Konza Prairie LTER VI: Grassland Dynamics and Long-Term Trajectories of Change

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Since its inception in 1980, long-term studies and experiments at Konza Prairie, Kansas, have been linked by an overarching theme that integrates fire, grazing and climate variability as essential and interactive factors responsible for the origin, evolution, persistence and functioning of tallgrass prairie. Because human activities are directly, by managing grazers and fire, and indirectly, by changing atmospheric chemistry and climate, altering the key drivers of ecological processes in grasslands worldwide, Konza research is increasingly used to address critical global change issues. In this proposal, core Konza experiments and datasets will be extended, while new experiments, datasets and cross-site studies are initiated. Studies of woody plant encroachment into grasslands will be expanded. Multi-site studies are a very strong aspect of the Konza program, and include collaborative work in sub-Saharan Africa to test models of grassland function developed at Konza. The Konza program leverages a large amount of funding for education and outreach, with impressive results. A remarkable number of graduate students have obtained their degree through Konza research. The Konza schoolyard K-12 program serves thousands of students through the 125 educational programs administered annually. Minority participation in the schoolyard and undergraduate research programs is stellar. The new focus on restoration of degraded grassland ecosystems has important implications for conservation and maintenance of biodiversity.