The KBS LTER Project: Long-term Ecological Research in Row-crop Agriculture

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The Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) LTER project was initiated in 1987 and since then has provided experimental and observational research designed to understand the basic internal ecological relationships that control productivity of field crop ecosystems in North America, independent of external inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers. The project has combined comparative and experimental studies of various cropping systems and unmanaged successional communities to provide ecological knowledge that can direct efficient agronomic management. This project will continue that long-term line of research and will expand it to address understanding and valuation of ecosystem services. This LTER renewal project develops an enlarged conceptual framework that integrates regional watershed and social context into the causes-consequences of changing agricultural ecology and economy. This project contributes to understanding of the structure, function, and dynamics of agricultural ecosystems, advancing understanding of the ecological interactions that underpin productive, sustainable, low-impact agriculture. It assembles and integrates valuable long-term data sets on climate, hydrology, biology, ecology, biogeochemical processes, and other elements of the local and regional ecosystems. The project has broad societal value through its contributions to improved management of agricultural ecosystems. Its broader values also include extensive research-based training, educational program development and K-12 teacher training, and strong and diverse outreach to the public and to policy-makers.