Nitrogen mineralization by native and introduced earthworms: effects on big bluestem growth - James, S.W.; Seastedt, T.R. (Ecology, 1986)
The presence, in the tallgrass prairie of North America, of an introduced European earthworm, Aporrectodea turgida Eisen (Lumbricidae) and native worms of the genus Diplocardia (Acanthodrilidae) led us to ask how the two groups compare with regard to mineralization of nitrogen and stimulation of plant growth in this ecosystem. Our working hypothesis was that earthworm- caused increases in N mineralization would be detected in leachates from pot cultures and reflected in increased plant growth and N uptake by Andropogon gerardii Vitman, a tallgrass dominant. The magnitude of both of these effects was expected to be greater in pots containing A. turgida, because these worms are larger and appear to be more active. Gut analysis was also performed to assess potential differences in feeding habits of the Diplocardias and A. turgida
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Notes about sediment in a tallgrass prairie (Konza Prairie site) - Koelliker, J.K. (Sediment Movement at LTER sites: Mechanics, Measurements, and Integration with Hydrology, 1986)
The Konza Prairie Research Natural Area (KPNRA) is an 8616-acre tract of native tallgrass prairie set aside for ecological research purposes and administered by the Division of Biology at Kansas State University in Manhattan. It is one of the eleven Long-Term Ecological Research sites (LTER) funded by the National Science Foundation. It was acquired by The Nature Conservancy in 1971 and 1977. The research objectives of KPRNA are to evaluate the roles of fire and grazing by native ungulates (bison, elk, and pronghorn antelope) in maintaining the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, through a variety of short- and long-term research projects. The KPRNA management plan includes an array of watersheds upon which is imposed a schedule of prescribed burning at intervals of 1, 2, 4, and 10 years. There are other watersheds that are left unburned, some that are burned in an alternating cycle (3 years burned and 3 left unburned), and some areas that are burned only in years following years with precipitation grater than 1.2 times normal. Native ungulates will be introduced in the near future
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Physiological plasticity in water relations and leaf structure of understory versus open-grown Cercis canadensis in northeastern Kansas - Abrams, M.D. (Canadian Journal of Forestry Resources, 1986)
Field and laboratory studies were used to evaluate physiological plasticity in water relations and leaf structural characteristics of Cercis canadensis L. (redbud) saplings growing in a gallery forest understory and an adjacent prairie in eastern Kansas. Two study periods were defined based on high (greater than -0.2 MPa in May) and low (-1.5 MPa in July) predawn soil water potential ( soil) Leaf conductance to water vapor diffusion (gwv) was greater for prairie than understory redbud saplings during both sampling periods (maximum gwv=7.5-8.7 mm s-1) Moreover, gwv for prairie redbud remained high at both high and low soil, but was significantly lower for understory redbud during midday at low soil. Transpiration flux was also higher in the prairie than in the understory site and reach a maximum for prairie redbud (318 mg m-2s-1) in July, in conjunction with high leaf to air vapor pressure deficits (maximum 5.3 kPa). Leaf water potential declined significantly at both sites with decreased soil and the minimum values (-3.0 MPa) were recorded in understory redbud. Leaves of prairie redbud were significantly smaller, thicker, and had higher specific leaf mass and stomatal density than leaves of understory redbud, which are consistent with differences between zeric and mesic species, respectively. These differences in water relations and leaf morphology between understory and prairie redbud suggest a high degree of physiological plasticity for this species in eastern Kansas
Keywords: Water relations

Postfire water relations, production, and biomass allocation in the shrub, Rhus glabra, in tallgrass prairie - Alan K. Knapp (Botanical Gazette, 1986)
Several populations of Rhus glabra were studies to assess the effect of fire on productivity, biomass allocation, N and chlorophyll content, and seasonal water relations in a North American tallgrass prairie. Compared with shoots in unburned prairie, shoots from burned sites had reduced biomass and fewer leaves; however, a significant postfire increase in shoot density led to similar midseason leaf area indices for both populations. Productivity was greater in the unburned population principally because of the biomass of sexual reproductive structures, which were absent in the resprouting shoots. However, burned populations allocated a greater proportion of biomass to leaves and wood, utilized for vertical growth, than unburned populations. Leaves in unburned prairie had greater stomatal density, specific leaf mass, and chlorophyll and N content than leaves from the burned population. For much of the growing season, stomatal conductances were greater in unburned prairie. Despite lower soil water potentials at the burned site, differences in midday leaf water potentials were small between populations; hence, differences in N content probably contributed more to the responses. The postfire reduction in productivity and sexual reproduction in R. glabra indicates that fire reduces its fitness
Keywords: Water relations

Production, density and height of flower stalks of three grasses in annually burned and unburned eastern Kansas tallgrass prairie: a four year record - Alan K. Knapp; Hulbert, L.C. (The Southwestern Naturalist, 1986)
The production, density and height of flower stalks of Andropogon gerardii, Schizachrium scoparium and Sorghastrum nutans were surveyed over a four-year period (1981-1984) on burned vs unburned and shallow vs deep soil sites in native, undisturbed tallgrass prairie. In general, flower stalk height was greater on deep than the shallow soils but the response of height to fire was variable. In contrast, density and production of flower stalks were usually greater on the annualy burned sites, whereas soil effects were inconsistent. Production of flower stalks for all three species combined ranged from 0 to 670 g/m2 during the 4-year period with maximum production occurring in a mesic year which followed a drought year
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Remote sensing for monitoring rangeland management strategies in the Kansas Flint Hills - Nellis, M.D. (International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 1986)
The Konza Prairie Research Natural Area represents an effort by the Nature Conservancy to preserve natural diversity in the Flint Hills of Kansas. The management objectives within the Konza Prairie are based on a comparison of the natural prairie ecosystem with manipulated systems. The effects of fire and grazing on the prairie ecosystem are of particular concern. Qualitative examiniations using color infrared photography and digital enhanced photography of study zones within the Konza Prairie yielded positive results for delineation of varying mangement strategies. The study illustrates the utility of using color infrared for regular monitoring of the Flint Hills Region
Keywords: rangeland; remote sensing

Seasonal root biomass and nitrogen dynamics of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) under wet and dry conditions - Hayes, D.C. (Kansas State University, 1986)
Keywords: biomass; prairie; root

Seasonal water relations of three gallery forest hardwood species in northeast Kansas - Abrams, M.D.; Alan K. Knapp (Forest Science, 1986)
Field and laboratory studies were used to evaluate several water relations characteristics for saplings of three species: hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), a mesic, late successional tree, and bur and chinquapin oak (Quercus macrocarpa and Q. muehlenbergii), more xeric, early successional trees growing in a northeast Kansas gallery forest understory during a dry summer. For all species, maximum stomatal conductance (gwv) (8.9-9.5 mm*s-1) was recorded early in the season when soil moisture was greatest. Seasonally, sunlit leaves generally had significantly higher gwv than shaded leaves. Both gwv and leaf water potential decreased during the season in each species, with minimum leaf water potential values ranging from - 2.13 to -2.48 MPa. Seasonally, leaf water potential remained consistently higher than the osmotic potential at zero turgor for each species (minimum values of zero turgor ranged from -2.61 to -3.02 MPa). Hackberry, the most mesic species, experienced the largest seasonal decrease in gwv in both shaded and sunlit leaves (69% and 78% reduction, respectively). Moreover, in contrast to the two oaks, a significant seasonal decline in 600 h leaf water potential was shown for hackberry. By season's end, hackberry had the lowest gwv and leaf water potential suggesting that this species was better able to utilize late season precipitation. Additional key words: Quercus, Celtis, ecophysiology, prairie, drought
Keywords: Water relations

A ten-year record of aboveground biomass in a Kansas tallgrass prairie: effects of fire and topographic position - Abrams, M.D.; Alan K. Knapp; Hulbert, L.C. (American Journal of Botany, 1986)
Measurements of mid-season live and dead aboveground biomass are reported for a 10 year period (1975- 1984) in a northeast Kansas tallgrass prairie. Study sites included shallow, rocky upland and deep, nonrocky lowland soils in annually burned (April) and unburned watersheds. Lowland sites had significantly greater live biomass than upland sites for both burned and unburned prairie for the 10 year period. Moreover, live biomass was greater on burned than unburned lowland sites, but was not significantly increased by fire on the upland sites. Averaged across upland and lowland sites, mid-season live biomass was 422 g m-2 on annually burned and 364 g m-2 on unburned sites for the 10 year period. Each site had its lowest live biomass value during the severe drought year of 1980 (range=185-299 g m-2). During the study period, live biomass was most strongly correlated with seasonal pan water evaporation (r=-0.45 to -0.82), whereas dead biomass was correlated with the previous years precipitation (r=0.62 and 0.90 for upland and lowland sites, respectively). When aboveground biomass was sampled throughout the 1984 season and separated into several components, biomass of the graminoids was 40% lower, whereas that of forbs and woody plants was 200-300% greater in the unburned than in the annually burned site
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Winter population dynamics of three species of mast-eating birds in the eastern United States - Smith, K.G. (The Wilson Bulletin, 1986)
All three species store and consume mast. Red-headed Woodpecker populations were most variable and Blue Jay populations were more variable than those of Black-capped Chickadees. Year-to- year comparisons show that Red-headed Woodpeckers are relatively nomadic in winter; that Blue Jays make movements between New England and the Mid-Atlantic coast with some regularity; and that Black-capped Chickadees may make relatively short population movements between central and southern New England. Movements of the 3 species were independent of mean January temperatures at the count areas examined. Results presented here are consistent with the hypothesis that increased dependence on mast as a winter food source is correlated with increased variability in winter population dynamics. In particular, the nearly periodic nature of the east-west shift of Red-headed Woodpecker high counts among years is strikingly similar to the periodic pattern of boreal seed-eating birds discovered by Bok asnd Lepthien (1976a)
Keywords: bird; population

Age-diameter relationships of Quercus species in relation to edaphic factors in gallery forests in northeast Kansas - Abrams, M.D. (Forest Ecology and Management, 1985)
Age-diameter relationships were evaluated for Quercus macrocarpa and Q. muehlenbergii in relation to soil and topographic factors in 18 gallery forest stands in northeast Kansas. Tree diameter was significantly correlated with age (r2=0.33- 0.96,P< 0.05) for Q. macrocarpa and Q. muehlenbergii in 81% and 85% of the stands, respectively, when seven or more individuals of either species were surveyed, indicating that variation in growth rates of these species was low within most of the stands. However, considerable variation in growth rates of these species was evident between stands, which was not explained by differences in stand density. High growth rates for Q. macrocarpa were correlated (P< 0.05) with low topographic slope (r=0.54), and low available soil NH4 (r=0.73) and NO3 (r=0.72, whereas high growth rates for Q. muehlenbergii were correlated with high K (r=0.62), suggesting that edaphic factors influence growth rates of these species

An annotated list of the vascular flora of Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas - Freeman, C.C.; Hulbert, L.C. (Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 1985)
The Konza Prairie Research Natural Area is a 3487 hectare research area located in the northern Kansas Flint Hills. The vegetation of Konza Prairie is predominantly tallgrass prairie with limited gallery forests along major tributaries. The vascular flora of the research area includes 441 species in 90 families. This number represents approximately 44% of the species known to occur in the Kansas Flint Hills
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Autumnal resorption and accretion of trace metals in gallery forest trees - Killingbeck, K.T. (Ecology, 1985)
Autumnal resorption and accretion of copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn) were measured in the foliage of five gallery forest tree species on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area. Presenescence and postabscission leaves from five trees each of Quercus macrocarpa, Q. muehlenbergii, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Celtis occidentalis, and Ulmus rubra were sampled. Three species resorbed 19, 25, and 26%, respectively, of their presenescence foliar Zn, and one species resorbed 35% of its presenescence foliar Fe. This validates the prediction made by Whittaker et al. in 1979 that Zn and Fe are withdrawn from the senescing foliage of at least some deciduous species. Net accretions of Cu (43, 44, 69%), Fe (35, 40%), and Mn (19, 57%) occurred during the same period. The two oak species were responsible for most of the resorption, while the three non-oak species accounted for all of the significant accretions. Such well-defined differences in element conservation may influence interspecific competition by accentuating, or compensating for, species differences in element uptake ability and element use effficiency. Demand: availability ratios proved useful in predicting the likelihood that a given element would be conserved through resorption. Key words: copper; gallery forest; iron; Konza Prairie; manganese; nutrient conservation; resorption; senescence; trace metals; tree foliage; zinc

Birds of Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas - Zimmerman, J.L. (The Prairie Naturalist, 1985)
Since 1972, bird species on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, a Nature Conservancy site administered by the Division of Biology at Kansas State University, Manhattan, have been recorded throughout the year on a weekly basis and their relative abundances noted. While virgin tall-grass prairie covers most of the 3486-ha area, some lowlands have been cultivated, and a gallery of forest of oak and hackberry borders the lower reaches of the major stream courses. Through 1984, 199 species have been seen on the site; direct evidence of breeding has been obtained for 59 species
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Canopy interception of nitrogen in bulk precipitation by annually burned and unburned tallgrass prairie - Seastedt, T.R. (Oecologia, 1985)
Nitrogen content of bulk precipitation and throughfall (canopy leachates) was measured on annually burned and unburned tallgrass prairie during a 20 month period. Throughfall amounts averages 58% of precipitation on unburned prairie while throughfall on annually burned sites averaged 76% of precipitation inputs. Stemflow was measured in late summer and autumn. Volumes were correlated with stem density; maximum stemflow volumes measured in this study averaged about 50% of throughfall volumes. Bulk precipitation averages 530, 456, and 420 micrograms/l of nitrate, ammonium and organic nitrogen, respectively. Throughfall on burned sites averaged 345, 344, and 980 micrograms/l of nitrate, ammonium and organic nitrogen, and throughfall on unburned sites averaged 258, 196, and 1701 micrograms/l of nitrate ammonium and organic nitrogen. Microbes on standing dead vegetation and litter of the unburned sites were estimated to remove more inorganic nitrogen from bulk precipitation than did foliage on burned sites. Only a portion of the inorganic nitrogen in bulk precipitation is immediately available for plant use, and this availability is influenced by the amount of detritus present on the prairie
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Chronic effects of a prescribed field application of a carbamate insecticide on bobwhites - Robel, R.J.; Arruda, S.M.; Morrow, M.E.; O'Neill, D.H. (The World Pheasant Association, 1985)
As part of the registration process for agricultural pesticides in the United States, Short-Term Field Tests for Hazard to Birds (small pen studies) are sometimes required for pesticides exhibiting moderate acute toxicity (Environmental Protection Agency 1978). We conducted such a small pen study to determine the chronic hazards of bendiocarb (an insecticide designed to control corn rootworms, trade name TATTOO, Fisons Ltd., Essex, England) to birds. Bendiocarb is a moderately toxic N-methyl N-dimethyl compound typical of the carbamate group of insecticides introduced into the United States in the mid-1950s. The small pen study was conducted with Northern Bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) under normal agricultural conditions. The scope of the study was expanded to include fatty acid analysis of eggs and body tissues of experimental birds, determination of energy content of eggs, quantitative measures of bobwhite mobility and activity, and analysis of brain cholinesterase activity. Major modifications of any of these parameters could pose adverse ecological problems for wild avian populations. This report presents the results of this small pen study and is contribution No. 85-347-J, Division of Biology, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66502

Early season production and microclimate associated with topography in a C4 dominated grassland - Alan K. Knapp (Oecologia Plant, 1985)
Greater early season primary production in lowland vs. upland sites has been documented in a C4 dominated grassland in eastern Kansas (USA). Since lower production in uplands is probably not due to differences in water stress between sites at this time of year, an alternative hypothesis tested was that low air temperatures limit early season production in grassland and reduced windspeeds at lowland sites may allow leaf temperatures to be nearer their optimum for growth compared to leaves at exposed upland sites. Numerous microclimatic and physiological measurements were made early in the growing season at a lowland and at two upland sites (one shielded form the wind) in an eastern Kansas tallgrass prairie to test this hypothesis. During May, leaf temperatures of Andropogon gerardii, the dominant C4 grass in this grassland, were as much as 6 degrees Celcius greater (and windspeeds approximately 50% less) in the lowland and shielded plots compared to the upland plot. These higher leaf temperatures were attributed to reduced convective cooling of the grasses in the low wind plots. No substantial differences in water stress were detected between sites but greater stomatal conductance to water vapor diffusion was measured in lowland plants. The photosynthetic temperature response of A. gerardii indicated strong temperature limitation to carbon uptake at typically early season air temperatures. The net result of shielding an upland plot from wind was a significant increase in total aboveground primary production and shoot mass of A. gerardii compared to the unshielded upland plot. Furthermore, production in the shielded plot was similar to that in the lowland for the early season. Thus, greater early season production in lowlands in this grassland which cannot be attributed to increased moisture availability (important later in the season) may be due to a more favorable early season microclimate in lowlands for growth of these warm season grasses. Key words: Leaf temperature, Microclimate, Net photosynthesis, Primary production, Tallgrass prairie, Water relations, Wind
Keywords: Wind

Effect of fire and drought on the ecophysiology of Andropogon gerardii and Panicum virgatum in a tallgrass prairie - Alan K. Knapp (Ecology, 1985)
The effect of fire and drought on net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance to water vapor diffusion, leaf water potential, leaf osmotic potential, leaf nitrogen content, and growth were evaluated for the dominant tallgrass prairie species. Andropogon gerardii, and a less common (more mesic) grass, Panicum virgatum, at the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in northeast Kansas. Early in the growing season in a burned plot, leaves of A. gerardii exhibited greater photosynthesis (maximum CO2 uptake=41.6 micromol*m-2*s-1), leaf conductance, leaf nitrogen content, nitrogen use efficiency, leaf thickness, and shoot biomass compared to shoots from an unburned plot. Postburn differences in P. virgatum were less pronounced, and CO2 uptake rates (maximum=46.0 micromol*m-2*s-1) were not significantly different between burned and unburned sites for this grass. Both grasses had broad temperature optima for photosynthesis, and neither was light-saturated at 2.2 mmol*m-2*s-1 quantum flux. The response of A. gerardii to burning reflects the documented postfire vigor of this grass, and is indicative of a substantial shift in the water, energy, and nutrient dynamics of tallgrass prairie following fire. Due to a midseason drought in 1983, leaf water potentials at midday decreased to < -6.6 and -5.74 MPa in A. gerardii, and -4.53 and -3.51 MPa in P. virgatum in burned and unburned plots, respectively. Lower leaf water potential in the burned site was a result of greater leaf area and transpiration per unit ground area in burned than in unburned prairie. As water stress increased, the osmotic potential at full turgor and at zero turgor decreased more rapidly in the burned plot for both grasses, but minimum values of each parameter (-2.04 and -2.68 MPa in A. gerardii; -2.04 and -2.56 MPa in P. virgatum) were recorded at the end of the season in the unburned plot. When water stress was most severe, photosynthesis increased from 28 to 48% of the early season rates. Attributes of A. gerardii that may contribute to its dominance in tallgrass prairie were the ability of this grass to maintain high rates of carbon gain over a greater range of leaf temperatures and at lower leaf water potential than P. virgatum.
Keywords: Andropogon gerardii; fire; net photosynthesis; nitrogen use dfficiency; osmotic potential; Panicum virgatum; tallgrass prairie; water stress

Effects of fire and N to P availability ratio on nitrogen fixation in the tallgrass prairie - Eisele, K.A. (Colorado State University, 1985)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

An evaluation of beta attenuation for estimating aboveground biomass in a tallgrass prairie - Alan K. Knapp; Abrams, M.D.; Hulbert, L.C. (Journal of Range Management, 1985)
The attenuation of beta particles by vegetation was evaluated as a nondestructive method for estimating aboveground biomass in tallgrass prairie in northeast Kansas. Regression equations using the sum of beta attenuation measurements for each of 5 height classes within the vegetation and mean midday leaf water potential as the independent variables were used to predict live and total biomass. Live and total biomass were better predicted on burned (r2=.91 and .88, respectively) and unburned sites (r2=.71 and .70, respectively). Greater variability in the relationship between beta attentuation and biomass in unburned prairie was a result of the large and variable amount of dead biomass on unburned sites. Dead biomass was poorly predicted by beta attentuation (r2=.24- .49). Beta attentuation predicted biomass in burned tallgrass prairie within +/- 5% of harvest values until late season vegetative senescence. In unburned prairie, predictions were poorer, but the technique could still be useful if the required accuracy need be only +/- 25%
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Fire history of oak gallery forests in a northeast Kansas tallgrass prairie - Abrams, M.D. (The American Midland Naturalist, 1985)
Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) and chinquapin oak (Q. muehlenbergii) were repeatedly scarred from recurring fire in gallery forests on Konza Prairie in NE Kansas, and were therefore suitable for fire history evaluation. Fire scars were recorded in 23 different years, ranging from 1862 to 1983, on 19 sample trees taken from three noncontiguous gallery forest stands. The mean fire interval (MFI) calculated for these forests ranged from 11.2-19.7 years. The actual MFI, however, probably lies somewhere between that range and the historical interval for Flint Hills prairie fire of 2-3 years
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Fruiting strategies of the woody vine Parthenocissus quinquefolia - Pacey, C. (Kansas State University, 1985)

Habitat selection by small mammals of the tallgrass prairie: experimental patch choice - Peterson, S.K.; Kaufman, G.A.; D.W. Kaufman (The Prairie Naturalist, 1985)
Small mammals were sampled in 44 experimental burn plots on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area (NPRNA). These plots included burned and unburned upland and burned and unburned lowland tall-grass prairie. Peromyscus maniculatus was most common in burned upland, Reithrodontomys megalotis in unburned lowland, and Sigmodon hispidus in lowland with no response to fire treatment. Experimental patch choice was similar to habitat selection documented by earlier work on large watershed units on KPRNA
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Habitat selection by small mammals: seasonality of responses to conditions created by fire and topography in tallgrass prairie - Gurtz, S.P. (Kansas State University, 1985)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Herpetofauna of the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas - Heinrich, M.L.; D.W. Kaufman (The Prairie Naturalist, 1985)
Herpetofauna of the Konza prairie Research Natural Area (KPRNA), a tall-grass prairie research site in the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas, was sampled in terrestrial and aquatic habitats to compile a species list as well as to gather information on habitat distribution of individual species. Twenty-nine species, including 1 salamander, 8 frogs and toads, 3 turtles, 4 lizards, and 13 snakes were recorded from terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Three types of limestone outcrops were sampled intensively by trapping, searching under rocks and logs and capturing or recording animals seen while walking the outcrops. Data from these outcrops demonstrated differences in species richness and relative density of herpetiles with 7 species and 15 individuals recorded for a grass-dominated outcrop, 9 species and 49 individuals for a shrub- dominated outcrop, and 11 species and 50 individuals for a tree-dominated outcrop (sampling effort at the three sites was the same). Habitat distribution is described for species found on KPRNA using habitat records from captures and sightings. Finally, for species not found but possibly present (based on their distribution in Kansas, Collins 1982), the likelihood of occurrence on KPRNA is discussed
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

History and use of Konza Prairie Research Natural Area - Hulbert, L.C. (The Prairie Scout, 1985)
Konza Prairie, a few miles south of Manhattan, Riley County, Kansas, lies in the western part of the tallgrass or true prairie. The dense roots and the very tough rhizomes (underground stems) of the tallgrass prairie of North American and of the Danube Basin of Europe made the sod so tough that neither area could be plowed ("broken" the pioneers called it) until the nineteenth century after the special sod breaking plow was developed. Nine faculty in five departments at KSU began meeting in 1956 to discuss the need for a prairie area for ecological research to complement the prairie areas being used to study livestock production. In searching for an appropriate name, it was decided to choose one of the various spellings of the Kansa tribe; the oldest tribe that lived in the area for which a name is known. The Deweys acquired the land that became the Dewey Ranch parcel-by-parcel from 1872 to 1926. Konza Prairie Research Natural Area is the premier research site for tallgrass prairie, a fact certainly not anticipated by the cowboys and other who helped raise cattle on the area from the middle of the 1800s until the area was purchased by the Nature Conservancy in the 1970s. Because fire and native herbivores (bison, elk, and pronghorn) are part of this natural system, the experimental design includes them. Cattle are also included to compare domestic with native grazers. Research focuses on the vegetation, soils, insects, earthworms, nematodes (soil roundworms), birds, mammels, streams, and other components. Plans are to continue these studies for decades in order to assess the effects of weather variation, so pronounced in this continental area
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

The interaction of biological and hydrologic phenomena that mediate the quality of water draining native prairie on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area - McArthur, J.V.; Gurtz, M.E.; Tate, C.M.; Gilliam, F.S. (Perspectives on Nonpoint Source Pollution, 1985)
The quality of water from native landscapes in the baseline against which the impact of pollutants on surface water resources must be evaluated. The King's Creek watershed has been a U.S. Geological Survey benchmark watershed since 1979. It represents the landscape type tyat gave rise to much of the agricultural midwestern United States. Hydrologic, chemical, and biological measurements have been made by ecologists performing long-term ecological research (LTER) in tallgrass prairie. Streamwater chemistry varies seasonally with the amount and movement of groundwater and soil water, with changes in prairie vegetation, and in response to changes in surface water discharge. Concentrations of organic carbon, organ and inorganic nitrogen, and phosphorus increase during storm flows. The particulate fractions in transport and in storage in the stream bed and on the flood plain vary seasonally with recent hydrologic history and changes in vegetation
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Long-term research in stream ecology - Webster, J.R.; Blood, E.R.; Gregory, S.V.; Gurtz, M.E.; Sparks, R.E.; Thurman, E.M. (Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 1985)
Many ecological phenomena occur on time scales of decades or centuries, and the need for long-term ecological research was recently emphasized in Likens' presidential address to the Ecological Society. In the past it has been difficult to investigate these phenomena with financial support from funding agencies. However, in 1980 the National Science Foundation established the Long-Term Ecological Research Program (LTER). LTER-sponsored studies are now underway in 11 sites representing different ecosystem types. The purpose of this article is to describe briefly the general characteristics of each site involved with stream ecology and to summarize the nature and objectives of stream research at these sites
Keywords: ecology; stream

Maximization of primary and secondary productivity by grazers - Seastedt, T.R. (The American Naturalist, 1985)
Not only have consumers coevolved with their food resources, but they have coevolved with them as these resources have been modified by other herbivores and detritivores. Current theory states that most plants respond to herbivory by producing chemical that adversely affect the growth or survivorship of the herbivores. Certain consumers, however, may exhibit positive growth responses when these changes in plant chemistry occur. Increased growth is predicted whenever herbivory increases the quality of the food resource via plant stress or when it removes chemicals having a negative effect on the palatability or assimilation of the resource. I suggest that these positive responses are more widespread than is currently acknowledged
Keywords: graze; primary; productivity

Peromyscus leucopus in riparian woodlands: use of trees and shrubs - D.W. Kaufman; Peak, M.E.; Kaufman, G.A. (Journal of Mammalogy, 1985)
Our objective was to describe the use of shrubs and trees by P. leucopus. More specifically, two predictions related to use of verticle habitat structure were examined. The firsst was that use of trees by P. leucopus is directly related to tree size. The second was that use of shrub canopy is directly related to density of branches

Response of Andropogon gerardii (poaceae ) to fire-induced high vs.low irradiance environments in tallgrass prairie: leaf structure and photosynthetic pigments - Alan K. Knapp; Gilliam, F.S. (American Journal of Botany, 1985)
Photosynthetic pigments and several structural characteristics were measured in leaves of Andropogon gerardii from tallgrass prairie populations in an unburned, low-irradiance site and a burned, high-irradiance site to determine if these species displayed sun/shade differences similar to those documented in forest species. Early in the growing season, leaves of A. gerardii in the low-irradiance, unburned site had significantly lower stomatal density, pore length, and conductance, as well as specific leaf mass and thickness than leaves from the high-irradiance, burned site. Moreover, the chlorophnyll a:b ratio, carotenoid content, and bundle sheath-vascular complex area were significantly lower, but chlorophyll content (mass/mass) was greater in leaves in unburned vs burned sites. These differences are consistent with sun/shade adaptations reported for forest understory plants and may contribute to the low productivity of A. gerardii in unburned tallgrass prairie
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Response of bacteria isolated from a pristine prairie stream to concentration and source of soluble organic carbon - McArthur, J.V.; Marzolf, G.R.; Urban, J.E. (Applied Environmental Microbiology, 1985)
Responses of native aquatic bacteria to source and concentration of dissolved organic carbon was observed by using gradient plates. Dissolved organic carbon of prairie (grasses) or gallery forest (bur oak) origin was used as the carbon source in these observations. Bacteria isolated from sediments in the grassland reaches of a prairie stream showed growth only on grass leachates. Bacteria isolated from the gallery forest reaches of the same stream were able to grow on plates made from either source of leachate. The differing quality, quantity, and rate of supply of these dissolved organic carbon sources should select for variation in the baterial assemblages
Keywords: carbon; organic

The role of host egg color in host nest selection by the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) - Kale, C. (Kansas State University, 1985)
Keywords: cowbird; nest

Seasonal nitrogen translocation in big bluestem during drought conditions - Hayes, D.C. (Journal of Range Management, 1985)
This study, conducted during a severe drought in 1980, assesses the effects of burned and unburned treatments in tallgrass prairie of nitrogen content of big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii Vitman. Seasonal total nitrogen and amino-nitrogen translocations in big bluestem in the tallgrass prairie were studied on burned and unburned treatments within Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Manhattan, Kansas. Leaf total nitrogen dropped from .71% in June 1980 to .21% in November with no significant difference between treatments. Rhizome total nitrogen was significantly different between treatments with a June to November increase of .46% to .86% in unburned and .41% to .82% in burned treatments. Roots averaged 72% of rhizome total nitrogen, indicating that roots are also used as storage organs for nitrogen. Comparisons with other studies conducted in 1980 and 1971-1972 indicate that drought stress may reduce the total nitrogen content of big bluestem. In April 1980, emerging leaves on the unburned plots were significantly higher in amino acid concentration than those on the burned plots. Although leaf amino acid concentration was constant after July, the percent of total nitrogen as amino acids increased 3 to 4 fold from mid-August to October. Rhizome amino acid concentration was significantly higher on the unburned than on burned plots. The September 1980 increase in leaf amino acid concentration and percent of total nitrogen as amino acids indicate a breakdown of protein in aboveground tissue. The concurrent increase in rhizome amino acid concentration and percent of total nitrogen as amino acids supports the concept of fall translocation of nitrogen to the belowground parts which serve as storage organs
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

A study of temporal and spatial variations in nitrogen concentrations in a tallgrass prairie stream - Tate, C.M. (Kansas State University, 1985)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

An unexpected effect of fall burning on soil organic matter of tallgrass prairie - James, S.W. (The American Midland Naturalist, 1985)
Studies in grasslands have shown that autumn burning, or in the case of tropical areas, burning several months in advance of the rainy season, results in lower postfire productivity than spring burning. Autumn burning in Kansas tallgrass prairie caused greater postfire productivity than spring burning. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that warmer spring soil temperatures stimulate growth of the grasses. Spring and autumn burned plots had similar microclimates. It is possible that different results obtained in similar ecosystems are due to the influence of grazing, properties of different soils and soil decomposer communities, and different prefire nutrient status
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae and greenhouse production of three native tallgrass prairie forbs - Zajicek, J.M.; Albrecht, M.L.; Hetrick, B.A.D. (Restoration and Management Notes, 1985)
Seedlings of Baptistia leucantha (Atlantic wild indigo), Liatris aspera (rough gayfeather), and Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed) were grown in 165 cc tubes containing 1:1:1 peat:perlite:soil (v) or 1:1 soil:sand (v), both of which had been amended with 0, 41.6 phosphorus, or 83.2 g/P per cubic foot of media in the form of superphosphate (0-46-0). The tubes were inoculated with Glomus etunicatum, G. fasciculatum, G. macrocarpum, G. mossae, or remained uninoculated. After five months total dry weights and percentage root colonization were determined for one-half of the replications. The remaining plants were outplanted in the field to study transplant establishment
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Watershed research at Konza-tallgrass prairie - Koelliker, J.K.; Gurtz, M.E.; Marzolf, G.R. (Hydraulics and Hydrology in the Small Computer Age Vol.1, 1985)
The Konza Prairie Research Natural Area is the only tallgrass prairie site in the network of Long-Term Ecological Research sites. Watershed research at Konza is designed to assist in increasing the understanding of water and nutrient cycling in the ecosystem and evaluating the role of fire and grazing on the maintenance of the ecosystem. Brief descriptions of the hydrology, instrumentation, and short- term results are presented
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Autogamy as a fertility assurance strategy for forbs in the tallgrass prairie - Townsend, D.K. (Kansas State University, 1984)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Belowground macroarthropods of annually burned and unburned tallgrass prairie - Seastedt, T.R. (American Midland Naturalist, 1984)
Biomass of macroarthopods averaged 4.2 g/m2 in the top 20 cm of soil from annually burned tallgrass prairie vs. 2.7 g/m2 from unburned sites. Change in scarab beetle larvae and adult biomass (mostly Phyllophaga spp.) was responsible for this difference and averaged 3.4 g/m2 on burned sites vs. 1.7 g/m2 on unburned sites. Causal relationships between burning and increased scarab abundance remain speculative. The standing crop of belowground arthropod biomass of tallgrass prairie is 2- 10 times larger than that of aboveground arthropods
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Central place foraging for non-food items: determination of the stick size value relationship of house building materials collected by eastern woodrats - McGinley, M.A. (The American Naturalist, 1984)
Eastern woodrats (Nemotoma floridana) are medium-sized, nocturnal rodents that collect sticks and other objects as house building materials. A house is inhabited by one woodrat at a time, and provides many benefits to the occupant including protection from predators, protection from the weather, and a safe food storage site. Woodrats range from their houses to retrieve sticks and thus offer the opportunity to examine central place foraging for nonfood items. This paper examines procedures for determining the stick size-value relationship for woodrats initiating house building
Keywords: forage; nest

Direct measurement of allochthonous litter accumulation in a tallgrass prairie stream - Killingbeck, K.T. (The Southwestern Naturalist, 1984)
Species living in lotic ecosystems are often dependent on the deposition of organic litter from surrounding terrestrial ecosystems for a large portion of their energy requirements. These same species may also be influenced by significant amounts of organic compounds and inorganic elements that are released into the water during the decomposition of allochthonous litter. Litter transfer into streams is usually estimated with catchment collectors located outside of the stream. The termination of flow in a tallgrass prairie stream in 1978 provided the opportunity to directly measure allochthonous litter accumulation in that stream channel. The objectives of this study were to document direct litter accumulation in the stream channel, and to compare this to vertical deposition of litter in the adjoining gallery forest
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Effect of fire in tallgrass prairie on seed production of Vernonia baldwinii Torr. (Compositae) - Alan K. Knapp (The Southwestern Naturalist, 1984)
Fire, an important natural component of tallgrass prairie ecosystems, may be detrimental to the invasion and survival of many nongraminoid species. In the absence of fire, perennial forbs are reported to increase significantly in tallgrass prairie. Most studies involving fire and tallgrass prairie have concentrated on the dominant tallgrass species, but have failed to document the reproductive response of prairie forbs to fire. This study compares seed production of the common tallgrass prairie forb, Vernonia baldwinii Torr., among five native prairie sites which differ in time since the most recent burn
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Energetic responses of avain granivores to winter in northeast Kansas - Shuman, T.W. (Kansas State University, 1984)
Keywords: avain

Fire as a natural disturbance to grasshopper assemblages of tallgrass prairie - Evans, E.W. (Oikos, 1984)
Effects of spring wildfire on assemblages of grasshopper (Acrididae) nymphs hatching the following summer were studied in native tallgrass prairie in eastern Kansas, USA. Four watersheds (eight sites) of varying fire history were studied; similarities in initial assemblages of early instar nymphs among these watersheds reflected similarities in burning history. Controlled fires were set on three watersheds. Burning affected assemblage structure of grasshoppers hatching several weeks later, causing shifts in local species compositions as nymphs matured. such change apparently resulted because fire adversely affected survivorship of forb but not grass feeding hoppers. Because forb feeders were relatively most common on burned sites that had previously been protected from fire longest (four years), change in grasshopper assemblages after fire was particularly pronounced at these sites. Greatest species diversities occurred on sites subjected to intermediate frequency of fire
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Herpetofauna of the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in the Flint Hills region of Kansas with respect to habitat selection - Heinrich, M.L. (Kansas State University, 1984)
Keywords: habitat; prairie; tallgrass

Interactions of the bacterial assemblages in a prairie stream with dissolved organic carbon from riparian vegetation - McArthur, J.V. (Kansas State University, 1984)
Keywords: carbon; stream

Male dickcissel behavior in primary and secondary habitats - Finck, E.J. (The Wilson Bulletin, 1984)
In this paper I document the difference in habitat quality between primary oldfield habitat and secondary prairie habitat and its relationship with arrival times of males and females and female/male sex ratios. Primary habitat is defined as higher quality habitat where individual density is high, while secondary habitats have lower quality habitat and low individual density
Keywords: behavior; habitat

Microarthropods of burned and unburned tallgrass prairie - Seastedt, T.R. (Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 1984)
Microarthropod densities in the top 5 cm of soil of tallgrass prairie averaged 47,700 individuals/m2 on burned sites versus 73,800 individuals/m2 on sites not burned for the last 5 years. Oribatid mites, mesostigmatid mites and collembolans were more numerous on unburned sites while prostigamatid mite numbers were not affected by burning. Densities of microarthropods in the uppermost 5 cm of soil were correlated with the amount of litterfall at various sites, but were not correlated with indices of plant productivity. Numbers of microarthropods at the 5-10 cm layer of soil were not different on burned and unburned sites and averaged 20,200 individuals/m2. A preliminary survey of the mites (Acari) on Konza Prairie indicated a minimum of 81 species. The mite fauna appears as diverse as other temperate ecosystems
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Nest predation and its relationship to habitat and nest density in dickcissels - Zimmerman, J.L. (The Condor, 1984)
Analysis of the histories of over 500 Dickcissel (Spiza americana) nests found in eastern Kansas showed that those in old-field habitats suffered more predation than those in prairies. Predation rates on the prairie, were not correlated with the weeks of the nesting season, but those in old-fields varied significantly with time. Although both predation rates and nest densities increased concurrently to a peak during the middle of the nesting season in old-fields, an analysis of the relationship between nest densities per week and both daily predation rates and the percent of nests lost to predators each week indicated that predation was not density-dependent. Predation rates are higher in old-fields than in prairies, not because of greater nest densities, but perhaps because predators are more abundant in old-fields. Snakes are the most probable nest predator, and their method of hunting, by chance encounters rather than by directed search, is suited to the absence of a density-dependent effect of predation on Dickcissel nests
Keywords: habitat; nest

New records of earthworms from Kansas (Oligochaeta: Acanthodrilidae, Lumbricidae, Megascolecide) - James, S.W. (The Prairie Naturalist, 1984)
Several species of earthworms have been previously recorded from the state of Kansas. Here I report the occurrence of nine more species from Douglas, Geary, and Riley counties. They are Diplocardia prosenteris, D. smithi, D. verrucosa, D. sp. A, D. sp. B, Aporrectodea turgida, Octolasion cyaneum, O. tyrtaeum, and Amynthas hupeiensis. Some brief notes on the biology of the worms are presented
Keywords: earthworm

Nitrogen and phosphorus resorption dynamics of five tree species in a Kansas gallery forest - Killingbeck, K.T. (The American Midland Naturalist, 1984)
The foliar nitrogen and phosphorus contents of 25 gallery forest trees on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area were measured 1 month before and immediately after autumnal abscission in 1979. Leaves from five trees each of bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa), chinquapin oak (Q. muhlenbergii), green ash (Fraxinus pensylvanica), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) and red elm (Ulmus rubra), ranging in diameter from 3-77 cm, were sampled. Total leaf contents varied from 47-219 micrograms nitrogen cm-2 and 4.3-23.8 micrograms phosphorus cm-2. Pre- to postabscission decreases of nitrogen and phosphorus were statisticaly significant in all species except red elm. Mean foliar nitrogen decreases varied from 13.2-54.2% among species and followed the order, chinquapin oak> bur oak> hackberry> green ash> red elm. Mean foliar phosphorus decreases varied from 7.9-36.7% and followed the order, buk oak> chinquapin oak> green ash> hackberry> red elm. Phosphorus reductions were much lower than reductions reported for other hardwood forests in the United States. This may be a function of the availability of soil phosphorus at the various sites. Tree age and diameter were positively correlated with the magnitude of nitrogen reductions. However, stepwise regression models based on all species combined indicated that age and diameter accounted for little of the variance in nitrogen decreases. The measured reductions in foliar nitrogen and phosphorus were not caused by leaching or insect herbivory, but rather were the result of biologically controlled nutrient resorption
Keywords: insect

Observations at a northern harrier nest - Finck, E.J. (Kansas Ornithological Society Bulletin, 1984)
On 15 May 1982 while I was rope-dragging in search of Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) nests, I discovered a Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) nest with six eggs on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in a watershed that had not been burned since the spring of 1980. The nest was the first Northern Harrier nesting record for Konza Prairie and for Geary County
Keywords: nest; Observation

Postburn differences in solar radiation, leaf temperature, and water stress influencing production in a lowland tallgrass prairie - Alan K. Knapp (American Journal of Botany, 1984)
The influence of standing dead biomass on available solar radiation, leaf temperature and leaf water potential of Andropogon gerardii in unburned tallgrass prairie was compared to burned prairie in eastern Kansas. The standing dead reduced photosynthetically active radiation incident on emerging shoots by 58.8% in unburned compared to burned prairie during the initial 30 days of the growing season. Aboveground production in unburned prairie was similarly reduced during this period (55.4%) compared to burned prairie. Leaf temperatures in A. gerardii were greater in unburned prairie than in burned early in the season, but were nearly equal by the end of the growing season. The maximum elevation of leaf temperature in unburned prairie above burned was 9.5 C. The maximum unburned leaf temperature measured was 41.5 C compared to 39.4 C in burned prairie. Lower windspeed adjacent to leaves in unburned prairie resulting in reduced convective cooling may have caused higher leaf temperature in unburned prairie. Leaf water potential was significantly lower in unburned prairie than in burned prairie early in the season but was higher in unburned prairie by late season. The seasonal minimum leaf water potential in burned prairie was -1.60 MPa compared to -1.45 MPa in unburned prairie. The combined effect of these post-burn differences in solar radiation, leaf temperature and leaf water potential may be significant in contributing to the lower production in unburned compared to burned tallgrass prairie
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Preferences and influence of paired food items on energy intake of American robins and gray catbirds - Hazelton, P.K.; Robel, R.J. (Journal of Wildlife Management, 1984)
Seed selection by avian granivores has been studied intensively in laboratories, but comparable studies have not been reported for frugivores. Kantak (1979) and Baird (1980) both postulate that conspicuous color may play a more important role in food selection by frugivores than the size or nutritional quality of the fruit. Knowledge of fruit preferences may increase the effectiveness of habitat improvement programs designed to benefit frugivorous birds. We conducted a study using two frugivorous birds, American robins (Turdus migratorius) and gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis), to provide data on food selection by frugivores in Kansas
Keywords: bird; diet; foot

Rhizosphere nitrogen fixation (C2H2 reduction) associated with the major species of the tallgrass prairie - Blew, R.D. (Emporia State University, 1984)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Size preference for novel objects by the eastern woodrat (Neotoma floridana) under field conditions - Kaufman, D.M.; D.W. Kaufman (Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 1984)
Natural objects such as branches, leaves, bones and rocks are used in the construction and maintenance of houses by eastern woodrats. Woodrats also use novel items, e.g. pieces of metal, introduced into their home ranges. Ireland and Hays (1969) took advantage of this tendency and examined home range size from observations of the use of number tinfoil balls by woodrats. We examined the use of novel items, aluminum foil balls, plased in areas used by woodrats under field conditions to answer two general questions: 1) Do woodrats exhibit a size preference for novel items? 2) Does preference vary with distance between the house or burrow and the available items?
Keywords: rodent; woodrat

Soil structure as influenced by simulated tillage - Powers, D.H.; Skidmore, E.L. (Journal of Soil Science, 1984)
Soil is often intensively manipulated by tillage, equipment traffic, and preparation for laboratory analysis. Realizing that manipulated and reconstituted soils have been and are being used in soil structure research, we used surface-soil samples of cultivated and noncultivated Reading silt loam (fine, mixed, mesic, Typic Argindolls) to evaluate the effects of simulated tillage on soil structure and to determine how well the structures of disturbed soils represent the structures of nondisturbed soils of similar composition. Soil cores 86 by 60 mm were formed after the following treatments had been applied: ultrasonically dispersed and freeze- dried, crushed and passed through a 2 mm sieve, and nondisturbed. The soil structural differences were evaluated by soil-water-characteristic curves, saturated-hydraulic conductivities, compression indices, bulk densities, wet and dry aggregate stabilities, and scanning-electron-microscopy. The results show that the soil structures of reconstituted, intensively or even mildly manipulated soils differ considerably from the nondisturbed soils of the same makeup. The greater the disturbance, the greater the differences between the nondisturbed and disturbed soils. The main differences were caused by the destruction of cements and bridges between individual aggregates, which create large, compound-unit (ped) structures. Additional Index Words: dry-aggregate stability, wet-aggregate stability, compression indices, soil-water characteristic, scanning- electron microscopy
Keywords: soil; tillage

Tallgrass prairies: an ecological analysis of 77 remnants - Eyster-Smith, N.M. (The University of Arkansas, 1984)
Keywords: prairie; remnants; tallgrass

Water relations and growth of three grasses during wet and drought years in a tallgrass prairie - Alan K. Knapp (Oecologia, 1984)
The water relations and growth of three tallgrass prairie species Panicum virgatum, Andropogon gerardii and A. scoparius were examined in irrigated and unwatered prairie in easter Kansas (USA). Measurement of the osmotic potential at full turgor, at zero turgor, and growth of vegetative and reproductive tillers were made in a year with above-normal precipitation and a drought year to evaluate: 1) the ability of these grasses to osmotically adjust in response to water stress and 2) the effect of drought or supplemental water on growth of these species. Although these grasses adjusted osmotically even in the wet year, the degree of adjustment of full turgor and zero turgor in the drought year was relatively large (0.60-0.78 MPa and 0.88-1.34 MPa, respectively) compared to reports for other species. Seasonal minimum values of full turgor and zero turgor for these grasses in the drought year were lower than in most mesic species and seasonal fluctuations in full turgor and zero turgor were greater than reported for most mesic or xeric species. The relatively frequent occurrence of drought in sub-humid tallgrass prairies may partially explain the greater than expected magnitude of osmotic adjustment in these grasses. Irrigation in the wet year increased reproductive biomass in the mesic grass P. virgatum, but had no effect on A. gerardii or the more xeric grass A. scoparius. However, irrigation in the drought year increased maximum shoot biomass in all three grasses significantly with the largest increase in P. virgatum. Reproduction in P. virgatum was also increased more by irrigation in the drought year compared to the other grasses. Irrigation did not increase season's end production of A. gerardii in the wet year, but in the drought year production was 28% greater in irrigated than unwatered prairie. The combination of these water relations and growth responses of the three grasses to wetter than normal and drought years supports their reported distribution along a moisture gradient in tallgrass prairies
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Comparison of the diets of a caching and a noncaching rodent - Reichman, O.J.; Fay, P.A. (The American Naturalist, 1983)
We hypothesized that species which regularly cache food should have more diverse diets while feeding on their stores than species which have not evolved general caching behaviors. Such a diet by caching species would tend to reduce the probability of being left with only poor dietary items late in the period of cache use. To test this hypothesis, we designed an experiment to compare the diets of caching and noncaching species following a period of experimental feeding trials which simulated a caching situation
Keywords: diet; rodent

Cowbird parasitism of dickcissels in different habitats and at different nest densities - Zimmerman, J.L. (The Wilson Bulletin, 1983)
The purposes of this paper are 1) to determine the severity of the impact of the high frequency of cowbird nest parasitism on Dickcissel productivity, 2) analyze the incidence and intensity of parasitism as a function of habitat and the density of host nests, and 3) to assess the productivity of cowbirds in Dickcissel nests
Keywords: habitat

Diabrotica barberi (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) elevated to species rank based on behavior, habitat choice, morphometrics, and geograpical variation of color - Krysan, J.L.; Smith, R.F.; Guss, P.L. (Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 1983)
Based upon laboratory and field studies, and examination of more than 3,500 museum specimens, Diabrotica longicornis barberi Smith and Lawrence is elevated to species rank. Diabrotica barberi and D. longcornis (Say) are distinct species whose ranges overlap in the central plains of the United States. Adults of D. longicornis are characterized by piceous antennae, tibiae, tarsi, and clypeus and are collected from cucurbits. Diabrotica barberi is commonly collected in cornfields and , where it is sympatric with D. longicornis, has yellow to testaceous antennae, tibiae, tarsi, and clypeus. The distinguishing colors prevailed in progeny of field-collected beetles fed from egg hatch to adulthood on a common diet. Sex pheromone extracts which attract D. barberi males did not attract D. longicornis males, and males of each species were attracted by conspecific virgin females but not by females of the other species. In caged sexual compatibility experiments, mating success was asymmetrical.Discrimination analysis of 14 morphometric characters failed to discriminate completely between D. barberi and D. longicornis. Chromatic variation within D. barberi is geographically complex. The distribution of the two taxa is presented
Keywords: behavior; habitat

Effect of microhabitat features on habitat use by Peromyscus leucopus - D.W. Kaufman; Peterson, S.K.; Fristik, R.; Kaufman, G.A. (The American Midland Naturalist, 1983)
Habitat use and selection by the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) were examined in riparian woods and associated grassy, shrubbby and limestone outcrop habitats on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area near Manhattan, Kansas. Analysis of captures on a large, irregular grid (843 stations) demonstrated significant differential use of habitat types by P. leucopus. Selection of habitat types was related to the verticle structure of the vegetation with areas of complex verticle structure (trees with large shrubs, large shrubs without trees or trees with small shrubs) selected over those with less well-developed verticle structure (trees without shrubs, small shrubs without trees or grass). The same basic pattern persisted when microhabitat features in the immediate area of traps were examined. Use of microhabitats associated with rocks, logs, stumps, and fallen trees in the riparian woods revealed greater use of areas with dense cover. The use of microhabitats associated with limestone outcrops confirmed a pattern of greater use of protected than of open areas. Patterns of habitat and microhabitat use were generally consistent with the use of habitat features to avoid predators; however, food distribution was not examined and availability of food in different sites may explain part of the use patterns. Limited observations on habitat selection by Neotoma floridana suggested that competitive interactions between P. leucopus and N. floridana were relatively unimportant in the macro- and microhabitats use patterns of P. leucopus
Keywords: habitat

Effects of burning on populations of three earthworm species in tallgrass prairie - James, S.W. (University of Michigan, 1983)
Keywords: population; tallgrass prairie

The effects of fire, litter and ash on flowering in Andropogon gerardii - Peterson, N.J. (Department of Biology Western Michigan University, 1983)
The objective of this study was to evaluate the relative importance of the direct effects of burning on inflorescence production in Andropogon gerardii. Major treatments used included all possible combinations of presence and absence of fire, litter, and ash. The environmental variables measured included soil moisture, soil temperature, available soil nitrogen, and amount of light at the soil surface. Soil moisture was significantly less on burned plots than on unburned plots. No significant differences in available soil nitrogen were observed. Soil temperatures were significantly higher and light at the soil surface was increased when the organic material was removed. Inflorescence per m2 of canopy cover was significantly increased by the presence of fire. Litter removal and addition of ash did not significantly affect inflorescence production. The results indicate for the first time that the presence of fire itself was a more important environmental cue for increased flowering than removal of litter or addition of ash by burning
Keywords: flowering

Effects of fire on rodents in tallgrass prairie of the Flint Hills region of eastern Kansas - D.W. Kaufman; Kaufman, G.A.; Finck, E.J. (The Prairie Naturalist, 1983)
Fire in tallgrass prairie reduces the amount of litter on the soil surface and enhances primary productivity in the first year following a fire. If the site is left unburned and ungrazed, a gradual increase in litter depth and a decrease in primary productivity occurs during the first few years following a fire. Based on these habitat changes and the habitat selection and food habits of prairie rodents, e.g., Peromyscus maniculatus, Reithrodontomys megalotis and Microtus ochrogaster, major shifts in rodent density should occur the first few years following a fire. We trapped four sites, each representing a different year of a 4-year cycle of burning, to analyze the effect of periodic fires on rodent populations in the tallgrass prairie. We also trapped a study site that is burned annually for comparison of the effect of annual fires to the 4-year cycle. Data are also presented to examine the effects of time since fire and fire frequency on rodent population
Keywords: rodent; tallgrass prairie

Fire interval effects on flowering of grasses in Kansas bluestem prairie - Hulbert, L.C.; Wilson, J.K. (Department of Biology, Southwest Missouri State University, 1983)
The height, density, and weight of flower stems of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi), Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans), and little bluestem (A. scoparius) on ungrazed areas burned in spring of 1979 differed with respect to time elapsed since the areas had been last burned: 1, 2, or 6 years previously. These results were found on deep, fertile soils on lower slopes in areas experimentally burned on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in Geary County, Kansas. Height, density, and weight of flower stems of big bluestem were highly significantly greater as the length of interval increased. Indian grass and little bluestem showed some of the same tendency, but primarily showed marked reductions in the 6-year interval area, resulting in an increased dominance by big bluestem
Keywords: flowering; prairie; tallgrass

The influence of neighboring hosts on colonization of prairie milkweeds by a seed-feeding bug - Evans, E.W. (Ecology, 1983)
At Konza Prairie, Kansas, milkweeds (Asclepias viridis) were mapped and censused repeatedly to examine the influence of neighboring conspecifics on colonization of individual host plants by adults of the seed bug Lygaeus kalmii. Analysis by multiple regression suggests that the primary determination of abundance of adult bugs on a host plant was the plant's own pod (seed) production; abundance of adult bugs also increased, however, with increasing pod production by adjacent plants. This neighborhood effect was limited to plants immediately adjacent to a host plant; pod density greater than 3 m distant from hosts had little influence on colonization of hosts by bugs. Mark-recapture studies revealed differences in responses of the two sexes of L. kalmii to neighboring pod density, males lingered longer, while females lingered less on individual plants when these plants were surround by many vs fewer pods. Damage from L. kalmii sustained by milkweeds, thus result from a complex interplay of reproductive behaviors of individual host plants, their neighbors, and their seed predators. (Key words: Asclepias viridis, host plant colonization, host plant dispersion, insect mark-recapture, insect/plant association, Lygaeus kalmii, milkweed, tallgrass prairie)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Male behavior, territory quality and female choice in the dickcissel (Spiza americana) - Finck, E.J. (Kansas State University, 1983)
Keywords: behavior

Nestling growth relationships of brown-headed cowbirds and dickcissels - Hatch, S.A. (The Wilson Bulletin, 1983)
In 1974 I collected data on the growth relationships of Brown-headed Cowbirds and Dickcissels (Spiza americana) in prairie habitat in eastern Kansas (Konza Prairie Research Natural Area). The intensity of cowbird parisitism in this study was extremely high -- I found nests containing as many as nine cowbird eggs and three host eggs. More than one cowbird was evidently laying in many of the nests, behavior that may present some intricate evolutionary problems with respect to clutch-size manipulation of the cowbirds
Keywords: cowbirds; dickcissels; Nestling

Refuge design and ecological theory: lessons for prairie and forest conservation - Simberloff, D.; Gotelli, N. (Department of Biology, Western Michigan University, 1983)
We are far from experts on prairie vegetation, but we can summarize some contributions that academic biology-ecology, biogeography, population genetics, etc.-has attempted to make to conservation, assess their value, and comment on whether they may be useful in prairie conservation. Most current academic interest in conservation stems from the observation that, in the face of increasing human population, habitats of all sorts are increasingly insularized. This is as true of prairie as it is of forest. Effects of this insularization can conveniently be divided into two classes: 1) ecological and 2) genetic. We will treat both, though far more has been written and far more information is available about ecological consequences of insularization than about genetic consequences
Keywords: conservation; prairie

The rhinoceros beetle, Xyloryctes jamaicensis Drury (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae):a locally abundant detritivore of a Kansas riparian forest - Seastedt, T.R. (Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 1983)
Third stage larvae of the rhinoceros beetle, Xyloryctes jamaicensis Drury (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae), were abundant during autumn 1981 in litter and upper soil horizons of a bur oak- hackberry forest near Manhattan, Kansas. Densities of larvae ranged from 0 to 3.7 individuals/m2 within forest transects, while amounts of fecal pellets of these larvae ranged from 28.2 to 463.1 g/m2 along these same transects. No third stage larvae were present the following autumn, suggesting that the population is dominated by a particular brood. Fecal pellets exhibited slow decay rates (10%/yr), and the amount of pellets on the forest floor represents the relative abundance of several generations of larvae
Keywords: beetle; prairie; tallgrass

Sampling grasshoppers (Orhoptera:Acrididae ) on burned and unburned tallgrass prairie: night trapping vs. sweeping - Evans, E.W.; Rogers, R.A.; Opfermann, D.J. (Environmental Entomology, 1983)
Two techniques, sweeping with a canvas net and night trapping with a protable trap, were compared as means of sampling Acridid grasshoppers in burned and unburned tallgrass prairie in eastern Kansas. Mark-release experiements revealed that night traps on both burned and unburned sites throughout the summer captured roughly three-fourths of the grasshoppers when the weather was clear and warm; thus, the technique provides good estimates of seasonal change in absolute density. Ability to capture grasshoppers on unburned vs burned prairie differed for sweep sampling (in contrast to night trapping); only 30% to 40% as many grasdshoppers (per grasshopper present) were collected by sweeping on unburned vs. burned sites. Furthermore, grasshoppers were captured more readily by sweeping as they grew older. Therefore, sweeping provided poor estimates of how the relative abundance of grasshoppers 1) changed seasonally at a site, and 2) differed between burned and unburned sites. Sweeping and night trapping provided similar estimates of the relative abundance of individual specieis present at any one place and time on either burned or unburned prairie
Keywords: grasshopper; tallgrass prairie

Success in a secondary habitat: the dickcissel in the tallgrass prairie - Zimmerman, J.L.; Finck, E.J. (Department of Biology Western Michigan University, 1983)
The dickcissel (Spiza americana) is the most abundant species in the breeding-season community of the tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Yet prairie is not the most preferred habitat; nesting density is as much as five times greater in mature oldfield communities. As a result of low nest density, prairie dickcissels suffer a significantly higher frequency as well as intensity of parasitism by the brown -headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) which reduces the production of young because of the removal of host eggs by the female cowbird. Prairie populations with low nest density, on the other hand, have a decreased chance of nests being destroyed by predators. Thus there is an offsetting balance between the two major factors affecting nest success so that the daily survival rate and the production of young in a prairie nest are no different from a nest in the oldfield community
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with native tall grass prairie and cultivated winter wheat - Hetrick, B.A.D.; Bloom, J. (Canadian Journal of Botany, 1983)
More vesicular- arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungal species and significantly more fungal spores were recovered from undisturbed prairie soils than four winter wheat field soils in Kansas through the 1980-1981 growing season. Two previously undescribed sporocarpic species of Engogonaccae were found in prairie samples but have not been successfully established in pot culture, leaving the genus to which they belong unclear. Though variable, 11-50% VAM root colonization was evident in all prairie grass roots sampled throughout the year. In contrast, no identifiable VAM root colonization was evident in wheat until May after flowering when 27% root colonization was observed. During the 1981-1982 growing season, roots of two other wheat fields were sampled with similar results. No colonization occurred until May when 8% root colonization was evident. The possible influence of such low levels of root colonization occurring quite late in the growing season of winter wheat is discussed
Keywords: fungi; tallgrass; wheat

Chemical changes in tree leaves during decomposition in a tallgrass prairie stream - Killingbeck, K.T.; Smith, D.L.; Marzolf, G.R. (Ecology, 1982)
As part of an investigation into the movement patterns of elements in a prairie watershed, we performed preliminary leaf pack experiments in which the concentrations of 10 elements were measured in undecomposed gallery forest litterfall, and in the same litterfall as it decomposed in the adjacent tallgrass prairie stream. What we report here are the patterns of concentration change in these 10 elements for three dominant gallery forest tree species during 16 weeks of in-stream decomposition
Keywords: decomposition; leaf; prairie; stream; tallgrass

Effects of fire and soil type on earthworm populations in a tallgrass prairie - James, S.W. (Pedobiologia, 1982)
This paper concerns the effect on the earthworms of fire, a vital component of prairie ecology. Prairie has two specific effects: 1) spring burned plots have greater production of grass shoots and roots than unburned plots, and 2) soil temperatures are higher and moisture content lower in spring burned plots than in unburned plots. While increased plant productivity should allow greater earthworm population density, the effect of the harsher soil climate could be adverse
Keywords: earthworm; population; prairie; tallgrass

Hail damage to breeding birds and their nests on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area - Finck, E.J. (Kansas Ornithological Society Bulletin, 1982)
This report documents damage caused by high winds and hail to breeding birds and their nests on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area about 12 km south of Manhattan, KS in Riley and Geary Counties
Keywords: bird; damage; Hail; prairie

Lead in soil, plants, insects, and small mammals along three Kansas highways - O'Neill, D.H. (Kansas State University, 1982)
Keywords: highway; Lead; pollution

Macroinvertebrates and leaf litter decomposition in a tallgrass prairie stream - Smith, D.L. (Kansas State University, 1982)
Keywords: decomposition; leaf; stream

Nesting success of dickcissels (Spiza americana ) in preferred and less preferred habitats - Zimmerman, J.L. (The Auk, 1982)
Habitat selection in the Dickcissel (Spiza americana) was evaluated by a comparison of over 500 nest histories from the preferred oldfield and the less preferred prairie communities in Kansas. Females are equally successful in either habitat, and their productivity is not adversely affected by their being mated by polygynous males. Thus, these two habitats are similarly suitable for females, and females are distributed simploy according to the availability of adequate nesting environments and not in any density-dependent manner or in response to density cues. No differences exist in survival rates of nests associated with individual males or in the males' individual productivities between prairies and oldfields when monogamous and bigamous males are compared. The oldfield habitat is more suitable for males, however, because the potential for sequestering more nesting sites is greater in this more heterogeneous habitat. This permits higher levels of polygyny, which increases the productivity of individual males, even though densities of birds in oldfields are greater
Keywords: habitats; nest

Organic matter loading and processing in a pristine stream draining a tallgrass prairie/riparian forest watershed - Gurtz, M.E.; Marzolf, G.R.; Killingbeck, K.T.; Smith, D.L.; McArthur, J.V. (Kansas Water Resources Research Institute Contribution No, 1982)
The means by which organic matter enters and leaves streams and the rates at which it does so are significant determinants of water quality. This report documents the import, storage, decomposition, and export of organic matter in a prairie stream from natural sources in a watershed on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area that contains no human activity other than ecological research. This prairie stream has features that differ from streams in forested watersheds. During this one-year study, the headwater channels were ephemeral and drained watersheds vegetated by grasses rather than trees. They received less organic matter from the watershed but retained a larger fraction of it. Intermittent third and fourth order channels flowed through riparian gallery forest in the lower portions of the watershed and received more organic matter than headwater channels. They retained less of it during the period of flow (i.e., more was exported during storm flows) so in situ decomposition was reduced. These exports represent pulses of organic matter loading downstream
Keywords: organic matter; prairie; stream; tallgrass

Seasonal nitrogen translocation in big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii Vitman, in Kansas during a drought year - Hayes, D.C. (Kansas State University, 1982)
Keywords: grassland; nitrogen; translocation

Woodrats collecting house building materials: central place foraging for nonfood items - McGinley, M.A. (Kansas State University, 1982)
Keywords: bird; forage; material

Use of artificial perches on burned and unburned tallgrass prairie - Knodel-Montz, J.J. (The Wilson Bulletin, 1981)
Keywords: tallgrass prairie

Breeding bird censuses in the Flint Hills of Kansas - Knodel, J.J. (American Birds, 1980)
The following 4 breeding bird censuses were conducted on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, a native bluestem prairie characterized by flat-topped uplands with steep flint-bearing limestone and shale. The soil on the ridge is shallow and rocky, defying cultivation. The uplands slope downward to streams from underground springs or valleys with deep permeable soil. Commercial cattle grazing is the major use. A number of burning and mowing treatments are being studied to approximate the pre-settlement ecosystem; 2 censuses were on annually burned prairie; 2 on unburned prairie. Precipitation average 3.09 inches in June and 5.5 inches in July. Temperatures ranged from 65-86 F
Keywords: bird; breeding; Flint Hills

Decomposition of litter in Kansas bluestem prairie - Brehm, R.W.; Hulbert, L.C. (Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 1980)
From 1 April to 26 August 1978, about 45 percent of the aboveground standing dead plant material and litter disappeared in ungrazed bluestem prairie on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Geary County, Kansas, USA. In plots trampled on April 1 to compact the material close to the soil surface about 55 percent of the material decomposed. The results are based on 10 replications in native prairie on deep, productive, silty-clay loam at two sites, 1 and 5 years since burning
Keywords: bluestem; decomposition; litter; prairie

Predation on red-winged blackbird eggs and nestlings - Shipley, F.S. (The Wilson Bulletin, 1979)
The contents of red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) nests are subject to extensive and highly variable losses. Normally, most red-wing eggs fail to produce young that are able to leave the nest. Most researchers have found 60 to 100% of the losses to be due to predation on nest contents, where the entire brood or clutch is lost at once. Fewer than 5% of the losses normally appear to be related to starvation of nestlings or nestling competition. The remainder of the losses (under 40%) result from a variety of causes, including egg infertility, nest desertion, and nest tipping due to growth of the supporting vegetation. In this study, I relate predatory losses of red-wing nestlings and eggs to water depth at nest-sites, habitat type, and number of young in the nest. My studies were done in east-central Kansas; several previous authors have presented data from similar studies in other parts of the range of the Red-winged Blackbird
Keywords: blackbird; predation

Controlling experimental bluestem prairie fires - Hulbert, L.C. (Iowa State University, 1978)
Procedures are described that have been developed for experimental burning of 10 to 20 ha watersheds on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in bluestem prairie near Manhattan, Kansas. First the fuel supply is reduced by July mowing and haying. In the autumn or spring fire guards about one meter wide are burned around the boundary of each watershed by burning between strips of metal edged with a band of chains which are pulled behind a tractor. Fire swatters and power water pumps are used to extinguish any fire that is left as the metal strips pass. At the time of the main burn two crews proceed in opposite directions from the middle of the leeward side. The fire is started next to the fire guard, with the crews ready in case the fire escapes. By the time the fire is started on the windward side, the fire has burned some distance back from the fire guard on the leeward side. The system works well in reasonable weather conditions
Keywords: bluestem; fire; prairie

Effect of standing dead plants on stem density in bluestem prairie - Dokken, D.A.; Hulbert, L.C. (Iowa State University, 1978)
Dokken, D.A., and L.C. Hulbert (1978) Effect of standing dead plants on stem density in bluestem prairie. In D.C. Glenn-Lewin and R.Q. Landers Jr. (eds): Proceedings of the Fifth Midwest Prairie Conference, Extension Courses and Conferences. Ames,IA: Iowa State University, pp. 78-81. Stem density in bluestem or tallgrass prairie was measured on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area near Manhattan, Kansas. Density of steam, both flowering and nonflowering, and depth and oven-dry weight of standing dead plants were measured on two soils, deep and shallow, on areas 0, 1, and 3 years after late-spring burning. On deep soil stem density of Andropogon scoparius was significantly reduced in one year without burning, and for Sorghastrum nutans and Boutelous curtipendula in 3 years. Andropogon gerardii , the dominant grass, decreased in stem density less rapidly, and so became relatively more dominant as standing dead accumulated. Poa pratensis , in contrast, increased in stem density with time after burning. That was the expected result because it is injured by late- spring burning. For ten species correlation coefficients between stem density and oven-dry weight or depth of standing dead were statistically significant. For most species the correlations were negative, including the dominant species and all species combined. Depth Of standing dead correlated with stem density about as well as did weight of standing dead, which could be of importance decause depth can be obtained must more easily than weight
Keywords: density; plant; prairie; stem

Natural area needs for range research - Hulbert, L.C. (Proceedings of the International Rangeland Congress, 1978)
Range research should include the natural ecosystem as part of the experiemental design much more than it has in the past. We need to study natural ecosystems and compare them with domestic- animal-grazed systems to gain research objectives and detect unintended effects much earlier than without such comparisons. Where natural ecosystem research areas are not available, they should be promptly established because suitable sites continually decline. Fortunately, support for natural area preservation and research is increasing rapidly
Keywords: range

The use of beta attenuation to measure productivity, foliage height diversity and vegetational heterogeneity in tallgrass prairie - Johnson, M.P.; Oksanen, L.; Finney, C. (Iowa State University, 1978)
The attenuation of beta radiation by prairie standing crop was measured in quadrats which were also harvested. Attentuation and harvest measurements were made at weekly intervals and at five sites differing in soil type and/or burning treatment. Attenuation measurements were made within each quadrat accross both the vertical and horizontal dimensions. Living and dead biomass were separated at harvest for dry weight determinations. Attenuation measurements are excellent predictors of standing crop. The vertical profile of measurements may be used to determine foliage height diversity. Patterns of temporal and spatial heterogeneity in vegetation are also shown by this particular set of measurements
Keywords: diversity; foliage; heterogeneity; measurement

Emlen transects in Kansas habitats - Zimmerman, J.L. (Kansas Ornithological Society Bulletin, 1977)
The Emlen strip census (Emlen, 1971, 1972) is becoming more and more widely used as a means to measure bird populations, particularly in environmental impact assessment programs. This method has the advantage of being rapid, applicable to a wide variety of habitats, and usable during all seasons of the year. Yet the data produced are only estimates of relative density and hence of minimal value for comparisons between sites and seasons and not usable at all in attempts to determine community biomass densities. Absolute densities can be derived only if empirically determined correction factors (coefficients and detectability) are calculated. Emlen (1971) hypothesized that these coefficients might be species-specific for a given habitat at a given season. If this hypothesis were true and standard coefficients determined, the cost for bird population census work would be decreased and its value in the description of ecological communities would be enhanced
Keywords: habits; kansas; transect

Azotobacter of the Konza Prairie - Harris, J.O. (Division of Biology Kansas State University, 1973)
A preliminary study of occurrence of Azotobacter chroococcum was made on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Geary County, Kansas, an area of native bluestem prairie, as a beginning of a study of nitrogen relationships in bluestem prairie. Azotobacter was abundant in soils near neutrality, and decreased in accundance with increasing acidity, being absent at pH values of 5.80 and below
Keywords: Azotobacter; prairie

Management of Konza Prairie to approximate pre-white-man fire influences - Hulbert, L.C. (Division of Biology, Kansas State University, 1973)
Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, 916 acres (370.9 hectares) of unplowed native bluesteam prairie, 10 miles south of Manhattan, Kansas, was purchased in 1971 by The Nature Conservancy and given to the Kansas State University Endowment Association for ecological research. The objective of management is to approximate the pre-white-man prairie ecosystem. Fires in that system were caused by lightning and Indians. Although lightning occurs primarily during the growing season, lightning storms have been recorded every month of the year. Spring has a slightly higher incidence of lightning than autumn. A burning plan has been developed for Konza Prairie with four replications of six treatments: unburned, burned in late April at 1-, 2-, 4-, and 10-year intervals, and burned after years when precipitation was at least 1.2 times the mediam. These treatments include the possible range of fire occurrence in pre-white-man times, so they should allow us to assess both the ways fire affects prairie and the frequencies that result in perpetuating prairie in good condition
Keywords: disturbance; fire; management; prairie