1988)
Plant dry weight and mycorrhizal root colonization of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) inoculated with Glomus etunicatum Becker and Gerd. were suppressed if non-sterile prairie soil sievings were added to pasteurized soil. Addition of prairie soil microorganisms, isolated onto peptone yeast extract, King's B, or starch casein agar media, to pasteurized soil also reduced dry weight and mycorrhizal root colonization of big bluesteam inoculated with G. etunicatum. In contrast, addition of non- sterile soil sievings or filtrate or organisms isolated onto potato dextrose or pseudomonas isolation agar to pasteurized soil improved growth of non-mycorrhizal big bluestem. These effects of soil microorganisms on plant growth were further quantified by comparing 32P uptake by fungicide treated and untreated mycorrhizal plants and by non-mycorrhizal plants in pasteurized and non-sterile soil. Mycorrhizal plants grown in pasteurized soil absorbed approximately 10 times more 32P than mycorrhizal plants grown in non-sterile soil. Application of propiconazole (Tilt) or fenarimol (Rubigan), fungicides which inhibit non-sterile soil, respectively. Thus, more 32P is absorbed in pasteurized than in non-sterile soil, probably because soil microorganisms limit mycorrhizal activity in non-sterile soil. Assessments of mycorrhizal contribution to plant growth conducted in sterilized soil may significantly overestimate the effects of VAM fungi because other soil microorganisms are not considered

Factors influencing nitrogen concentrations in soil and water in a North American tallgrass prairie - Seastedt, T.R.; Hayes, D.C. (Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 1988)
The influence of roots, soil fauna and microbes on nitrogen concentrations in soil water in annually-burned tallgrass prairie were evaluated using porous cup lysimeters and a series of manipulations involving an insecticide, clipping of the vegetation, and C and N additions to the soil surface. An organophosphate insecticide (isofenphos), which significantly reduced densities of certain nematode and arthropod groups, resulted in small but statistically significant declines in soil water NO3- concentrations during 2 of 3 yr of study. Organic N, the dominant form of soil water N, was unaffected by treatment. Clipping the foliage weekly during the spring resulted in significant reductions in annual foliage production, but failed to change concentrations of soil water NO3- or organic N. Nitrogen additions (10 g N m-2 as NH4NO3) greatly increased soil water NO3- concentrations; however, when 250 g C sucrose m-2 were concurrently added to plots, there was a significant reduction in soil water NO3- concentrations. Soil water NH4+ concentrations were unaffected by treatment. These studies emphasize the importance of microbes as the dominant factor affecting soil water N concentrations in carbon-rich soils. Plants, soil fauna and nitrogen fertilizers do affect N. dynamics, but, under annually-burned conditions in the tallgrass prairie, these effects are obscured by microbial processes
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

The first ISLSCP field experiment (FIFE) - Sellers, P.J.; Hall, F.G.; Asrar, G.A.; Strebel, D.E.; Murphy, R.E. (Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 1988)
The International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) was initiated to address the research problems associated with interpretation and exploitation of satellite data over the earth's land surface. As the project developed, it was recognized that these objectives could not be attained unless there was also a clearer understanding of the biological controls acting on land-surface-atmosphere fluxes

Genetic variation in leaf morphology and plant and tissue water relations during drought in Cercis canadensis . L - Abrams, M.D. (Forest Science, 1988)
Genetic variation in plant and tissue water relations in response to drought, and in leaf morphology, were examined in greenhouse-grown Cercis canadensis L. (eastern redbud) seedlings originating from seed obtained in three contrasting habitats: a relatively xeric Kansas prairie, a Kansas gallery forest understory, and a relatively mesic Indiana understory. Kansas prairie redbud maintained significantly greater leaf conductance (gwv) during a 13-day drought than did Kansas and Indiana understory redbud, despite similar decreases in leaf water potential in all three sources. Moreover, Kansas paririe redbud had significantly lower osmotic potentials at full and zero turgor compared to Indiana redbud at both the early and later stages of drought. Kansas understory redbud was the only source to undergo a signigicant decrease in relative water content at zero turgor and the bulk modulus of elasticity during drought. Kansas prairie redbud leaver were smaller and thicker and had higher specific leaf mass (i.e., more xerophytic) than understory redbud leaves. Kansas understory redbud had intermediate characteristics in terms of gwv at the early to middle stages of drought, osmotic potentials at high and low leaf water potential, and leaf area and thickness compared to Kansas prairie and Indiana understory redbud. These results suggest that genetically controlled physiological and morphological adaptation has occurred in redbud that should facilitate its survival in greatly contrasting habitats. ADDITIONAL KEY WORDS: Ecophysiology, Kansas prairie, gallery forest, Indiana understory, leaf morphology
Keywords: Water relations

Grasshopper (Insecta: Orthoptera: Acrididae) assemblages of tallgrass prairie: influence of fire frequency, topography, and vegetation - Evans, E.W. (Canadian Journal of Zoology, 1988)
Grasshopper assemblages were sampled by sweep net in native tallgrass prairie at Konza Prairie, Kansas, in 1982-1986 to assess the influences of fire, topography, and vegetation on local species composition. Species composition at 38 sites was analyzed by ordination (detrended correspondence analysis). Frequency of fire and topographic location were reflected along the first two principal axes, respectively. Grass-feeding grasshoppers were more numerous than forb- and mixed-feeding grasshoppers throughout the prairie, but forb and mixed feeders became relatively more frequent as fire frequency decreased. Local species richness of grasshoppers was greater on sites burned infrequently than on sites burned annually or biennially, and on upland than on lowland sites. Local species richness was positively correlated with local plant species richness and diversity, reflecting in part that local relative abundance of forb-feeding grasshoppers was positively correlated with local relative abundance of forbs. Collectively these results are consistent in suggesting that through their effects on local plant communities, fire frequency and topography are major factors influencing the composition of local grasshopper assemblages in tallgrass prairie
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Hydrologic and riparian influences on the import and storage of coarse particulate organic matter in a prairie stream - Gurtz, M.E.; Marzolf, G.R.; Killingbeck, K.T.; Smith, D.L.; McArthur, J.V. (Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, 1988)
The hydrologic regime and zonation of riparian vegetation influenced the quantity and quality of coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM; greater than 1 mm) stored in the channel and upper bank of a prairie stream. In a 5.4 km intermittent reach of the South Branch of Kings Creek on Konza Prairie, Kansas, total annual import was lowest in headwater reaches and increased downstream. Total storage of benthic CPOM in the dry channel on the bank before the flow period was highest in the fourth- and fifth-order gallery forest zone (999 g ash-free dry mass.m-2) and less in upstream reaches (320-341 g.m-2). These longitudinal patterns of CPOM annual import and storage (before the flow period) were opposite those predicted by the river continuum concept for streams draining forested regions. Following flow, headwater channels had more CPOM (291 g.m-2) than downstream reaches. On the bank, storage was always highest in downstream reaches. Composition of CPOM both in the channel and on the bank varied with changes in riparian vegetation; grass tissues dominated in headwater channels, while wood and leaves of trees and shrubs were more abundant downstream. During the flow period, storage of CPOM increased only in headwater channels, where retention was high despite the lack of woody debris. In this intermittent prairie stream, benthic CPOM may not contribute consistently to the terrestrial/aquatic linkages that are suggested in the river continuum concept because of (1) a paucity of large CPOM sources (e.g. trees, shrubs) in the upper reaches and (2) a hydrologic regime that reduces the amount , as well as the predictability, of stored CPOM. The biota of prairie streams must have opportunistic food gathering and reproductive strategies to take advantage of variable food resources in a flow environment that is itself very unpredictable
Keywords: gallery forest

Hydrologic influences on leaf decomposition in a channel and adjacent bank of a gallery forest stream - Gurtz, M.E.; Tate, C.M. (The American Midland Naturalist, 1988)
Hydrologic extremes of flooding and drought typically occur each year in prairie streams. Two experiments were conducted in a fifth- order, gallery forest reach of King's Creek, Kansas, to assess the effect of hydrologic conditions on decomposition of leaves in the stream channel and on the adjacent floodplain. Temporal patterns of weight loss were examined in the first experiment. Leaves of bur oak and hackberry decomposed more rapidly in the channel than on the adjacent bank. A sharp drop in percent remaining for hackberry in the 2nd month (mid- December to mid-January) coincided with a period of high shredder densities on hackberry leaves. On the bank, decomposition of hackberry leaves was fastest during intervals that included one or more inundations of the leaf packs. Bur oak leaves decomposed more slowly than hackberry leaves and were influenced less by the hydrologic history. In the second experiment, spatial variation in decomposition rate of hackberry leaves was examined by placing 20 pairs of leaf packs in a transect extending from the center of the stream channel on the top of the upper bank. Position on the transect affected the frequency and duration of inundations on the floodplain, which ranged from one (minimum of 0.2 hr) to 17 times (272 cumulative hr under water), while three pairs of packs in the channel were always under water. The logarithm of percent remaining after 274 days was significantly correlated with number of hours inundated and number of times inundated, although other factors such as soil moisture or amount of flood-deposited silt may have influenced differences in decomposition rates along the transect. We concluded that flood frequency, during and timing affected both spatial and temporal patterns of decomposition, especially of a fast-decomposing species, in the riparian forest of an intermittent prairie stream
Keywords: gallery forest

Influence of fire and topography on habitat selection by Peromyscus maniculatus and Reithrodontomys megalotis in ungrazed tallgrass prairie - Kaufman, G.A.; D.W. Kaufman; Finck, E.J. (Journal of Mammalogy, 1988)
Twelve species of small mammals were captured in 10 treatment areas manipulated by fire on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas. The four fire classes studied were annual fire, first year after fire with previous fire greater than or equal to 4 years earlier (year 1), 2-4 years since fire (years 2-4), and greater than or equal to five years since fire (year 5+). Of the two common rodents, Peromyscus maniculatus selected year 1 sites in all seasons, whereas Reithrodontomys megalotis selected annual fire sites in spring and years 2-4 site in summer with no differences in autumn. Based on 12 fire- topography categories (fire categories the same as above; topography categories: upland, breaks [area of the limestone outcrop at the edge of the hills] and lowland), habitat selection by P. maniculatus and R. megalotis differed significantly between autumn and summer, but could not be tested for spring. Analysis of structural features demonstrated that habitat use by P. maniculatus was related negatively to amount of litter and positively to amount of exposed soil and grass. These three features were related to time since fire; however, the lack of litter likely was the most important features in the positive response by P. maniculatus to conditions following a fire. In contrast, no significant relationships were found between habitat features and use by R. megalotis
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Interactions among soil invertebrates, microbes and plant growth in tallgrass prairie - Seastedt, T.R.; James, S.W.; Todd, T.C. (Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment, 1988)
The tallgrass prairie of North American contains a diverse and abundant soil fauna well represented by earthworms, macro- and microarthopods and nematodes. A portion of this fauna representing a large fraction of the animal biomass has been introduced in the last 200 years, and functional roles and regulatory mechanisms may have been altered because of these introductions. Four years of experimental manipulations of plant and fauna variables have failed to establish a definitive net effect of the soil fauna on primary productivity. However, measurable effects of the fauna on nutrient dynamics of the grassland ecosystem have been observed. Experimental manipulations of plant root dynamics and addition of inorganic nitrogen and fixed carbon have demonstrated that both resources quality and resource quantity are factors limiting the size of soil fauna populations
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Konza Prairie Research Natural Area of Kansas State University - Marzolf, G.R. (Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 1988)
Research activity has been increasing steadily on KPRNA since 1977 when it was set aside for ecosystem research. The core of the management involves experimental manipulation of watersheds with controlled fire (several replicated intervals between fire from 1 to 10 years plus unburned references) and with native and domestic grazers (planned reintroduction of bison and cattle to different watersheds in November 1987)
Keywords: fire

Linking knowledge among spatial and temporal scales: Vegetation, atmosphere, climate and remote sensing - Hall, F.G.; Strebel, D.E.; Sellers, P.J. (Landscape Ecology, 1988)
Global scale modeling is reviewed with respect to global circulation models, biosphere-atmosphere models, and climate-biosphere models. These different models focus on short to long time scale interactions between atmospheric and surface systems. Remote sensing is shown to play a central role in acquisition of data for these models, and an experiment, termed FIFE, is described, which is the first attempt to take simultaneous land surface observations of meteorological and biophysical parameters at sufficient resolution to test hypotheses linking the vegetated surface and circulation within the lower atmosphere. Key words: global models, atmosphere, climate, remote sensing, FIFE, biosphere

Long-distance movements by Reithrodontomys megalotis in tallgrass prairie - Clark, B.K.; D.W. Kaufman; Kaufman, G.A.; Finck, E.J.; Hand, S.S. (The American Midland Naturalist, 1988)
During 6 years of small mammal trapping on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas, we documented long-distance movements (defined as movements > 300 m) for 17 western harvest mice (Reithrodontomys megalotis). Linear distance moved ranged from 375 to 3200 m (median=600 m; mean=1049m) for all individuals. Males moved significantly farther, but not more often than females. Sixteen of the 17 animals that moved were adults and included reproductively active individuals. Although < 2% of the more than 1400 R. megalotis we captured moved > 300 m, the actual percentage should be much higher since our trapping efforts were limited in space and time. Since long-distance movements of individuals may have a marked effect on the genetic, social and demographic characteristics of populations, future studies of small mammals should be designed to better assess the influence of these movements on local populations
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Mass, nitrogen, and phosphorus dynamics in foliage and root detritus of annually burned and unburned tallgrass prairie - Seastedt, T.R. (Ecology, 1988)
Mass, nitrogen, and phosphorus of litterfall were measured for 4 yr on annually burned and unburned tallgrass prairie near Manhattan, Kansas. Decomposition and mineralization rates of foliage, flowering stem, and roots were concurrently studied with a series of litterbag and tethered litter experiments. Amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus in living and dead foliage and roots were measured for 2 yr on an annually burned site. Litterfall exhibited seasonal peaks on all sites, with most of the annualy litter deposition occurring in autumn. An average of 52 g.m-2.yr-1 of litter was deposited on the soil of the annual burned watersheds, while 142 g.m-2.yr-1 was collected on unburned sites. Nitrogen and phosphorus amounts were 0.53 and 0.07 g.m-2.yr-1, respectively, from burned sites and 1.94 and 0.19 g.m-2.yr-1 on unburned sites. Litterfall on unburned sites averaged approximately 35% of aboveground maximum biomass estimates. Litter decay rates varied from a minimum of approximately 10%/yr for flowering stems in the canopy to a maximum of approximately 50%/yr for roots. Foliage and stems act as nitrogen and phosphorus sinks during the first 2 yr of decomposition. Dead roots and rhizomes also act as temporary nitrogen sinks, but unlike foliage, roots appear to mineralize significant amounts of phosphorus during the 1st yr of decay. Root nitrogen to phosphorus ratios may provide a proximate explanation for nitrogen limitation in tallgrass prairies. Key words: decomposition, litterfall, nitrogen, phosphorus, roots, tallgrass prairie
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Maximization of densities of soil animals by foliage herbivory: empirical evidence, graphical and conceptual models - Seastedt, T.R.; Ramundo, R.A.; Hayes, D.C. (Oikos, 1988)
Feeding by consumers on one portion of a plant resource often results in benefits to consumer feeding on other portions of the same resource. Moderate grazing of foliage often increases densities and biomass of belowground herbivores and detritivores in spite of a neutral or reduced root growth response to foliage removal. Graphical and conceptual models are presented to describe these responses and suggest causal relationships. Empirical data and the models indicate that the positive numerical response of soil animals to foliage herbivory results from increased quality (nitrogen concentration) of roots and changes in consumer assimilation efficiencies. Root growth and senescence and acquisition of soil inorganic nitrogen by microbes colonizing senescent roots are hypothesized as additional causal agents for the soil animal response

Microhabitat distribution of two Quercus (Fagaceae ) species in relation to soil differences within a Kansas gallery Forest - Killingbeck, K.T. (The Southwestern Naturalist, 1988)
The primary objective of this paper is to explore the relationship between microhabitat distributions of these two gallery forest oak species and the soils on which they grow. Data are from collections and observations made within an extensive gallery forest on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in northeastern Kansas (96o35'W, 39o05'N). This forest borders King's Creek and is supported by fertile soils developed from deposited alluvium, the origins of which were the adjacent Udic Ustoll prairie soils. The forest overstory is dominated by hackberry (Celtis occidentalis L., 260 stems/ha) and contains five times more Q. macrocarpa stems, and seven times more Q. macrocarpa basal area than Q. muhlenbergii (48 to 10 stems/ha; 10.8 to 1.5 m2/ha) Although Q. mulhenbergii is clearly less dominant than Q. macrocarpa in the forest overall, Q. mulhenbergii completely dominates patches within the forest mosaic
Keywords: gallery forest

Movements of the deer mouse in response to prairie fire - D.W. Kaufman; Gurtz, S.K.; Kaufman, G.A. (The Prairie Naturalist, 1988)
Movements of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) in response to spring fire were studied using a 13-ha study site on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas. Approximately one-half of the grid was burned on 19 April 1984 following two weeks of intensive sampling of small mammals; periodic censuses were then made during the first five weeks after the fire. Density on the grid more than doubled (20 to 43 individuals) from the two weeks immediately before to 3-5 weeks after the fire. This change resulted from the classic response of deer mice to conditions created by fire with an increase in the number of individuals using the burned portion (BURN) of the grid exclusively (prefire: 5, postfire: 22) as well as individuals using both the burned and unburned portions (UNBURN) of the grid (prefire: 1, postfire: 6), but not from individuals using the unburned portion of the grid exclusively (prefire: 14, postfire: 15). Due to the known ecological requirements and the rapidity of density response observed in earlier studies, we predicted that the increase in density of deer mice in burned relative to unburned prairie shortly after a spring fire was due to the net movement of individuals from unburned to burned prairie. Postfire movements of deer mice present before our experimental fire were consistent with our predictions; however, the number of individuals present was too small to demonstrate a significant pattern of differential movements. For deer mice originally caught during the first two weeks after fire and then recaptured 3-5 weeks after fire, the proportion of mice captured in UNBURN that shifted to partial or complete use of BURN (7 individuals shifted: 4 stayed) was significantly greater than the proportion of mice captured in BURN that shifted to partial or complete use of UNBURN (1 shifted: 8 stayed). These observations supported our general prediction that in response to fire the net movement of deer mice into burned prairie is greater than net movement of deer mice into unburned tall-grass prairie
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Mycorrhizal dependence and growth habit of warm-season and cool-season tallgrass prairie plants - Hetrick, B.A.D.; Kitt, D.G.; G.T. Wilson (Canadian Journal of Botany, 1988)
Warm-season (C4) and cool-season (C3) mycorrhizal grasses were 63-215 and 0.12-4.1 times larger in dry weight than non-inoculated controls, respectively. Nonmycorrhizal warm-season plants did not grow and frequently died, while cool-season plants grew moderately well in the absense of mycorrhizal symbiosis. Like warm-season grasses, tallgrass prairie forbs were highly dependent on mycorrhizal symbiosis, even though they are not known to employ the C4 photosynthetic pathway. Thus, phenology may be more critical than photosynthetic pathway in determining mycorrhizal dependence. Warm-season grasses and forbs had coarser, less frequently branched root systems than cool-season grasses, supporting the hypothesis that mycorrhizal dependence is related to root morphology. Cool-season grasses may have developed more fibrous root systems because mycorrhizal nutrient uptake was not effective in the colder temperature environment in which they evolved. In contrast, warm-season plants and dependence on mycorrhizal fungi may have coevolved, because both symbionts are of tropical origin
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Physical and topological assessment of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus on root architecture of big bluestem - Hetrick, B.A.D.; Leslie, J.F.; G.T. Wilson; Kitt, D.G. (New Phytologist, 1988)
The influence of vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungus, phosphorus (P) fertilization, and soil microorganisms on growth and root architecture of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) was investigated. In pasteurized soil, mycorrhizal inoculation significantly improved plant growth and increased root length and the number and the diameter of the primary, secondary and tertiary roots. These differences between mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants diminished with added P. In pasteurized soil amended with non-sterile soil sievate, differences between mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants were still obvious, but in may treatments these plants grew more poorly (had less dry weight, root length, number or diameter) than their counterparts in unamended pasteurized soil. Growth in non-sterile soil was also suppressed, and mycorrhizal responses were not detected since all of the plants in non-sterile soil became mycorrhizal whether or not they were inoculated. Two analyses of calculated parameters which describe root- system architecture were conducted. The first, specific root length (SRL), revealed that mycorrhizal symbiosis dramatically alters root morphology in soils of low fertility. These changes were similar to the changes evoked by added P. The second, path length (Pe) revealed that mycorrhizal fungi (and to some degree other soil microbes) significantly alter root architecture by reducing the relative amount of root branching. Apparently, mycorrhizal plants develop a more elongate, exploratory growth pattern which permits the fungal hyphae to extract nutrients from a larger volume of soil. In contract roots of non-mycorrhizal plants maintain a more highly branched pattern of root growth, and the roots themselves play a more critical role in the direct extraction of nutrients from the soil. These differences in root topology were not directly associated with the concentration of exogenous P, but instead appeared to be controlled by the mycorrhizal fungi themselves. Thus, while internal P content of plants mediates the establishment of the mycorrhizal symbiosis, the fungi can alter the root architecture of the plant to a form which best accommodates the symbiosis under the prevailing fertility and rhizosphere conditions in the soil. By altering root-system architecture in this manner, the mycorrhizal fungi can control, at least to some degree, the dependence of the host on the symbiosis. Thus, the topology of the root system is contingent upon the microflora in the rhizosphere. The topological analysis revealed differences in root architecture not detected by any of the other measures of root morphology. These differences suggest that mycorrhizal fungi affect root architecture and plant growth in ways not directly associated with phosphorus uptake. Key words: path length, phosphorus, root morphology, specific root length

The postfire environment and earthworm populations in tallgrass prairie - James, S.W. (Ecology, 1988)
Burning of tallgrass prairie is hypothesized to have positive effects on the resource base for belowground-feeding earthworms, but negative effects on the suitability of the soil climate for earthworms. To a certain extent these are inseparable due to the physiology of the grasses that dominate the ecosystem. A four- by-two factorial design using spring burning, autumn burning, addition of natural mulch, and control, with irrigation and without, was used to partially separate the different effects of burning on earthworm populations and to analyze the mechanisms of the responses. The biomass of native prairie earthworms Diplocardia smithii and D. verrucosa increased 135 and 67%, respectively, with burning; the former species was unaffected by irrigation, and the latter was positively affected. Biomass of an introduced European species Aporrectodea turgida declined from 1.3 g/m2 on unburned plots to 0.85 g/m2 on burned plots and increased with irrigation. These responses reflect increases in the resource base on burned plots, as indicated by an 11% increase in soil organic matter, and different physiological requirements of the three species. Key words: Aporrectodea, Diplocardia, earthworms, fire, irrigation, soil climate, soil organic matter, tallgrass prairie
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Radiative surface temperatures of the burned and unburned areas in a tallgrass prairie - Asrar, G.A.; Harris, T.R.; Lapitan, R.L.; Cooper, D.I. (Remote Sensing of the Environment, 1988)
This study was comducted in a natrul tallgrass prairie area in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Our objective was to evaluate the surface radiative temperatures of burned and unburned treatments of the grassland as a means of delineating the areas covered by each treatment. Burning is used to remove the senescent vegetation resulting from the previous year's growth. Surface temperatures were obtained in situ andby an airborne scanner. Burned and unburned grass canopies had distinctly different diurnal surface radiative temperatures. Measurements of surface energy balance components revealed a difference in partitioning of of the available energy between the two canopies, which resulted in the difference in their measured surface temperatures. The magnitude of this difference is dependent of the time of measurements and topographic conditions
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Regeneration and fluctuations of tallgrass prairie vegetation in response to burning frequency - D.J. Gibson (Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 1988)
The importance of fluctuation (non-directional irregular changes), regeneration (recovery from disturbance) and landscape heterogeneity upon a tallgrass prairie in northeast Kansas, which is prescribe burned in the spring once every 4 years, is described. All three processes were shown to be important in influencing, to varying degrees, the structure, life forms, and overall species composition. The biomass of grass, forbs and litter, and the relative abundance of different life forms were highly coupled with the burning cycle. Relative abundance of only a few species was related to the burning cycle, most species varied according to yearly climatic variation, soil type and differences between watershed units. In contrast, the frequency of a number of annual species was related to the burning cycle. Overall community patterns were related primarily to original landscape heterogeneity and secondarily to the burning cycle. Recognition of these patterns was a function of the scale of analysis. Key words: fire, fluctuations, grassland, Kansas, regeneration
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Relationships of soil fertility to suppression of the growth response of mycorrhizal big bluestem in nonsterile soil - Kitt, D.G.; Hetrick, B.A.D.; G.T. Wilson (New Phytologist, 1988)
When growth of vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal big bluestem was evaluated in 15 soils, three different growth response groups were evident. Group one, which included the prairie soils, displayed high mycorrhizal dependency as well as significant suppression of plant growth in non- sterile soil. Group two showed no mycorrhizal dependency; however, plant growth was suppressed in non- sterile soil. The last group exhibited no mycorrhizal dependency or suppression in non-sterile soil. Mycorrhizal dependency of big bluestem was not highly correlated with any individual soil parameter; however, concentrations of soil K, Ca, Cu, and Fe were used to successfully classify "high" and "low" mycorrhizal dependency. Suppression of plant growth in non-sterile soil was also related to soil fertility. The magnitude of non-sterile suppression was described by equations using soil Na, Zn, Mn, organic matter, Mg, and NH4. The mechanism of this suppression is still unclear; however, the nutrients which predict suppression may be related to the development of mycorrhizal symbiosis or in demand by plants and other microbes, while those nutrients which predict mycorrhizal dependency may be related to those supplied to the plant by the symbiosis. Key words: Glomus etunicatum, mycorrhial ependency, vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas

Results from the push broom microwave radiometer flights over the Konza Prairie in 1985 - Schmugge, T.J.; Wang, J.R.; Asrar, G.A. (IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 1988)
There were four flights of the NASA C-130 aircraft carrying the Push Broom Microwave Radiometer (PBMR) over the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in eastern Kansas in 1985. Their objective was to observe surface soil moisture variations with the PBMR. The radiometer operates at the 21-cm wavelength and has four beams that sweep out a swath of about 1.2 times the aircraft altitude. The resolution of each beam is 0.3 times the altitude. At the time of the flights the soil conditions ranged from very wet to moist and the microwave emission expressed as brightness temperatures for the burned watersheds ranged from below 200 to about 245 K. The brightness temperatures were correlated (r2 = 0.5) with surface moisture measurements and the slope of the regression is in good agreement with prior results over other grasslands. However, for the unburned watersheds the brightness temperatures were around 270 K and roughly independent of the soil moisture conditions. In these unburned watersheds, a buildup of a thatch layer serves as highly emissive layer above the soil, causing high brightness, especially when wet

Simulating the long-term impact of burning on C, N, and P cycling in a tallgrass prairie - Ojima, D.S.; Parton, W.J.; Schimell, D.S.; Owensby, C.E. (Via Nizza, 1988)
A model has been developed to simulate the long-term dynamics of soil organic matter and plant production in response to different management practices. The model simulates the flow of C, N, and P in soil-plant systems and deals primarily with the cycling of nutrients in various soil organic matter pools. The model was used to simulate the long- term effects of different fire frequency and timing of the burning on soil organic matter levels, nutrient cycling and plant production. The model results are compared to nutrient cycling data, soil organic matter data and plant production data from a site in Kansas which was established in 1928 to study the impact of annual burning on a tallgrass prairie. The model results compare very favorably with the observed data and show that maximum production is achieved by annual burning in the late spring (April 20). The annual burning also causes the soil organic matter levels and N mineralization potential to decrease. Burning tends to increase the inorganic P levels at the soil surface, which results in increased N fixation
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

SPOT satellite data for pattern recognition on the North American tall-grass prairie Long-term Ecological Research Site - Nellis, D.M.; J. M. Briggs (Geocarto International, 1988)
The cluster routine uses a two-pass sequential clustering algorithm. In the first pass, the program reads through the entire data set, and sequentially builds clusters (groups of points in spectral space) based on parameters selected by the user, and computes the mean value for each cluster. These clusters become the signatures used to assign classes in the output GIS file. The second pass classifies each pixel in the data set according to a minimum distance classifier. The algorithm calculates the spectral distance between the candidate pixel and the mean value for every cluster, using the mean values that were computed in the first pass
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Status signaling is absent within age-and-sex classes of Harris' Sparrows - Jackson, W.M.; Rohwer, S.; Winnegrad, R.L. (The Auk, 1988)
We tested the status-signaling hypothesis in two groups of same-age and same-sex Harris' Sparrows (Zonotrichia querula). Unlike flocks of mixed age and sex composition, badge size did not correlate with social status of these groups; thus, status signaling does not appear to occur within age-and-sex classes of Harris' Sparrows. Other predictions of the status-signaling hypothesis we tested were that (1) fighting ability and social status should be correlated, and (2) fighting ability and badge size should be correlated. We used a multi-variate assessment of body size as an indicator of fighting ability and found no support for either prediction in the flock of adult females. In the flock of adult males, large birds were more dominant (Prediction 1) but fighting ability and badge size were not correlated (contra Prediction 2)

Suppression of mycorrhizal growth response of big bluestem by nonsterile soil - G.T. Wilson; Daniels, B.A.H.; Kitt, D.G. (Mycologia, 1988)
Inoculum potential of Glomus mosseae and Glomus etunicatum was reduced significantly in pasteurized soil amended with a sieved suspension from non-sterile soil. Regardless of mycorrhizal fungus inoculum dosage, dry weight and root colonization of plants grown in pasteurized soil with non-sterile soil seievings never equalled those of plants grown in pasteurized alone. However, plants exposed to non-sterile soil were more colonized and grew faster than plants in pasteurized soil alone. Only after 13 wk were plants in pasteurized soil significantly more colonized, and after 16 wk larger in dry weight than their counterparts in non-sterile soil or pasteurized soil with sievings. Apparently, loss of inoculum potential alone cannot fully explain the suppression of plant growth observed in non-sterile soil. The suppressive effects of non-sterile soil may be best related to microbial mediation of nutrient availability in soil. Key words: inoculum potential, Glomus etunicatum, Glomus mosseae, inoculum dosage

A technique for the collection and study of subterranean invertebrates - Hooker, K.L.; M.R. Whiles (The Southwestern Naturalist, 1988)
The study of invertebrate communities in ground, well, or cave water is hampered due to the difficulty of observing them in their native habitat. Many collection techniques are destructive and do not give a true indication of actual populations. We have found that the header box of an artificial stream system will serve successfully as an artificial "cave" for the collection and study of subterranean invertebrates. Using this technique, we were able to collect two species of aquatic invertebrates previously unknown to Konza Prairie

Topographic and fire effects on composition and abundance of VA-mycorrhizal fungi in tallgrass prairie - D.J. Gibson; Hetrick, B.A.D. (Mycologia, 1988)
The species composition of vesicular- arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (VAM) are described from experimental plots in tallgrass prairie at Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Manhattan, Kansas. Treatments include topography (four positions downslope) and burning frequency (annually burned and infrequently burned). Multivariate and univariate analyses indicate that gradients of variation in VAM species are related primarily to topography and burning frequency, and secondarily to original plot position within experimental rows. Spore numbers of seven of the most abundant species are directly related to topography; three of these also show an interaction with burning frequency. Although the distinction between direct and indirect effects of topography and burning frequency cannot be made with these data, a parallel response of vascular plant species frequency to the topographic gradient was observed. Key words: fire, tallgrass prairie, topography, VA mycorrhizae
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Trophic structure of benthic macroinvertebrates in Kings Creek - Gray, L.J.; Johnson, K.W. (Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 1988)
The trophic structure of stream macroinvertebrate communities is described for gallery forest and grassland reaches of Kings Creek, Konza Prairie Research Natural Area. Similarities between communities in both riparian zones included a dominance by small, rapid-growing collectors (38% and 58% of total biomass in the gallery forest and grassland reaches, respectively) and nearly equal percentages for scrapers and predators. The main difference was a greater percentage of shredders in the gallery forest (22%) compared to the grassland (1%), and this difference is correlated with higher allochthonous inputs and storage of detritus in gallery forest channels. The trophic structure of gallery forest reaches is very similar to other forested streams, although this resemblance may be because of the unusually stable streamflows that occurred during the study period. Grassland reaches of Kings Creek more closely resemble desert and other prairie streams where low allochthonous inputs and hydrologic extremes (drought and flooding) limit shredder abundance
Keywords: gallery forest

Additions to the vascular flora of Konza Prairie Research Area, Kansas - Freeman, C.C.; D.J. Gibson (Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 1987)
Fieldwork conducted on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area (KPRNA) over the past several years has yielded a number of vascular plants previously unreported from the research site. The following list is provided as an addendum to the annotated list of vascular plants of KPRNA. These additions bring the number of species, genera, and families known from KPRNA to 467, 289, and 93, respectively. Continued research on Konza may reveal additional new taxa, however, the number of new reports would undoubtedly be few. Most of the taxa reported herein are weedy species or rare natives

Airborne multispectral observations over burned and unburned prairies - Schmugge, T.J.; Kanemasu, E.T.; Asrar, G.A. (1987)
One of the ongoing studies at the Konza Prairie Natural Area (KPNA) in central Kansas is that of determining the effects periodic burning has on the native grassland ecosystem. In this study, watersheds are burned at intervals from one year to ten years or not at all. The Evapotransiration Laboratory at Kansas State University has been studying the multispectral response of burned and unburned watersheds using truck mounted raiometers and microwave scatterometers since 1983. In June 1985, there was a series of 5 flights with the NASA C-130 aircraft over the KPNA. On board the aircraft was the NS001 multispectral scanner, also known as the thematic mapper simulator. It has 7 visible and near IR channels and a thermal IR channels, whose spectral bands were chosen to simulate the thematic mapper on Landsat's 4 and 5. The 21-cm Pushbroom Microwave Radiometer (PBMR) was also on board the aircraft for soil and moisture observations. In addition several L- Band SAR images from the NASA CV-990 aircraft were obtained during this period. The spectral differences between the burned and unburned watersheds were clearly observable in all spectral bands including the thermal IR and the microwave. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) using TM bands 3 and 4 was calculated. Values of less than 0.5 were obtained for the unburned watersheds which contained a mixture of senescent and green vegetaion. The NDVI values for the burned watersheds which contained only green vegetation were greater than 0.6. In the thermal IR, 3 to 4 degree Celsius temperature differences between the two treatments were observed at about 2:00 p.m. LST with the burned watersheds being cooler. Large differences between the two treatments were observed in the microwave emissivities derived from the PBMR data. These are attributed to the build-up of a layer of senescent vegetation on the soil surface in the unburned and ungrazed watersheds

Canopy rainfall interception and throughfall in burned and unburned tallgrass prairie - Gilliam, F.S.; Seastedt, T.R.; Alan K. Knapp (The Southwestern Naturalist, 1987)
Interception of precipitation by grass canopies in annually burned and unburned tallgrass prairie was measured for individual precipitation events from 1983 to 1984. Seasonal patterns of interception closely reflected differences in grass canopy development throughout the growing season in burned but not unburned prairie. Mean interception for the study period was 38 and 19% for unburned and burned prairie, respectively, indicating tht througfall volume in burned prairie was approximately 1.3 times that of unburned prairie on an annual basis. Thus, water availability for plant uptake may be initally higher in burned prairie, especially early in the growing season
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Changes in soluble nutrients of prairie riparian vegetation during decomposition on a floodplain - McArthur, J.V.; Marzolf, G.R. (The American Midland Naturalist, 1987)
Measurements of concentration of Mg, K, Ca, Na, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total N were made of the soluble fraction of leaves decomposing on the floodplain of a prairie stream. Differences in the concentrations of these nutrients were dependent on the species of leaf material and location on the floodplain. Leaves placed in the grassland reach of the stream had lower concentrations of soluble nutrients than leaves placed in the gallery forest. Correlations between concentration of leachable nutrients and cumulative precipitation or DOC were both positive and negative. Species differed in rank order of the nutrient concentration in leachates of their leaves. Bluestem and sycamore leaf leachate concentrations were low, whereas hackberry, elm and bur oak leaf leachate concentrations were relatively high

The chemistry of wet deposition for a tallgrass prairie ecosystem: inputs and interactions with plant canopies - Gilliam, F.S. (Biogeochemistry, 1987)
The chemistry and nutrient inputs of wet deposition, and the N chemistry of throughfall, were characterized for a tallgrass prairie in north-central Kansas. Dominant ions in wetfall were NH4+, Ca2+, H+, NO3-, and SO2-4; weighted mean pH was 4.79. Principal sources of ions appeared to be natural emissions and wind-blown soils. Concentrations of NO3--N, NH4+-N and organic N in wet deposition were 0.31, 0.30, and 0.17 mg/L, respectively, resulting in N inputs of 2.5, 2.5, and 1.4 kg*ha- 1*yr-1. Comparisons with bulk precipitation suggested that at least 50% of atmospheric N inputs were from dry deposition. Concentrations of NO3--N, NH4+-N, and organic N in unburned prairie throughfall were 0.27, 0.28, and 1.28 mg/L, and in burned prairie throughfall were 0.33, 0.37, and 0.91 mg/L, respectively. The prairie canopy intercepted up to 48% of incident precipitation. Lower inorganic N and higher organic N concentrations in throughfall relative to wet deposition probably resulted from leaf uptake of N and immobilization by microbes associated with the standing dead plant materials of the prairie canopy. The removal of these materials by fire is important in maintaining N availability for tallgrass prairie. Much of the N immobilization appeared to have been of N that was supplied to the prairie canopy by dry deposition
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Comparative breeding strategies of two coexisting passerines: Bell's vireo (Vireo bellii) and Bewick's wren (Thyromanes bewickii) - Farley, G.H. (Kansas State University, 1987)

Differential decomposition of leaves in grassland and gallery forest reaches of Kings Creek - Hooker, K.L.; Marzolf, G.R. (Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 1987)
The decomposition of autumn shed leaves of hackberry (Celtis occidentalis L.) and elm (Ulmus americana L.) in a gallery forest reach and a grassland reach of Kings Creek was examined by placing 24 artificial leaf packs of each species at the two stream sites. Sampling was done after 24 hours and weekly thereafter for a seven week period. No differences between elm and hackberry leaf decomposition rates were measured. The mean percentage weight loss of elm leaves during the sampling period was 90.3% of their ash-free dry weight in the gallery forest reach and 88.9% in the grassland reach. The decay coefficients were - 0.0211 and -0.0199 respectively. Hackberry leaves lost 93.8% of their ash-free dry weight at both sites (decay coefficient of -0.025). Larvae of the leaf shredding insect, Tipula, were found to influence the decomposition process in the grassland reach but not in the gallery forest reach. The Tipula larvae were estimated to exert their greatest influence on the elm leaves
Keywords: insect

Dispersal of Lygaeus kalmii (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae ) among prairie milkweeds: population turnover as influenced by multiple mating - Evans, E.W. (Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 1987)
Local dispersal and mating behavior of individually marked adult milkweed bugs (Lygaeus kalmii) were studied in a host patch of the milkweed Asclepias viridis in the tallgrass prairie of eastern Kansas. Over a four week period in July, immigration of bugs into the patch was roughly matched by mortality and/or emigration from the patch. Individual males and females visited similar numbers of plants in passing through the host patch, but females spent less time on each plant and dispersed through the patch more rapidly [median (maximum) number of days elapsing between first and last observations of individual bugs: females 1 (21), males 4 (20)]. The bugs spent much of their time in the patch mating (males: 28% of observations; females 41%). Individuals of both sexes mated multiply; individuals were observed mating with as many as six different partners. Mating success on an individual host induced males to remain there longer. Dispersal of females, however, apparently was uninfluenced by mating success
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

The distribution and abundance of tallgrass prairie plants: a test of the core-satellite hypothesis - Gotelli, N.J.; Simberloff, D. (The American Naturalist, 1987)
Levins (1969) and Hanski (1982a,b) presented dynamic models that describe the fraction of population sites occupied by species. Levin's model predicts a unimodel distribution of species at sites, whereas Hanski's model yields a bimodal distribution: a mode of widespread "core" species, and a mode of rare "satellite" species. The existence of this dichotomy is the core- satellite hypothesis. Hanski's model also predicts a positive correlation between the fraction of sites occupied by a species (distribution) and the average population size within occupied sites (abundance). Levins' model generates no such correlation between distribution and abundance. We find that a large set of quadrat data on tallgrass prairie plants matches some of the predictions of Hanski's model: for plants of seven different soil series, distribution and abundance are positively correlated, and the distribution of species at the sites is bimodal. The bimodality is obscured if distributions from the seven soil series are aggregated. Two earlier hypothesis have been proposed to explain the core-satellite dichotomy. Williams (1964) showed that the degree of bimodality in species distributions depends on the number of quadrats examined: specifically, the smaller the sample, the larger the size of the core mode, and this is true even for randomly assembled communities of species. For our data, the size of the core mode correlates negatively with sample size, as Williams predicted. However, a computer simulation showed that the observed core modes were significantly larger than would be expected by chance. Thus, Williams' sampling hypothesis does not entirely account for the bimodal distribution of prairie plant species. Raunkiaer (1934, see "law of distribution of frequencies") argued that the core mode represented those species best adapted to a particular habitat. He also noted that when quadrats of dissimilar habitat were combined, the bimodality disappeared. The distributions of tallgrass prairie plants, however, do not conform to Raunkiaer's explanation: core species tend to be widespread across all soil series. If Raunkiaer's hypothesis were correct, each species would be widespread on only a few soil series, and each soil series would support a different assemblage of core species. Although our analyses confirm the existence of the core-satellite dichotomy, they do not provide an explicit test of Hanski's model. The essence of the models by Hanski and Levins is that the distribution of each species is dynamic and fluctuates owing to stochastic variation in immigration and local extinction. The strongest test of Hanski's model would be to demonstrate that the distribution of each species varied through time and that the composition of the core and satellite modes was not constant. Long-term data about the distribution of species in a community are needed for such comparisons
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Effect of topographic position and fire on species composition in tallgrass prairie in northeast Kansas - Abrams, M.D.; Hulbert, L.C. (The American Midland Naturalist, 1987)
Plant species composition was evaluated on shallow upland and deep lowland soils in annually burned and unburned watersheds in an eastern Kansas Flint Hills tallgrass prairie. Species richness was higher in upland than lowland communities. Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem) was dominant on all sites (cover=70-96%) and was not significantly affected by topographic position or burn treatment, whereas, A. scoparius (little bluestem) and Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) increased with burning. Cover of Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) was higher on lowland soils, but burning differences were not significant. Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass), the dominant cool-season grass, was not affected by topography but was greatly reduced by annual burning. Cover of most forb and woody species was reduced on burned areas but species were differentially affected by topography. One exception was the woody species Amorpha canescens (leadplant), which had its highest cover on burned lowland soils
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

The effects of conspecifics on caching behavior of Peromyscus leucopus - Sanchez, J.C.; Reichman, O.J. (Journal of Mammalogy, 1987)
Although temperature and day length may serve as primary cues for the initiation of caching behavior, the presence of conspecifics, as potential competitors, may also stimulate caching behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of sight and smell of conspecifics on the caching behavior of P. leucopus. We hypothesized that individuals which can detect other mice would cache more seeds than those isolated from neighbors

Effects of dormant season herbage removal on Flint Hills rangeland. II. Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy analysis of total nonstructural carbohydrates in big bluestem rhizomes - Auen, L.M. (Kansas State University, 1987)
Keywords: remote sensing

Effects of fire, topography and year-to-year climate variation on species composition in tallgrass prairie - D.J. Gibson; Hulbert, L.C. (Vegetatio, 1987)
Native unploughed tallgrass prairie from Konza Prairie, Kansas USA is described with respect to plant species compositional changes over a five year period in response to fire and topography. The principal gradient of variation in the vegetation is related to time since burning. Species show an individualistic response in terms of relative abundance to this gradient. Both the percentage of and cover of C4 species and all grasses decrease as the prairie remains unburnt. Forb and woody plant species numbers and abundance increase along this gradient. A secondary gradient of variation reflects topography (i.e. upland versus lowland soils). Upland soils support a higher species richness and diversity. Upland and lowland plant assemblages are distinct except on annually burnt prairie. The interaction between burning regime, topography and year-to-year climatic variation affects the relative abundance of the plant species differentially. The most dominant species overall, Andropogon gerardii, was affected only by year-to- year variation (i.e. climate). Its position at the top of the species abundance hierarchy was unaffected by burning regime or soil type. The other dominant species showed a suite of varying responses to these factors
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Effects of simulated foliage and root herbivory on growth reproduction, and insect damage of three annual plant species - Smith, S.C. (Kansas State University, 1987)
Keywords: insect

Experimental manipulations of soil arthropod, nematode, and earthworm communities in a North American tallgrass prairie - Seastedt, T.R.; Todd, T.C.; James, S.J. (Pedobiologia, 1987)
An insecticide was applied to foliage and an insecticide-nematicide was applied to the soil surface of a North American tallgrass prairie site in an attempt to manipulate population densities of invertebrate consumers. The objectives of this study included 1) measurement of impacts of the dominant root herbivores, June beetle larvae (Phyllophaga spp.: Scarabaeidae) on plant root biomass and production; 2) to evaluate nematode and earthworm response to the chemicals and to correlate changes in these groups with changes in living or dead plant mass, and 3) to test if differences in densities of aboveground invertebrate consumer groups directly or indirectly affected population densities of the belowground groups. The last question resulted from an observation by Seastedt (1985) that moderate aboveground herbivory appears to increase population densities of soil nematodes and certain arthropod groups
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Factors affecting the nitrate removal potential of sediments from a tallgrass prairie stream - Hooker, K.L. (Kansas State University, 1987)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Feeding by bobwhites on sprouting corn reduced by bendiocarb - Robel, R.J.; Morrow, M.E. (Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 1987)
Data collected incidental to an evaluation of toxic properties of bendiocarb to bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) indicated avian repellency properties. 2) More corn seedlings survived bobwhite depredation where bendiocarb was used, and more survived where bendiocarb was applied in-furrow than surface-banded. 3) Additional research is needed to determine the systemic repellency properties of bendiocarb, and to evaluate its usefulness as an avian damage control tool

Fox squirrel use of prairie habitats in relation to winter food supply and vegetation density - Kraus, K.E.; Smith, C.C. (The Prairie Naturalist, 1987)
Our objective was to determine the distance from a forest into a prairie that fox squirrels, Sciurus niger, would go in search of black walnuts, Juglans nigra, that we buried in grids over forest-prairie transects. We found that both quantity of winter food and density of prairie vegetation affect the willingness of squirrels to enter dangerous prairie habitat to search for food

Konza Prairie a Tallgrass Natural History - Reichman, O.J. (University of Kansas Press, 1987)
Just to the south of Manhattan, across the Kaw River and bordering much of K-177 on the west, lies the largest tract of tall grass prairie remaining in North America, nearly 9,000 integral acres that constitute perhaps the world's best on-going scientific research area for this unique, once-vast national resource. Slightly over a century ago, the tall grass prairie stretched over most of what is now Iowa, Illinois, southern Minnesota, northern Missouri, and the edges of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Today only a minuscule fraction remains. Prairies tend to occur in the interior of large continental land masses. Those processes that generate the growth patterns leading to development of tall grass prairies are carefully explained, illustrating the relationship between the sparse rainfall areas of the west and the smothering effects of the deciduous forests along the most eastern flank. The very conditions that promoted the development of the tall grass prairie, that is, good soil and adequate moisture, have also led to their destruction. As land hungry homesteaders moved west during the 19th century, most of the tall grass prairies were plowed under for farmland. However, that portion of the prairie that lies in the Flint Hills region was unlderlain by limestone ledges. Their thin, shallow, rocky soils made tillage impossible, so that it was cattle that soon replaced the nearly destroyed herds of bison. This book is just not about our large neighbor to the south, but also about grassland ecology in a universal sense and is highly recommended for anyone interested in learning of the history of this vanishing resource, as well as about the on-going research that examines how the ecological system functions and contributes to our total understanding of our universe

Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas - Bark, L.D. (The Climate of the Long-term Ecological Research Sites, 1987)
Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, dominated by native tallgrass prairie, is a 3487 ha site located approximately 11 km south of Manhattan, Kansas. As part of the Flint Hills region, this site is a dissected upland with hard chert- and flint-bearing limestone layers exposed on steep-sided hills. Elevations on Konza range from 320 to 444 m. The ridges are characteristically flat with shallow rocky soils. The weather station, which is accessible through the year, is located in the northwest corner of the Konza Prairie approximately 100 m below the ridge tops. This permanent station is equipped with a Campbell Scientific data logger and National Atmospheric Deposition Program collection devices. The close proximity of Konza prairie to Manhattan and Kansas State University allows the large weather data bank of the Kansas Experiment Station to be used to describe any long term climatic changes which may have taken place since 1891
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Leaf structural and photosynthetic pigment characteristics of three gallery-forest hardwood species in northeast Kansas - Abrams, M.D. (Forest Ecology and Management, 1987)
Leaf structural and photosynthetic pigment characteristics were measured in three dominant gallery-forest hardwood species in northeast Kansas, U.S.A. Leaves of Quercus macrocarpa and Q. muehlenbergii (more-xeric, shade-intolerant species) had significantly greater thickness, specific mass, stomatal densities and guard cell lengths than leaves of Celtis occidentalis (more-mesic, shade-tolerant). Except for guard cell lengths, these findings are consistent with differences between xeric and mesic species and shade-intolerant and shade-tolerant species. These gallery-forest species generally had much greater stomatal densities and/or lower guard-cell lengths compared to the same species or genera growing in more mesic forests further in the east of the U.S. Compared to C. occidentalis, the Quercus species had significantly greater total chlorophyll and carotenoids, but similar chlorophyll-a:b ratios. The chlorophyll findings contradict the established idea that shade-tolerant species have greater total chlorophyll and lower chlorophyll-a:b ratios, but may be related to exceptional site and climatic factors
Keywords: leaf; photosynthesis; pigment

Micro-based Landsat TM data processing for tallgrass prairie monitoring in the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas - Nellis, M.D.; J. M. Briggs (Papers and Proceedings of the Applied Geography Conference, 1987)
Despite the large amount of evidence supporting the important role that burning and frequency of burning have on grassland resources, information on the spatial extent of burning in the Flint Hills of Kansas has not been developed. This is primarily due to the massive data requirements needed to access burning on a regional scale. This study assesses the regional potential for monitoring burning practices in the Flint Hills of Kansas using satellite data. The specific objective of this study was to ascertain the utility of Landsat thematic mapper digital data for delineating the spatial characteristics of burning in the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area. The Konza Prairie is an area exceeding 8,000 acres owned by Nature Conservancy and leased to Kansas State University for long-term ecological research. The management objectives of the research area are based on the efforts of periodic fire and grazing on a tall grass prairie ecosystem
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Non-passerine breeding birds of Konza Prairie - Zimmerman, J.L. (Kansas Ornithological Society Bulletin, 1987)
During the years following acquisition of the site, the documentation of breeding birds was incidental to research conducted by myself and students. With the initiation of an NSF-supported Long-term Ecological Research program on Konza Prairie in 1980, a more systematic effort was undertaken to identify the breeding species in order to provide a baseline reference for future research. Evidence used to substantiate breeding for this study was either the finding of an active nest of a species or the observation of recently fledged young attended by adult birds. Key words: Green-backed heron (Butroides striatus), Wood duck (Aix sponsa), Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus), Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), American kestrel (Falco sparverius), Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), Greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus), Upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), American woodcock (Scolopax minor), Rock dove (Columba liva), Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura), Black-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus erthythropthalmus), Yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americana), Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), Common nighthawk (Chrodeiles minor), Common poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii), Chimney swift (Chaetura pelagica), Belted kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon), Red- headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), Red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), Northern flicker (Calaptes auratus), Downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), Ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis), Black- chinned hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri), Violet-green swallow (Tachycineta thalassina), and Louisiana waterthrush (Seiurus motacilla)

North american forests and grasslands: biotic conservation - Whitcomb, R.F. (Nature Conservation: The Role of Remnants of Native Vegetation, 1987)
Studies of eastern forest birds and grassland insects of North America are summarized with respect to their implications for conservation and reserve design. Large tracts (thousands of hectares) are required in both forest and grassland biomes for preservation of landscape heritage and conservation of mammal or bird species. Life history strategies of plant or insect species vary geographically, climatically, and along altitudinal, latitudinal, and longitudinal gradients. Development of insect conservation strategies therefore requires a thorough analysis of these habitat characteristics. Goals catering to insect or plant conservation may thus conflict with strategies designed solely for conservation of birds or mammals. In both grassland and forests, conservation strategies should emphasize 1) acquisition of representative large parcels in each major vegetational region, 2) identification and preservation of endangered species, habitats, or communities not protected in large reserves, and 3) insistence that management strategies of large government-owned multiply used landholdings include conservation of biotic diversity as a major objective
Keywords: insect

Observations of fluctuations in population density of two species of crayfish in a tallgrass prairie stream - Loring, D.J. (Kansas State University, 1987)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Results from the pushbroom microwave radiometer flights over the Konza Prairie in 1985 - Schmugge, T.J.; Wang, J.R.; Lawrence, R.W. (1987)
There were 4 flights in 1985 of the NASA C-130 aircraft carrying the Push Broom Microwave Radiometer (PBMR). The flights were over the Konza Prairie in central Kansas and their objective was to observe surface soil moisture variations with the PBMR. The radiometer operates at the 21-cm wavelength which is most sensitive to soil moisture. It has 4 beams which sweep out a swath of about 1.2 times the aircraft altitude. The resolution of each beam is 0.3 time the altitude. At the time of the flights the soil conditions ranged from very wet to moist and the brightness temperatures for the burned watersheds ranged from below 200 K to about 230 K. These results were well correlated (r2 = 0.7) with ground truth measurements and in good agreement with prior results over pasture grass situations. However for the unburned watersheds the brightness temperatures were around 270 K and roughly independent of the soil moisture conditions. In these unburned watersheds there is a buildup of a thatch layer which serves as highly emissive layer above the soil, especially when wet. This layer also caused a lower return to be observed over this area during this period, which is consistent with the radiometer observations

Root dynamics of tallgrass prairie in wet and dry years - Hayes, D.C.; Seastedt, T.R. (Canadian Journal of Botany, 1987)
Root dynamics were studied using root windows at Konza Prairie, a tallgrass prairie in north central Kansas, during dry (1984) and wet (1985) years. Amounts, production, and disappearance of root lengths decreased during drought but increased when rains resumed; however, standing crop remained low. The 1985 root lengths increased throughout the growing season, while production and disappearance remained constant. Yearly summaries of amounts, productivity and decomposition by 10-cm increments in soil depth show that the effect of drought on these variables decreased with increasing soil depth. Turnover rates of root length averaged 564 in the dry year versus 389% in the wet year, with the largest difference noted in the 0 to 10 cm depth (800 in 1984 versus 540% in 1985). Production and decay patterns observed using root windows were also noted in root biomass data (obtained from soil cores). The average total root biomass turnover rate was 31%. Failure to sort belowground materials into tissue types (rhizome, roots) and live versus dead status result in reduced estimates of biomass turnover rates. The greatest possible separation of plant components presents the most comprehensive picture of (belowground) growth dynamics
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

The short-term and long-term effects of burning on tallgrass ecosystem properties and dynamics - Ojima, D.S. (Colorado State University, 1987)

Silica and ash in native plants of the central and southeastern regions of the United States - Lanning, C.R.; Eleuterius, L.N. (Annals of Botany, 1987)
Ash and silica contents and depositional patterns were determined for different tissues of 11 plants growing in the southeastern and central parts of the USA. Silica content was high in the leaves, sheaths and inflorescences of the grasses studied, especially high in leaves of Polymnia uvedalia L., which are also high in calcium. Calcium deposition was largely in trichomes and in veins of the leaf. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis showed that the distribution of the element silicon is closely related to certain epidermal structures such as ridges, cell walls, rows of irregularly shaped structures lying lengthwise along the leaf, dumb-bell shaped structures and trichomes. These structures also correspond to the phytoliths left behind after decay of the plant. The C3 grasses differed from the C4 in that they showed oval structures and produced correspondingly oval phytoliths. Silicified trichomes (particularly in the C3 grasses) and long, narrow, silica fibres were common in the inflorescences of the grasses studied. These sharp particles could be irritating to oesophageal and other tissues. Similar fibres in other grasses have been implicated in certain cancers. High silicification of the inflorescences structures might afford protection for the seed, as reported for other grasses. Key words: C3 and C4 grasses, silica and ash content, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, silicon distribution, spectra of elements in plants, trichomes, silica fibres, phytoliths

Sporulation of two vesicular-abuscular mycorrhizal fungi in nonsterile soil - Kitt, D.G.; Heterick, B.A.D.; G.T. Wilson (Mycologia, 1987)
Spore numbers and species diversity of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi from agricultural soils may be significantly lower than those observed in native soils (Hetrick and Bloom, 1983). In a survey of corn fields from four locations throughout a growing season, one soil (Scandia, Kansas) contained primarily Gigaspora spp. at all sample dates (G. rosea was present on two of the sample dates) while the others contained primarily or exclusively Glomus spp., including G. etunicatum (Hetrick et al., 1984). The present study was initiated to determine whether the Scandia soil favored sporulation of Gifasopra spp. and conversely whether a soil containing predominantly Glomus spp. would preferentially stimulate Glomus spp. sporulation. Because nonsterile soil has been shown to suppress mycorrhizal growth response and root colonization (Hetrick et al., 1986), the effect of nonsterile versus sterilized soil and interspecific competition on sporulation was also studied to determine whether these factors influenced species dominance and might also explain the low spore numbers observed in agricultural soils

A study of the process to adapt a Kansas ranch house site for use as a biological educational research center - Scholten, V.D.H. (Kansas State University, 1987)

Two methods for quantifying the development of dominance hierarchies in large groups with applications to Harris' sparrows - Chase, I.D.; Rohwer, S. (Animal Behavior, 1987)
Two new methods for quantitatively describing behavioural processes of hierarchy formation in large groups are introduced. These methods supplement those already available with the jigsaw puzzle approach to hierarchy formation and they examine behavioural sequences in component triads, subgroups of three individuals, making up the larger group. The first method gives a new procedure for counting various kinds of attack sequences in component triads, and the second traces how relationships evolve in triads. Used together, the procedures can help explain the development of dominance structures, and in particular, what kinds of interactions produce those that are linear or near-linear. The methods are illustrated by applying them to large flocks of Harris' sparrows, Zonotrichia quereula, having 12-17 members, during hierarchy formation. This application indicates that different behavioural mechanisms may be involved in hierarchy formation for large and small groups and that some configurations of interactions in triads are much more stable than others, namely, transitive ones are much more resistant to reversals than intransitive ones. These findings suggest that earlier and later interactions may not be independent and raise a number of interesting questions about individual-level mechanisms operating during hierarchy formation

Use of tallgrass prairie by Peromyscus leucopus - Clark, B.K.; D.W. Kaufman; Finck, E.J.; Kaufman, G.A. (Journal of Mammalogy, 1987)
The white-footed mouse (Peromuscus leucopus) is a common resident of forests and woodlands but not grasslands in Kansas. Studies of P. leucopus on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area (KONZA) indicated that wooded microhabitats with a complex verticle structure of trees and shrubs were selected over wooded microhabitats that lacked a shrub layer. Even more striking was the near lack of use of grassland habitat contiguous with the wooded sites. In other regions, Geluso (1971) and Adler et al. (1984) have documented occasional use of grasslands by P. leucopus, especially when high densities were reached in adjacent wooded habitat. The purpose of this paper is to 1) document use of ungrazed tallgrass prairie by P. leucopus, 2) compare relative densities of P. leucopusacross three major habitats on KONZA (ungrazed tallgrass prairie, limestone ledges with shrubs and trees, and gallery forest), and 3)provide information on the distribution of P. leucopus within ungrazed grassland of KONZA
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Assessing grassland biophysical characteristics from spectral measurements - Weiser, R.L.; Asrar, G.A.; Miller, G.P.; Kanemasu, E.T. (Remote Sensing of the Environment, 1986)
Remote sensing offers a potential alternative to tedious hand sampling as a means of monitoring vegetation condition and estimating productivity over large areas of grasslands. This sutdy was conducted to assess the use of spectral reflectance measurements in estimating grass canopy leaf area index (LAI) and total above ground green phytomass. Spectral reflectance measurements were made on a tallgrass prairie during 1983 and 1984 with two multiband radiometers. Green leaf-area index and dry matter accumulations (green above-ground phytomass) were measured on the area monitored by the radiometer. Three indices-near infrared to red ratio, greenness, and normalized difference-were computed from spectral reflectance data. The direct relationships between these special reflectance indices and grass biophysical parameters (LAI and phytomass) were site-dependent and year-specific. Indirect methods of estimating LAI and phytomass from estimates of absorbed, phytosynthetically active radiation, based on measurements of grass canopy spectral reflectance, were found to be more consistent across treatments for the two years of this study
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Birds wintering on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area - Finck, E.J. (North Dakota State University: Tri-College Center for Environmental Study, 1986)
Wintering birds were censused along 16 permanent transects (13 in prairie and 3 in gallery forest) that were established within the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area (KPRNA) 10 km south of Manahttan, Kansas. Each transect was censused once in the first two weeks of January during 1982-1984. The prairie transects were either burned or unburned the previous spring and ungranzed by large herbivores for at least six years. Significantly more individuals per km and more species were observed in the gallery forest than in the prairie. The red headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) was the most abundant species during 1982 and 1984 in the gallery forest, while black-capped chickadee (Parus atricapillus) was the most abundant in 1983. The abundance of red-headed woodpecker was negatively correlated with the abundance of red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), but not correlated with blue jay (Cyanocitia cristaia) abundance. Red-bellied woodpecker abundance was not correlated with blue jay abundance. American tree sparrow (Spizella arborea) was the most abundant species in the prairie during all three winters
Keywords: bird; prairie

Comparison of mass loss, nutrients, and invertebrates associated with elm leaf litter decomposition in perennial and intermittent reaches of tallgrass prairie streams - Tate, C.M.; Gurtz, M.E. (The Southwestern Naturalist, 1986)
Decay rates, nutrient content and invertebrates associated with American elm leaves were examined in an intermittent and a perennial stream draining adjacent tallgrass prairie watersheds (Konza Prairie, Kansas). Both streams were flowing in November 1981 when leaf packs were placed in the channel. Elm leaves decayed faster in the perennial stream than in either of two intermittent sites. Decay rates were not different between the two intermittent sites. There were no significant differences among sites in either nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) concentrations or carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratios in elm leaves. N concentrations of the leaves increased during decomposition whereas P decreased in concentration for the first two months and then increased; C:N ratios in elm leaves decreased during decomposition. Initial leaching of leaves may provide a nutrient input into prairie streams; but decomposing leaf material may also act as a nutrient sink and compete with other ecosystem processes. Shredder insects were low in abundance or absent from leaf packs
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Detritus accumulation limits productivity of tallgrass prairie - Alan K. Knapp; Seastedt, T.R. (BioScience, 1986)
A number of ecosystems in North American are maintained by fire, and other systems such as the Serengetti grasslands and taiga forest decline in productivity when fire or grazing is excluded. We believe, however, that the tallgrass prairie is unique among the North American biomes because of the strong negative impacts of plant ligtter production on subsequent ecosystem function. These deleterious effects on plant litter include: a reduction in available light energy to the system; an alteration of the microclimate and physiology of emerging shoots such that carbon dioxide uptake is reduced; a conversion of immediately usable inorganic notrogen in rainwater to less readily available organic nitrogen in microbial biomass; an inhibition of nitrogen fixation by free living microbes and blue-green algae as a result of phosphorus and/or light limitation; and a reduction in soil temperatures, which diminishes root productivity, invertebrate activities, and probably microbial activities as well. Fire and grazing therefore become necessary, integral ecosystem processes that maintain productivity of tallgrass prairie by the removal of standing and fallen litter
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Development of research data management system: factors to consider - Gurtz, M.E. (Research Data Management in the Ecological Science, 1986)
Ecological research sites share some common goals with respect to research data management (RDM). Minimum requirements, regardless of the size of the database or other site-organization and documentation of data sets, and development of procedures for data entry, quality assurance, archival, maintenance, and administration. The RDM budget must balance expenses among personnel, hardware and software, storage, and data exchange. Characteristics of the research program that influence these choices include the purpose of the data collection, the form of the data, size, and complexity of the database, type of analyses planned, dynamics of the database, number and expertise of investigators, and the need for network capabilities. Experiences in RDM at Konza Prairie support the idea that the data manager plays a key role and should be trained in the field of research. The RDM system should be institutionalized so that it can continue after the original staff is gone

Distinguishing among tallgrass prairie cover types from measurements of multispectral reflectance - Asrar, G.A.; Weiser, R.L.; Johnson, D.E.; Kanemasu, E.T.; Killeen, J.M. (Remote Sensing of the Environment, 1986)
The heterogeneity in surface cover caused by management practices or natural events complicates monitoring the conditions of grasslands and asseessing their productivity by remote sensing techniques. Statistical procedures were sought that would allow different grassland surface cover types (bare soil,senescent vegetation, and green vegetation) to be distinguished by using measurements of grassland multispectral reflectance. Two procedures, discriminant functions and canonical discriminant analysis, were found suitable for achieving this objective. Linear classification functions and canonical variables were derived, which distinguish between the three cover types. A comparison between two sensor systems, a Barnes multiband radiometer and an Exotech radiometer that simulates the Landsatthematic mapper (TM) and multispectral scanner (MSS) bands, respectively, showed that the separability among the three cover types was substantially improved by the additional and improved spectral features of the Barnes radiometer
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Ecological role of fire in gallery forests in eastern Kansas - Abrams, M.D. (Symposium on Prescribed Burning in the Midwest, 1986)
The historical role of fire was studies in the gallery forests on Konza Prairie in eastern Kansas. Quercus macrocarpa and Celtis occidentalis dominated mesic and/or intermediate sites, whereas Q. muehlenbergii dominated the more xeric sites. An evaluation of fire history using oak species suggest a mean fire interval of 11-20 years or less since the mid-1800s. Nonetheless, a dramatic expansion of the gallery forests has occurred from 1859-1978. It also appears that Q. macrocarpa is being replaced by C. occidentalis on the mesic sites and that Q. muehlenbergii is being replaced by Cercis canadensis on the more xeric sites. Prescribed burning in a Q. macrocarpa dominated stand resulted in an increase in Ulmus spp. sprouts and a reduction in samplings from 1200 per ha to 0 and in shrub cover from 60% to 9%. These studies suggest that fire has been an historical factor affecting the distribution, composition and successful dynamics of gallery forests in eastern Kansas
Keywords: fire; forest

Ecophysiology of Zigadenus nuttallii , a toxic spring ephemeral in a warm season grassland: effect of defoliation and fire - Alan K. Knapp (Oecologia, 1986)
Zigadenus nuttallii, a highly toxic spring ephemeral in tallgrass prairie, was studies in 1985 to ascertain: 1) several ecophysiological characteristics of the species, 2) seasonal patterns of biomass accumulation, and 3) its response to defoilation and fire. The maximum photosynthetic rate of Z. nuttallii measured in unburned prairie was 13.2 micromoles CO2 m-2s-1 which occurred at 24-28o C and an incident quantum flux of 0.8-1.0 mmoles m-2s-1. Maximum stomatal conductance measured was 5.4 mm s-1. Early in the season, belowground storage organs (bulbs) decreased in mass and supplied much of the energy for growth of leaves, even though CO2 uptake was possible. Bulb mass did not increase until about 6 weeks after shoot emergence implying that, at this time, leaves had become a source rather than a sink for carbohydrates. The result of a single, severe defoliation event was a decrease in biomass of bulbs, leaves and reproductive structures in Z. nuttallii. Intrinsic compensatory mechanisms were not detected. In contrast, fire, which also defoliated plants, did not result in any biomass decrease at the end of the season. Improved post-fire microclimate and increased nutrient supply (extrinsic factors) may have contributed to higher photosynthetic rates and led to biomass compensation in burned prairie. These data support arguments that intrinsic compensatory mechanisms have evolved in response to chronic herbivory. Key words: Photosynthesis, carbon storage, fire, herbivory, Zigadenus
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Effects of vegetation, burning and mowing on soil macroarthropods of tallgrass prairie - Seastedt, T.R.; Hayes, D.C.; Petersen, N.J. (North Dakota State University: Tri-College Center for Environmental Study, 1986)
Tallgrass prairie was burned annually, mowed and raked three times yearly, or left undisturbed for two years, and soil anthropods were censused after the first and second years of treatment. Total arthropod densities increased from about 75 individuals/m2 to 132 individuals /m2 and arthropod biomass increased from about 24 kg/ha to 43 kg/ha from November 1981 to March 1983. These increases were associated with increased productivity of prairie vegetation during the initial year of the study. Annual burning resulted in increased biomass of root xylem feeders (cicada nymphs), mowing and raking resulted in increased biomass of root chewing insects (white grubs). Smaller herivores (mostly chrysomelid larvae), predaceous beetle larvae and insect detritivores were most abundant on unburned plots. Overall, arthropod biomass was highest on burned plots; however, densities of arthropods were not significantly different among treatments. Of the arthropods found to be abundant in tallgrass prairie soil, only the white grubs are known to adversely affect plant productivity. Results from this study suggest that drought or land use practices that stress the vegetation will increase densities of these pest insects
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Fire effects on tallgrass prairie - Hulbert, L.C. (North Dakota State University: Tri-College Center for Environmental Study, 1986)
Fire has been an important natural part of tallgrass prairie ecosystems, started by both lightning and American Indians. Production of vegetation on burned areas can be double that on unburned, unmowed, and ungrazed areas where the old standing dead vegetation is deep. Burning stimulates earlier plant development than on unburned areas. In tallgrass prairie, burning stimulates flowering of warm-season grasses and increases stem density. Late spring burning results in fewer forbs but greater grass production than fall or early spring burning. Up to at least six years, above ground biomass is positively related to the number of years between burning. In Kansas, at least, burning is effective in keeping out exotic plants where the prairie grasses are vigorous. The few studies of fire effects consistently indicate that neither the ash left from burning nor heat form fires affects production. Warming of the increased growth resulting form burning. The increased light for new growth by removal of the old plants seems to be more important
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Historical development of gallery forest in northeast Kansas - Abrams, M.D. (Vegetatio, 1986)
Woody vegetation, soils, age-diameter relationships and historical development are described for 18 gallery forest stands on Konza Prairie, a tallgrass prairie reserve in northeast Kansas. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) coupled with the importance values of dominant species was used to identify four stand types in these forests: Quercus muehlenbergii, Q. muehlenbergii-Q. macrocarpa, Q. macrocarpa-Q. muehlenbergii, and Celtis occidentalis-Q. macrcocarpa. Location of these groups on the first DCA axis was correlated with decreasing slope and increasing percent silt (i.e. a moisture gradient form xeric to mesic). Shrub cover increased with droughtness and decreased with both stand basal area and total reproduction. Original Land Office Survey suggest a dramatic expansion of gallery forests along the stream channels and ravines during the period from 1859-1939. Further expansion occurred through 1978. Increases in woody vegetation were attributed to decreased fire intensity and frequency since European settlement. Q. macrocarpa and/or Q. muehlenbergii were the oldest and largest trees in each stand, but were poorly represented as young trees and seedlings. In contrast, Celtis occidentalis, Cercis canadensis and Ulmus spp. were well represented as young trees and were vigorously reproducing singly or in combination in all stands. The growth of these species into trees occurred 10 to 30 years after the major recruitment of Q. macrocarpa and Q. muehlenbergii into the tree size class. It suggested that the oaks will be replaced by C. occidentalis on the more mesic sites and by C. canadensis on the more xeric sites. The potential of Ulmus spp. as an overstory dominant is probably limited by the Dutch Elm Disease
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

How fox squirrels influence the invasion of prairies by nut-bearing trees - Stapanian, M.A.; Smith, C.C. (Journal of Mammalogy, 1986)
The purpose of this study was to gain information on how squirrels respond to nuts buried on prairie-forest ecotones as a means of understanding how squirrels influence the invasions of prairies by nut-bearing trees. Of the three common species of nut-bearing riparian forest trees studies, seedlings of black walnut, Juglans nigra, the species whose nuts are most highly preferred by fox squirrels, Sciurus niger, tended to occur farthest from the forest edge onto the prairie. Squirrels removed walnuts buried in the woods in direct proportion to the density of nuts buried, rather than in proportion to the distance the nuts were located from a conspecific nut-bearing tree. In contrast, when walnuts were experimentally buried at extremely high densities in prairies next to woods during a good mast year, squirrels removed those nuts more quickly that were nearer the forest and did not remove nuts buried farther than 9 m from the edge of the canopy. Because walnut seedlings were observed at much greater distances from the forest edge, we speculate that squirrels may bury nuts on open prairies at considerable distances from forest cover in poor mast years, when the benefit of fewer nuts lost to other squirrels outweighs the added rick of predation in the prairie
Keywords: animal; fox; prairie

Interactions of the bacterial assemblages of a prairie stream with dissolved organic carbon from riparian vegetation - McArthur, J.V.; Marzolf, G.R. (Hydrobiologia, 1986)
The zonation of riparian vegetation on the Konza Prairie Natural Area of Kansas (tallgrass prairie ecosystem) provided a situation where the influences on uptake rates of the different DOC qualities could be measured in the field. Leachates from grasses disappeared rapidly from stream water in in situ chambers at upstream sites in grassland reaches and at downstream sites in forested reaches. The reverse observation, uptake of leachates from trees, revealed that DOC disappeared rapidly from chambers placed in the forested reaches but bacteria in the grassland reaches did not utilize tree leachate as rapidly. The pattern varies seasonally. The interpretation of these observations was aided by aseptic laboratory culture on the different substrate types and by measurements in poisoned chambers to evaluate abiotic uptake
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Leaf litter processing and the associated invertebrate fauna in a tallgrass prairie stream - Smith, D.L. (The American Midland Naturalist, 1986)
Processing rates and invertebrate colonization of leaf material were measured from November 1980 through April 1981 in a tallgrass prairie stream. Processing rates of artificial leaf packs varied amongh specieis (hackberry> elm> chinquapin oak> bur oak> sycamore) and between sites (riffle> pool). Sycamore and bur oak packs were colonized by more invertebrates (primarily collector-scrapers) than were hackberry, elm and chinquapin oak. Both leaf packs and samples of natural leaf aggregations from riffles contained more organisms (shredders in natural aggregations and collector-scrapers in the artificial leaf packs) than did leaf samples from the pools. Differences in invertebrate density between riffle and pool were greater for artificial leaf packs than for natural leaf aggregations. These differences may result from leaf pack construction as well as the natural distribution of leaf material within the stream. In Kings Creek, the slow processing rates, the relatively low densities and diversity of macroinvertebrates, as well as their types and distribution, suggest that 1) leaf material is used more as habitat than as a food source, and 2) macroinvertebrates are not likely to play a major role in degradation of leaf litter
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Light interception and leaf area estimates from measurements of grass canopy reflectance - Asrar, G.A.; Kanemasu, E.T.; Miller, G.P.; Weiser, R.L. (IEEE Transactions of Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 1986)
Grassland is a major component of the Earth's available land. The vast area and remoteness of this ecosystem makes it difficult to assess its condition and monitor productivity by traditional methods. Remote sensing potentially offers a rapid nondestructive approach for monitoring such ecosystems. A study was carried out in a tallgrass prairie site near Manhattan, Kansas, during the 1983 and 1984 seasons to investigate the feasibility of estimating light interception and green leaf area index (LAI) from measurements of canopy multispectral reflectance. Greenness (Gn) index was found to be strongly correlated with intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Two methods, a direct regression (RGR) and an indirect approach (IND), were used to estimate LAI form Gn index. The LAI values estimated by RGR method were consistently lower than the measured ones; however, good agreement was obtained between the LAI values estimated by IND method and the measured LAI. This suggests that Gn transformation of canopy spectral reflectance is more closely related to the fraction of intercepted PAR by green foliage than the quantity of green LAI
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Litterfall dynamics and element use efficiency in a Kansas gallery forest - Killingbeck, K.T. (The American Midland Naturalist, 1986)
Transfers of biomass and 10 elements in the litterfall of a deciduous gallery forest were studied on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in eastern Kansas. Mean annual litterfall was 694 g m-2year-1 and was composed on 70% leaves, 19% woody litter and 11% reproductive tissues. Importance Values were not useful in accurately predicting the relative contributions of individual species to total litterfall. Leaf litter contained more Ca, Mg, K, Na, Mn, Cu, Fe, Zn, P and N than woody litter and reproductive tissues combined. The allocation of biomass to a specific tissue type and/or species was often very different from the corresponding allocation of elements, indicating that biomass/element allocation patterns are not inextricably linked at the individual or community level. Leaf litterfall occurred predominantly in the autumn (88%), but the majority of element transfers from woody litter and reproductive tissues took place during the remainder of the year, thus partially offsetting the extreme pulsed deposition patterns dictated by leaf litterfall alone. Efficiencies of Ca and P use were extremely low, whereas N use efficiency was moderate compared to other forest types. This, coupled with additional information on autumnal element resorption and demand:availability quotients, suggested that N may be the most limiting element in many gallery forest ecosystems. Within the Konza gallery forest, subdominant species were mush less efficient at using Mg, K, P and N than the dominant species
Keywords: litterfall

Mammals of the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas - Finck, E.J.; D.W. Kaufman; Kaufman, G.A.; Gurtz, S.K.; Clark, B.K.; McLellan, L.J.; Clark, B.S. (The Prairie Naturalist, 1986)
An annotated list of the mammals was compiled from trapping records and observation for the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area (KONZA), a tall-grass prairie in the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas. Thirty-one species, 1 opossum, 2 shrews, 1 mole, 1 rabbit, 17 rodents, 7 carnivores, and 2 ungulates, were recorded. Habitat use and range for each species were included relative to our experience with the animals on KONZA. Percent composition of small mammals was presented by habitat type for 15 species captured on 26 permanent live traplines from autumn 1981 to spring 1984. The likelihood of occurrence on KONZA was disscused for 15 species (8 bats, 1 hare, 2 rodents, and 4 carnivores) not presently recorded for the site
Keywords: tallgrass prairie