| STUDY OBJECTIVE | YEAR INITIATED | SAMPLING FREQUENCY | EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN | REFERENCE for DETAILS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Bouteloua gracilis seed production- Evaluate temporal and spatial variability of seed production of B. gracilis. | 1989 | 1/yr. | 5 sites X 2 grazing X 3 blocks X 3 transects X 11 plants | Coffin and Lauenroth 1992 |
| 2. Plant Phenology- Monitor major events in the life cycle of plants. | 1996 | weekly, Apr-Oct | 31 species and 7 phenological stages (winter dormancy, 1st visible leaves, peak green biomass (possible multiple dates), 1st floral buds, floral buds and open flowers (anthesis in grasses), green and ripe fruit and dispersing seeds, dispersing seeds and senescence | Dickinson and Dodd 1976 |
| 3. Small Mammals- Monitor small mammal populations in Atriplex-grassland habitats. | 1987 | 1/yr. (late summer) | 3 5.0 ha reps X 256 traps spaced 15m apart | McEwen submitted |
| 4. Small Mammals II- Assess spatial and temporal patterns of abundance and community composition of small mammals among representative shortgrass steppe vegetation types. | 1994 | 2/yr. (mid spring, late summer) | 6 webs (3 in shrub areas, 3 in upland prairie) X 124 traps X 4 nights | Stapp 1996 (dissertation) Lindquist et al. 1995 |
| 5. Lagomorphs- Assess spatial and temporal patterns of abundance and community composition of lagomorphs among representative shortgrass steppe vegetation types. | 1994 | 4/yr. (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct) | 32-km route driven one night per 4 seasons to spotlight rabbits | Stapp 1996 (dissertation) Lindquist et. al 1995 |
| 6. Canids- Assess spatial and temporal patterns of abundance and community composition of canids among representative shortgrass steppe vegetation types. | 1994 | 4/yr. (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct) | 32-km route driven once to remove scats; driven 1-2 wks. later to count/collect scats | Stapp 1996 (dissertation) |
| 7. Christmas Bird Count- Monitor winter bird populations. | 1972 | annual | 15 mile diameter circle | Braun 1994 |
| 8. Breeding Birds- Monitor breeding birds in accordance with continent-wide scheme | 1968 | 5/yr. | 50 stops, one every 1/2 mile on established route | Porter and Ryder 1974 |
| 9. June Beetles- Monitor adult densities as an index to larval abundance. | 1983-89, 1996- | weekly during growing season | light trap | Wiener and Capinera 1980 |
| 10. Arthropods- Monitor arthropod densities and community diversity. | 1994 | 2-4 yr. cycles of 3 yr. sampling | 80 pitfalls X 6 webs X 4 periods X 6 days | McIntyre |
| 11. ANPP- Monitor ANPP at 6 sites (3 topographic positions, 1 ungrazed, fine & coarse texture (shrubland) soil sites) in conjunction with soil water, plant-N dynamics data sets. | 1983 (fine/coarse in 1991) | 1/yr | 6 sites X 3 trans. X 5 quadr. (0.25m™) | Lauenroth et al. 1986 |
| 12. Plant-N Dynamics- seasonal and long-term tissue N concentrations. | 1984 | 6/yr | 4 sites X 3 sample reps X 3 species | Milchunas |
| 13. Vegetation N-yield- Nitrogen concentration and yield from ANPP plots for Bogr, Spco, and others. | 1987 | 1/yr | 6 sites X 15 clip quadrats X 3 veg. types | Milchunas |
| 14. Increased Temperature, Water, & N- Effects on species composition, ANPP, & above-/belowground decomposition. | 1995 | 1/yr | 2 blocks X 4 trts.(control, water, N, W+N) + 60 warming chambers in control, W | Lauenroth and Burke |
| 15. Patterns and Controls of N20 and CH4 Fluxes- Determine impact of land use and management on trace gas fluxes through long-term measurement of gas fluxes and controlling parameters. | 1990 | weekly | 20 sites X 6 locations (measured soil-atmosphere exchange of N2), CH4, CO2, and NO) | Mosier et al. 1991 |
| 16. BNPP (root biomass)- Root biomass dynamics in conjunction with long-term C14 turn-over experiment. | 1985 | monthly thru growing season | 8 areas | Milchunas and Lauenroth 1992 |
| 17. C14 Dynamics/Turnover- Short- and long-term carbon dynamics in aboveground, crown, root, and soil on pulse-labeled plots. | 1985 | 3, 5, 2, 1/yr, now biannual | 8 locations X 5 plots X 2 dephts | Milchunas and Lauenroth 1992 |
| 18. N15 Studies- Determine the long-term dynamics of added N at the landscape scale. | 1981 | 1/10 yr | 2 locations (midslope & swale) X 4 cylinders (10cm diam. X 40cm height) per sampling period | Delgado et al. 1955 |
| 19. N15 retention/grazing-topography- Evaluate N retention in plant (leaf, crown, root) & soil (fast, slow, recalcitrant pools). | 1988 | 1/5 yr, now decadal | 2 grazing treatments X 2 topopositions X 3 plots | Burke |
| 20. Elevated CO2- Evaluate shortgrass steppe ecosystem dynamics and trace gas exchange under elevated CO2. | New in 1996 | weekly | 6 large open-top chambers at 1 site | Mosier |
| 21. Individual Plants + Grazing - Topography Interactions on SOM- Evaluate accumulation of SOM under plants. | 1995 | 1/5 yr | 3 locations each with 3 landscape positions (summit, midslope, swale) | Burke and Lauenroth |
| 22. Automated Micromet- Monitor microclimatic variables. | 1970 | hourly | precip., wind dir., wind spd., air temp., surface temp., dew pt. temp., vapor pr., total radiation, soil water, soil heat flux, soil temp. | Lapitan and Parton 1996 |
| 23. Manual Micromet- Monitor microclimatic variables. | 1970 | daily | air temp., relative humidity, precip., open pan evap., soil temp, snow cover | Lapitan and Parton 1996 |
| 24. Lysimeter- Monitor water balance of intact steppe soils and vegetation. | 1986 | hourly | 3m diameter native steppe inputs and losses of water | Parton |
| 25. Precipitation- Recording rain gages. | 1939 | daily | 3 locations year round, 11 locations for growing season | |
| 26. Soil Water Dynamics- Monitor soil water along 3 catenas and Ecosystem Stress Area site with neutron probe. | catenas - 1983, ESA - 1970 | biweekly May-Sept., then monthly | 5 sites X 5 to 12 tubes X 5 depths | Singh, Milchunas, Lauenroth in prep |
| 27. Small-Scale Disturbance- Evaluation short- and long-term effects of western harvester ants on shortgrass plant communities. | 1984 | 1/yr 1984-1994; 1/2yr 1996- | 2 sites X 4 dates X 3 sizes X 8 blocks | Coffin and Lauenroth 1989 |
| 28. Ant-Mound Disturbance- Evaluate the long-term recovery of shortgrass plant communities after small scale disturbances. | 1984 | 1/yr 1984-1994; 1/2 yr 1996- | 15 mounds X 1 site | Coffin and Lauenroth |
| 29. B. gracilis Evaluate effect of death and removal of B. gracilis on plant community composition. |
1994 | 1/yr. | grazed/ungrazed 5-2x2m plots for each of 2 removal methods (physical & herbicide) | Coffin and Lauenroth |
| 30. White-Grub Recovery X Grazing- Evaluate the long-term recovery of shortgrass plant communities after mortality by white grubs (june beetle larva) and grazing. | 1977 | '77, '78, '80, '82, '90, '95, '1/5yr from now on | 4 sites X 2 grazing X 2 patches X 2 microsites | Coffin, Laycock, and Lauenroth submitted |
| 31. Grazing-Topography- Assess response of vegetation communities (density and basal cover) to long-term heavy and ungrazed treatments (est. 1939) across landscape topography. | 1984 | variable - 3 times (yr.) thus far | 3 sites X 2 trts. X 2 topopositions X 50 quadrats (density) or 50 10-point frames (cover) | Milchunas et. al 1989 |
| 32. Grazing Old/New Exclosures Vegetation Density and Basal Cover- Plant community dynamics of old and newly-grazed and ungrazed treatments. | 1992 | biannual | 6 sites X 4 trts. X 20 quadrats (density) or 20 10-point frames (cover) | Milchunas |
| 33. Grazing Old/New Exclosures Soil Nutrients- | 1992 | 1/5 yr. | 6 sites X 4 trts. X 10 cores | Burke |
| 34. Grazing Old/New Exclosures Root Biomass- Biomass to a depth of 100cm. | 1993 | 1/5 yr. | 6 sites | Lauenroth |
| 35. Grazing Old/New Exclosures Belowground Food Web- | 1992 | 1/5 yr. | 6 sites | Moore |
| 36. Grazing Old/New Exclosures Minirhizotron- Root growth phenology and turnover. | New in 1996 | 1/d, 1/wk, 1/MO depending on time of yr | 6 sites | Lauenroth |
| 37. Grazing Old/New Exclosures ANPP- Productivity and consumption (caged, uncaged) of old and newly-grazed and ungrazed treatments. | 1992 | biannual | 6 sites X 4 trts. X 5 quadrats | Milchunas |
| 38. Grazing Old/New Exclosures N-yield- N concentrations and yields from ANPP plots of old and newly-grazed and ungrazed treatments. | 1992 | biannual | 6 sites X 4 trts. X 5 quadrats | Milchunas |
| 39. Grazing Old/New Exclosures Diet Selection- Bite counts by species for old and newly-grazed treatments. | 1992 | biannual | 6 sites X 4 trts. X 50m transects | Milchunas |
| 40. Grazing Old/New Exclosures Trace Gas Flux- Estimate of N20, NO, and CH4 fluxes for old and newly-grazed treatments. | 1994 | weekly | 3 sites (grazed/ungrazed) X 6 locations, N20, CH4, CO2, and NO | Mosier |
| 41. Grazing Old/New Small-Scale Disturbances by Mammals- Recovery of vegetation on mammal mounds. | 1992 | 1/5 yr. | 6 sites X 4 trts., evaluation of whole plot | Coffin and Lauenroth |
| 42. Nutrient Enrichment Treatments (Ecosystem Stress Area) Plant Density and Basal Cover- Successional trajectories following water, N, W+N treatments applied from 1971-75. | 1982 | annual thru 1991; then biannual | 2 reps X 4 trts. X 5 trans. X 10 quadrats X (density) or 10 10-point frames (cover) | Milchunas and Lauenroth 1995 |
| 43. Abandoned Fields (A) Vegetation- Evaluate effects of soil texture and climate on recovery of shortgrass plant communities on abandoned agricultural fields in the Pawnee National Grasslands. | 1990 | 1/10 yr. | 13 sites X 2 trts. (native & abandoned) X 6 90m trans. X 33 plots (1 m™) | Coffin et al. in press |
| 44. Abandoned Fields (A) Soils- Evaluate effects of soil texture and climate on recovery of soils on abandoned agricultural fields in the Pawnee National Grasslands. | 1990 | 1/10 yr. | 13 sites X 2 trts. X 2 90m trans. X 3 locations | Burke et al. 1995 |
| 45. Abandoned Fields (B) Vegetation- Evaluate effects of soil texture and climate on recovery of shortgrass plant communities on abandoned agricultural fields in the CPER. | 1994 | 1/10 yr. | 15 sites X 2 trts. (native & abandoned) X 6 90m trans. X 33 plots (1 m™) | Coffin and Lauenroth |
| 46. Abandoned Fields (B) Soils- Evaluate effects of soil texture and climate on recovery of soils on abandoned agricultural fields in the CPER. | 1994 | 1/10 yr. | 15 sites X 2 trts. X 2 90m trans. X 3 locations | Burke |
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