Infrastructure improvements in support of grassland and native grazer research at Konza Prairie Biological Station

改善基础设施，支持孔扎草原生物站的草原和本土食草动物研究

• 批准号: 1720806
• 负责人: Eva Horne
• 金额: $ 22.49万
• 依托单位: Kansas State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-08-15 至 2020-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1720806&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Infrastructure; improvements; support; grassland; native

The Konza Prairie Biological Station (KPBS) is home to an unique large-scale, long-term experiment designed to understand how fire, grazing, and climate contribute to the function and maintenance of highly endangered grassland ecosystems. Research conducted on the bison herd resident at KPBS is an essential component to this understanding. In addition to examining the direct effects of bison grazing on the ecosystem, studies also examine the indirect effects of bison grazing on the behavior and diversity of other species, as well as characteristics of the bison (seasonal weight gains, reproduction, etc.) in response to grassland conditions such as drought. All KPBS bison have a unique ID and because each individual is weighed annually, KPBS now has the longest continuous database of individual weight gains of a native ungulate population in the world. However, these weights are mostly recorded during the fall round-up and so provide only a partial picture of bison performance. New, remote Tru-Test scales, capable of taking weights on bison as they walk across the scales, will be installed onsite and provide important data on changes in weight throughout the year. Also, the corral used for the annual round-up will be expanded to include eight working pens that will provide new opportunities for research on individual bison (such as feeding trials). Finally, additional access gates will be added to the bison perimeter fence at key sampling areas in order to increase efficiency and safety for all scientists needing access the bison grazed area. These upgrades will not only assure the continuation of the bison grazing experiment that is essential to several long-term research initiatives (e.g. the KPBS Long Term Ecological Research program and the National Ecological Observatory Network) and to individual investigators, but will also increase the flexibility of the site and open opportunities for future research. The new avenues of research generated by this expansion will also add to the numerous educational and training activities already conducted at KPBS or using data generated on-site. The KPBS will continue to benefit science and society through basic, policy-relevant, and applied research while providing opportunity and training for students in an endangered grassland ecosystem.Grazing by free roaming large mammalian herbivores was a key driver of the structure and function of North American grasslands prior to European settlement. Geographically, bison were distributed in large and small herds throughout the tallgrass, mixed grass, and shortgrass prairies where they had significant impact on ecosystem processes. For this reason, understanding the ecological role of bison in tallgrass prairies has been considered an essential overarching research goal at the Konza Prairie Biological Station (KPBS - http://kpbs.konza.k-state.edu/) since its inception. The bison experiment simulates near natural patterns of bison grazing and impacts on the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, including interactions with the key ecosystem drivers of fire and climate. The herd is managed to provide a year-long grazing intensity typical of natural sub-humid tall grasslands resulting in approximately 25% removal of annual aboveground net primary production (ANPP). In addition to the effects of bison grazing on grassland structure and function, studies also examine bison performance (e.g. seasonal weight gains) in response to grassland conditions. All KPBS bison have unique IDs and because each individual is weighed annually during fall round-up, KPBS now has the longest continuous database of individual weight gains of a native ungulate population in the world. This award will support three aspects of the bison experiments; new remote scales, modification of an existing corral and new access points in the perimeter of the existing bison fence. Installation of additional remote Tru-Test scales will increase the frequency of seasonal bison mass data at KBPS and add long-term value to the current extensive database managed by KPBS. The corral will also be expanded to include eight working pens that will provide new opportunities for research on individual bison (e.g. pen feeding trials). Finally, additional access points will be added to the bison perimeter fence at key sampling areas to increase efficient use and safety for all scientists needing access to the bison grazed area. These upgrades are necessary to maintain the existing long-term bison grazing experiment on KPBS that is essential to the KPBS Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program, National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), numerous other investigators (both K-State and non K-State scientists) and, more importantly, to increase the flexibility of this valuable long-term experiment for current and future investigators.

康扎草原生物站（KPBS）是一个独特的大规模、长期实验的所在地，旨在了解火、放牧和气候如何促进高度濒危草原生态系统的功能和维持。对居住在KPBS的野牛群进行的研究是这种理解的重要组成部分。除了研究野牛放牧对生态系统的直接影响外，研究还研究了野牛放牧对其他物种的行为和多样性的间接影响，以及野牛对干旱等草原条件的反应（季节性体重增加、繁殖等）。所有KPBS野牛都有一个唯一的ID，因为每只野牛每年称重，KPBS现在拥有世界上最长的本地有蹄类种群个体体重增加的连续数据库。然而，这些体重大多是在秋季围捕期间记录的，因此只能提供野牛表现的部分情况。新的远程Tru-Test秤将安装在现场，能够测量野牛在秤上行走时的体重，并提供全年体重变化的重要数据。此外，用于年度围捕的畜栏将扩大到包括八个工作围栏，这将为研究单个野牛（如喂养试验）提供新的机会。最后，将在关键采样区域的野牛围栏上增加额外的入口门，以提高所有需要进入野牛放牧区域的科学家的效率和安全性。这些升级不仅将确保野牛放牧实验的继续，这对几个长期研究计划（例如KPBS长期生态研究计划和国家生态观测网）和个人调查员来说是必不可少的，而且还将增加场地的灵活性，为未来的研究提供机会。这一扩展所产生的新的研究途径也将增加在KPBS已经进行或使用现场产生的数据的众多教育和培训活动。KPBS将继续通过基础研究、政策相关研究和应用研究造福科学和社会，同时为濒危草原生态系统的学生提供机会和培训。在欧洲人定居之前，自由漫游的大型食草哺乳动物的放牧是北美草原结构和功能的关键驱动因素。在地理上，野牛以大小群分布在高草、混交草和短草草原上，对生态系统过程产生了重大影响。因此，了解野牛在高草草原的生态作用一直被认为是康扎草原生物站（KPBS - http://kpbs.konza.k-state.edu/）成立以来的一个重要的总体研究目标。野牛实验模拟了接近自然的野牛放牧模式及其对高草草原生态系统的影响，包括与火灾和气候等关键生态系统驱动因素的相互作用。牧群管理提供了一年的放牧强度，典型的自然半湿润高草原导致每年地上净初级生产量（ANPP）减少约25%。除了放牧对草原结构和功能的影响外，研究还考察了野牛在草原条件下的表现（如季节性体重增加）。所有的KPBS野牛都有唯一的id，因为每只野牛每年都会在秋季采集期间称重，KPBS现在拥有世界上最长的本地有蹄类种群个体体重增加的连续数据库。该奖项将支持野牛实验的三个方面；新的远程尺度，现有畜栏的修改和现有野牛围栏周边的新接入点。安装额外的远程Tru-Test秤将增加KBPS季节性野牛群数据的频率，并为KPBS管理的目前广泛的数据库增加长期价值。畜栏还将扩大到包括8个工作围栏，这将为单个野牛的研究提供新的机会（例如围栏喂养试验）。最后，将在关键采样区域的野牛周边围栏上增加额外的接入点，以提高所有需要进入野牛放牧区域的科学家的效率和安全性。这些升级对于维持现有的长期野牛放牧实验是必要的，这对KPBS长期生态研究（LTER）计划，国家生态观测站网络（NEON），许多其他研究者（包括K-State和非K-State科学家）至关重要，更重要的是，为当前和未来的研究者增加这项有价值的长期实验的灵活性。