In 1994, we began cooperating with the Agricultural Research Service to sponsor an annual symposium with the goal of reaching out to the research, management, and user communities that have an interest in the shortgrass steppe. The all-day symposium is characterized by a high degree of interaction, through poster presentations, short plenary sessions, focal discussions groups, and even games that focus on the shortgrass steppes. This past winter, we completed the 4^th symposium, which was attended by 85 people, including scientists and managers from the ARS, managers and scientific staff from the U.S. Forest Service Pawnee national Grasslands, the rancher president of the Crow Valley Grazing Association, and representatives of the academic community (professors, graduate and undergraduate students, and technical support staff). We are finding that our relationship with the ARS, U.S. Forest Service, and the livestock operators has improved markedly over the past 4 years, based upon a shared understanding of the ecology of the site and our priorities for new research.

2. Education

In the past year we have continued our Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) program with four students working on the following projects: 1) the effects pocket gophers on nitrogen availability, 2) avian abundance associated with prairie dog towns, 3) species composition, water, and nitrogen concentrations along roadsides, and 4) species composition, water and nitrogen concentrations along riparian areas. This REU program has been extremely successful and we consider it an integral part of education at the shortgrass steppe LTER. In the coming year, we hope to expand this program by re-applying for status as a NSF REU site.

With funding from NSF-DUE (spring 1998), we established schoolyard LTER demonstration plots on the campus of UNC that mimics an experiment at the SGS LTER site. Our objectives are to study the effects of nitrogen availability on the development of the plant and soil communities following a major disturbance. Baseline samples will be taken this summer and the treatments will be imposed in the fall. The samples will be taken and analyzed by 7 first-generation low-income high school students that are part of the UNC Upward Bound Program (funded by the DOEd) and that are receiving fellowships from the NSF-FAMHSS supplement we were awarded through the SGS-LTER this spring. We have also applied for funding from NSF to support permanent links between our schoolyard LTER program and local K-12 schools. We envision the schoolyard LTER program becoming a permanent feature of the SGS LTER.

3. Media Coverage

In December 1997 Channel 9 News of Denver and rocky Mountain news each released a story detailing grazing research conducted by the SGS LTER. This story was released through the associated press and was subsequently picked up by many local newspapers throughout Colorado and Rocky Mountain region. The media reported on research results that suggest that grazing by cattle does not alter the structure of shortgrass steppe systems. Later this year we hope to release a story detailing prairie dog research conducted on the SGS LTER.

4. Field Trips and Other Uses of Shortgrass Steppe LTER Field Site