SGS Symposium: Opening the Doors to Collaboration

The Shortgrass Steppe (SGS) LTER project, along with the USDA-ARS, the USFS Pawnee National Grassland and the Colorado State University Agricultural Experiment Station sponsored the 6th Shortgrass Steppe Symposium on January 10, 2003, in Fort Collins, Colorado.

One of the main goals of this year’s symposium was to create opportunities for collaborations between the research community and others interested in or working on issues concerning the conservation or management of the SGS.

Keynote talks were given by Greg Gamble and Steve Kettler of The Nature Conservancy of Colorado, “Biodiversity Conservation in the Western High Plains” and Ken Morgan of the Colorado Division of Wildlife, “Species Conservation on Private Lands.”

Each keynote talk was followed by a poster session and a discussion. Since we were specifically seeking areas for future collaborations, the discussions focused on how basic and applied aspects of research fit into conservation efforts, and the relationships between research, land use and management issues facing the SGS.

Approximately 90 people attended the symposium, including five high school students from eastern Colorado, who presented several posters of their research. Twenty-six posters were presented covering research studies, conservation, land management, information management, schoolyard LTER, and the GK-12 partnership program.

Although it is too early to measure success of the formation of collaborative projects, many email addresses were exchanged and several of the contacts made at the symposium have been continued over coffee and at CSU seminars.

We will keep the LTER community updated on how our relationships with conservationists and land managers develop.

Posters presented at 6th Shortgrass Steppe Symposium, January 10, 2003

Adler, P.B., and W.K. Lauenroth. 2003. The species-time-area relationship: adding a new dimension to an old pattern.
Benton, T. 2003. An ecological study of the efficacy of the conservation reserve program: a comparison of an introduced grass mix and a native grass mix.
Buckner, D.L., M. Gershman, and L. Riedel. 2003. Long-term monitoring of prairie dog-affected vegetation of shortgrass sites in the Boulder Valley area.
Burke, I.C., E.F. Kelly, M.F. Antolin, W.K. Lauenroth, J.A. Morgan, S.G. Stafford, J.K. Detling, D.G. Milchunas, J.C. Moore, A.R. Mosier, W.J. Parton, K.H. Paustian, R.A. Pielke, and P.A. Stapp. 2003. Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research.
Burke, I.C., P.N. Lowe, and W.K. Lauenroth. 2003. The effect of resource availability and microclimatic manipulation on belowground processes in shortgrass steppe.
Flynn, B., J. Norman, N. Kaplan, D. Beers, and A. Zeimet. 2003. An information management toolbox for the present and future to support data synthesis activities.
Grant, D.W., and J.D. Reeder. 2003. Water soluble organic carbon in surface soil: from microsite to topographic position.
Hartley, L.M., J. Kaiser, J.K. Detling, T. Creegan, T. Driskill, R. Ramirez, C. Seemueller, and D. Swartz. 2003. Integration of SGS-LTER research into a K-12 Ecology Project at the Cathy Fromme Prairie.
Hunter, W.J., and R. Montenieri. 2003. CPER groundwater does not support complete denitrification in denitrifying barriers.
Kaplan, N., S.G. Stafford, C.W. Bennett, B. Flynn, J. Norman, D. Beer, and A. Zeimet. 2003. Through the looking glass: what do we see, what have we learned, what can we share? The history of information management at the Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research site.
King, J.Y., D.G. Milchunas, J.C. Moore, A.R. Mosier, J.A. Morgan, and J.R. Slusser. 2003. Decomposition of elevated CO2-grown plant material under varying UV-B radiation exposure in shortgrass steppe.
Koler, S.A., M.J. Trlica, G.W. Frasier, and J.D. Reeder. 2003. Microchannel erosion.
Lehmer, E. M. 2003. The relationship between torpor, environment, and body condition in free-ranging black-tailed prairie dogs.
Lowe, P.N., W.K. Lauenroth, and I.C. Burke. 2003. Effect of humus precursors and sucrose on exotic species in a disturbed shortgrass steppe site.
Moore, J.C., K. McCann, P.C. de Ruiter. 2003. Changes in nutrient flow influence dynamic stability.
Moore, J.C., J.K. Detling, L.M. Hartley, H. Horton, and M. Quirk. 2003. The Colorado Front Range GK-12 Project: linking academic research and K-12 education.
Morgan, J.A., A.R. Mosier, D.R. LeCain, D.G. Milchunas, J.A. Nelson, and W.J. Parton. 2003. CO2 enhances productivity and alters species composition of the shortgrass steppe.
Morgan, J.A., D.P. Smith, D.R. LeCain, J.D. Reeder, and G.E. Schuman. 2003. Real-time measurement of the carbon cycle on the Shortgrass Steppe.
Ngugi, M.K. 2003. An integrated multi-scale investigation of grassland management: implications for carbon cycling.
O’Mara, M.S., W.K. Lauenroth, R.A. Hufbauer. 2003. Ecology of Linaria Dalamatica on the Central Plains Experimental Range.
Peterson, T., N. Hanan, J. Morgan, J. Reeder, I. Burke, and K. Paustian. 2003. Carbon, water and land-use in Conservation Reserve Program Lands of the Shortgrass Steppe.
Reeder, J.D., G.E. Schuman, J.A. Morgan, and D.R. LeCain. 2003. Response of organic and inorganic carbon and nitrogen stocks to historic grazing management of the Shortgrass Steppe.
Savage, L., and M. Antolin. 2003. The effects of fragmentation and plague on the population genetic structure of black-tailed prairie dogs on the CPER/SGS- LTER.
Shaner, D., D. Blumenthal, and P. Westra. 2003. Colorado integrated vegetation management team.
Skagen, S., and A. A. Yackel Adams. 2003. Population demography of shortgrass prairie songbirds.
Stapp, P., M.F. Antolin, and M. Ball. 2003. Plague outbreaks in prairie-dog colonies associated with El Niño climatic events.