Enhancement of Research Facilities at the Kansas Ecological Reserves

堪萨斯生态保护区（KER）包括在高草草原-东部落叶林交错带的各种管理的自然和实验区。最近，克尔的生态研究已经发展到包括个人和合作研究努力的多样化组合，并趋向于开发长期项目和实验操纵的生态系统，包括陆地和水生。开发得到了机构、私人和联邦来源的资金支持。本项目将从三个方面加强研究设施：(1)在整个克尔地区安装一个调查现场网格，用于地理参考研究地点和实地研究设施；(2)通过增加关键设备，如UNIX工作站、软件等，扩大数据库管理系统和地理信息系统，并建立一套核心地图覆盖范围；(3)建造一个板条房，用于植物种群和水生研究。这一改进将支持正在进行的研究项目，使野外观测站对外部研究人员更具吸引力，并促进针对更大空间和时间尺度的研究。

The Kansas Ecolgical Reserves (KER) includes a wide variety of managed natural and experimental areas in the tallgrass prairie-eastern deciduous forest ecotone. Recently ecological research at KER has grown to include a diverse assemblage of individual and collaborative research efforts with a trend toward developing long-term projects and experimentally manipulated ecosystems, both terrestrial and aquatic. Development was assisted by funds from institutional, private, and federal sources. This project will enhance research facilities in three ways: (1) to install a surveyed field grid for georeferencing study sites and field research facilities throughout KER, (2) to expand the database management system and GIS by adding key equipment, such as a UNIX workstation, software, etc., and by establishing a set of core map coverages, and (3) construction of a lath house that will be used for plant population and aquatic studies. The enhancement will supportvongoing research programs, make the field station more attractive for outside investigators, and foster research aimed at larger spatial and temporal scales.