2013 KBS LTER Site ReviewMay 29 2013May 29, 2013
Agenda and Overview
Phil Robertson, Lead PIW.K. Kellogg Biological Station andgg g
Dept. of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences
Provisional AgendaKBS LTER Site Review
8:30 WelcomeIntroductions, Agenda ApprovalKBS LTER Overview
9:30 Science Themes I (15 min + 5 min q/a)Microbial Dynamics – Tom Schmidt, co‐PIPlant Community Dynamics – Kay Gross, co‐PIInsect Dynamics – Doug Landis, co‐PI
10:30 Break
10:45 Science Themes IIAgronomic Impacts – Sieg SnappHuman Dimensions – Scott Swinton
11:30 Data ManagementInformation Management at KBS – Sven BohmSpatial Databases – Suzanne Sippel
12:00 Lunch – McCrary Cafeteria
Provisional Agenda, cont. (Wednesday afternoon)1:00 Field trip #1
St #1 LTER M i Sit MCSE T2 1
KBS LTER Site Review
Stop #1 – LTER Main Site, MCSE T2r11. Orientation – Phil Robertson2. Farmer Incentives – Leah Harris3 Microbial diversity – Brendan O’Neill3. Microbial diversity – Brendan O Neill4. Belowground production – Christine Sprunger
Stop #2 – LTER Main Site, MCSE T7r25 Plant dynamics – Tim Dickson5. Plant dynamics – Tim Dickson6. Fungal community dynamics – Chris Wright
Stop #3 – LTER Main Site, Resource Gradient Experiment7 Landscape insect dynamics – Megan Woltz7. Landscape insect dynamics – Megan Woltz8. Nitrous oxide responses to fertilizer inputs – Neville Millar
3:30 Stop #4 – Biofuels (GLBRC) Intensive Site9 Spatially explicit modeling with UAVs – Bruno Basso9. Spatially explicit modeling with UAVs – Bruno Basso10. Global warming impacts – Ilya Gelfand
4:30 Stop #5 – LTER Deciduous Forest (DF) Site11 Coccinellid community dynamics – Christie Bahlai11. Coccinellid community dynamics – Christie Bahlai
5:30 Barbecue and Posters – Carriage House Patio7:30 Review team caucus – Carriage House Classroom
Provisional Agenda, cont. (Thursday)8:00 Agenda review8 10 S i Th III
KBS LTER Site Review
8:10 Science Theme IIIBiogeochemistry – Steve Hamilton
8:30 Education and OutreachEd ti d O t h J li D llEducation and Outreach – Julie DollK‐12 Education Support and Outreach (sLTER) – Andy Anderson
9:10 Field Trip #2 – Augusta Creek Watershed (Kellogg Forest)12 O i t ti St H ilt12. Orientation – Steve Hamilton13. Stream nitrogen dynamics – Lauren Kinsman‐Costello
10:45 Wrap‐up DiscussionP j t i t ti Phil R b tProject integration – Phil RobertsonUniversity fit – Assoc. Deans Doug Buhler (CANR) and Dave Dewitt (CNS)Future issues – PIsQuestions still outstanding – Review teamQuestions still outstanding – Review team
12:00 Review team working lunch and afternoon caucus5:00 NSF Report‐out – Saran Twombly
Fi t i t d tFirst airport departures6:30 Dinner
KBS LTER Central Organizing Question
To what extent can we manage modern field crops with
g g Q
biology rather than chemistry?
– while maintaining / enhancing ecosystem servicesrelated to• Yields, especially food and fuel production• Environmental performance• Environmental performance
A complex question that requires fundamental ecological knowledge related to….
Microbe‐soil‐plant interactions that
Insect predator‐prey relationships that control pest
control soil nutrient availability
that control pest populations
Plant community Biogeochemical ydynamics that affect primary productivity and yield
fluxes to land, water, and atmosphere
Human decisions that affect ecosystem services from agriculture
KBS LTER Conceptual Model: Farming for Services
Robertson et al., in review; after Collins et al. 2011
The KBS LTER Main Cropping System Experiment (MCSE)
Ecosystem Type Management Intensity
Annual Grain Crops (Corn - Soybean - Wheat)Conventional management HighNo-till
Ecosystem Type Management Intensity
Reduced input with cover cropsBiologically-based with cover crops
Perennial Biomass CropsAlfalfaHybrid poplars
Unmanaged CommunitiesEarly successional old fieldMid successional old fieldLate successional forest Low
The KBS LTER Main Site Layout of the MCSE
Successional and Forested Sites of the Main Cropping System Experiment (MCSE)
MCSE Scale‐Up FieldsCorn‐Soybean‐Wheaty
T1 Conventional
T3 Reduced Input
T4 Biologically Based
27 Fields:
3 treatments x 3 entry pointsx 3 replicates
Landscape Scale Questions are Integral to KBS Research
LocalWatersheds
Areacounties
MidwestStates
NationalCross-site
Major Long‐term Experiments of KBS LTERMain Cropping System Experiment (from 1988)Main Cropping System Experiment (from 1988)
What are the key ecological interactions in intensive production systems?
MCSE S l E i t (f 2006)MCSE Scale‐up Experiment (from 2006) How do MCSE results scale to commercial operations?
Biodiversity Gradient Experiment (from 2000)y p ( ) How does rotational complexity influence ecosystem attributes?
Resource Gradient Experiment (from 2003) How do water and nitrogen constraints affect year‐to‐year crop
productivity?
The Living Field Lab Study (from 1993)g y ( ) How do MCSE systems perform within key commercial production
contexts?
The GLBRC Biofuel Cropping System Experiment (from 2008) The GLBRC Biofuel Cropping System Experiment (from 2008) How do prospective cellulosic biofuel crops compare with respect to
key sustainability traits and deliverable services?
KBS LTER Project Management
Executive Committee (meets ~monthly)Phil Robertson, Julie Doll, Kay Gross, Steve Hamilton, Justin Kunkle, Doug Landis, Tom Schmidt, Sieg Snapp, Scott Swinton
Lead Staff Sven Bohm, Information Manager Julie Doll, Outreach and Education Coordinator Justin Kunkle Science Coordinator Justin Kunkle, Science Coordinator Joe Simmons, Agronomic Manager Stacey VanderWulp, Project Manager
Agronomy Committee (meets annually) S. Snapp, Chair
Grad Student Committee (meets semi‐annually)y Megan Woltz and Bonnie McGill, co‐chairs
Information Management Committee (new; meets quarterly) Sven Bohm and Justin Kunkle co chairs Sven Bohm and Justin Kunkle, co‐chairs
KBS LTER Project Management, cont.
LTER Network Citizenship from 2010p Executive Board (Hamilton, Robertson) Science Council Chair (Robertson) Communications Committee (Doll Robertson) Communications Committee (Doll, Robertson) Information Management Executive Committee (Bohm) Graduate Student Committee Co‐chair (Glanville) International Committee (Snapp) Graduate & Undergraduate Education Working Groups (Kunkle, Doll) 2012 BioScience Network Synthesis Issue (2 papers: Landis, Robertson)y ( p p ) NSF Mini‐symposiums
2010 Ecosystem Services – Swinton 2012 Sustainability Science – Robertson 2012 Sustainability Science – Robertson 2013 Global Reach ‐Woltz
KBS LTER Cross‐site and Broad‐scale Synthetic Research Lotic Intersite Nitrogen Experiment (LINX) Project (Hamilton)
Cross‐continent nitrogen cycling in streams
Productivity Diversity Traits Network (PDTNet) (Gross) Responses of grassland communities to nitrogen fertilization and p g g
precipitation variability
EcoSeRE ‐ Precipitation Gradient Experiment (Lau) Response of plant species to changing precipitation gradients Response of plant species to changing precipitation gradients
Convergence and Divergence Network (Gross) How does plant community composition converge or diverge in response to
disturbance
Network Workshops Since 2010 Aquatic and soil organic matter linkages ‐ Kincaid Aquatic and soil organic matter linkages ‐ Kincaid Questions in social science graduate student workshop ‐ Beneviste Climate analysis training – Munoz EcoSeRE Precipitation Manipulation Planning Lau EcoSeRE Precipitation Manipulation Planning – Lau
KBS LTER Cross‐site and Broad‐scale Synthetic Research, cont. Broad‐scale Synthetic Research – Examples of papers since 2010
Beaulieu J J J L Tank S K Hamilton et al 2011 Nitrous oxide emission from denitrification Beaulieu, J. J., J. L. Tank, S. K. Hamilton, et al.. 2011. Nitrous oxide emission from denitrification in stream and river networks. PNAS 108:214‐219.
Bernot, M. J., D. J. Sobota, … S.K. Hamilton et al. 2010. Inter‐regional comparison of land‐use effects on stream metabolism. Freshwater Biology 55:1874‐1890.
Egbendewe‐Mondzozo, A., S. M. Swinton, R. C. Izaurralde, D. H. Manowitz, and X. Zhang. 2013. Maintaining environmental quality while expanding biomass production: Sub‐regional U.S. policy simulations. Energy Policy 57:518‐531.
Findlay, S., P.J. Mulholland, S.K. Hamilton, et al. 2011. Cross‐stream comparison of substrate‐specific denitrification potential. Biogeochemistry 104:381–392.
Gelfand, I., R. Sahajpal, X. Zhang, C. R. Izaurralde, K. L. Gross, and G. P. Robertson. 2013. Sustainable bioenergy production from marginal lands in the US Midwest. Nature 493:514‐517.
Helton A M G C Poole J L Meyer W M Wollheim S K Hamilton et al 2011 Thinking Helton, A.M., G.C. Poole, J.L. Meyer, W.M. Wollheim, … S.K. Hamilton, et al. 2011. Thinking outside the channel: modeling nitrogen cycling in networked river ecosystems. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 4: 229‐238.
Johnson, L.T., J.L. Tank, R.O. Hall, Jr., P.J. Mulholland, S.K. Hamilton, et al. 2013. Quantifying the d ti f di l d i it i h d t t i 15N t dditiproduction of dissolved organic nitrogen in headwater streams using 15N tracer additions.
Limnology & Oceanography, in press. Ma, S., S. M. Swinton, F. Lupi, and C. B. Jolejole‐Foreman. 2012. Farmers' willingness to
participate in Payment‐for‐Environmental‐Services programmes. J. Agricultural Economics 63:604‐626.
Ma, S. and S. Swinton. 2011. Valuation of ecosystem services from rural landscapes using agricultural land prices. Ecological Economics 70:1649‐1659.
KBS LTER Cross‐site and Broad‐scale Synthetic Research, cont. Broad‐scale Synthetic Research Examples, cont.
Meehan T D B P Werling D A Landis and C Gratton 2012 Pest suppression potential of Meehan, T. D., B. P. Werling, D. A. Landis, and C. Gratton. 2012. Pest‐suppression potential of Midwestern landscapes under contrasting bioenergy scenarios. PLoS ONE 7: e41728.
Meehan, T. D., B. P. Werling, D. A. Landis, and C. Gratton. 2011. Agricultural landscape simplification and insecticide use in the Midwestern United States. PNAS 108:11500‐11505.
Swinton, S. M., B. A. Babcock, L. K. James, and V. Bandaru. 2011. Higher US crop prices trigger little area expansion so marginal land for biofuel crops is limited. Energy Policy 39:5254‐5258.
Werling, B. P., T. D. Meehan, B. Robertson, C. Gratton, and D. A. Landis. 2011. Biocontrol potential varies with changes in biofuel‐crop plant communities and landscape perenniality. Global Change Biology‐Bioenergy 3:347‐359.
Woltz, MJ, R Isaacs, DA Landis. 2012. Landscape structure and habitat management differentially influence insect natural enemies in an agricultural landscape. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 152:40‐49.Ecosystems and Environment 152:40 49.
Robinson, T.M.P., K.J. LaPierre, M.A. Vadeboncoeur, K. M. Byrne, M.L. Thome, and S.E. Colby. 2013. Seasonal, not annual precipitation drives community productivity across ecosystems. Oikos 122: 727–738.
LTER Network
Cross-site Publications
Robertson et al. 2012 BioScience
KBS LTER Management Overview ‐ Budget
Current Budget ‐ $940k/y 60% core support (data management, field, lab, and coordinating staff) 40% research hypotheses >100% indirect costs returned to project (see below)
Direct Costs Summer salaries – 3 months total (0 – 0.5 month) Research Hypotheses ($35k each; total $245,000 direct costs)
A i D i (S )Agronomic Dynamics (Snapp)Plant Dynamics (Gross)Microbial Dynamics (Schmidt)Arthropod Dynamics (Landis)p y ( )Terrestrial Biogeochemistry (Robertson)Aquatic Biogeochemistry (Hamilton)Human Dynamics (Swinton)
University Support ($434k/y exclusive of land base) 2 Coordinator positions 2 Data management positions Agronomic expenses Graduate fellowships (1 annual; 3 summer)
KBS LTER Collaborations and Site Use
Formal Partners MSU AgBioResearch MSU Extension KBS K‐12 Partnership School Districts (14)
DOE G t L k Bi R h C t (GLBRC) DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC)
Informal Partners Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy Various land owners at out state sites Various land owners at out‐state sites MSU Knight School of Environmental Journalism Society of Environmental Journalists
Site Use Site Use 22 Projects External to MSU since 2010
16 Institutions: Univ. Maryland, Univ. Louisville, Univ. Bascilicata (Italy), Western Michigan Univ., Bradley Univ., Colorado State Univ., Univ. New Hampshire, Univ. Wisconsin –Oshkosh, Indiana Univ., Baldwin‐Wallace Univ., Univ. Toledo, Rice Univ., Northwestern Univ., Univ. of Wisconsin – Madison, Stanford Univ., Purdue
Externally funded projects (MSU and non‐MSU) 38 since 2010 (26 currently active) 38 since 2010 (26 currently active) NSF (DEB, EHR, OCI, SBE), USDA (AFRI, NRC‐SARE), DOE, EPRI, EPA, USDA, State of
Michigan, CERES Trust, NASA, USGS
KBS LTER Research Productivity
Publications since 2010 Refereed journal articles: 107 Books and chapters: 16 Theses: 10
KBS LTER 2010 Proposal Issues Identified in Panel Summary (8)
Research integration among core areas insufficient Research integration among core areas insufficient Response:
Redoubled site synthesis efforts (e.g. book) Initiated new collaborative grant activities – CZO and CNH proposals (pending), GLBRC sustainability modeling
Cross‐project integration analysis to identify weak linkages
Insect diversity and pest suppression too narrowly focused on too few species Response:
Core research effort focus on Coccinellid diversity as a model for generalist predators
Used as basis to expand functional studies (e.g. pest suppression) to regional landscape: Role of landscape structure and perenniality on pest suppression Role of landscape structure and perenniality on pest suppression Impact of pest suppression on insecticide use Intraguild predation
We have recruited other researchers and sought external funding to include other taxa, in particular pollinators – Isaacs (MSU), Gratton (UW)
Microbial ecology
KBS LTER 2010 Proposal Issues Identified in Panel Summary, cont.
Questions insufficiently novel Too few microbial ecologists Absence of plant symbiosis research Response:Response:
Revised and re‐organized microbial questions to focus on field measurements of additional key ecosystem processes (nitrification, denitrification, methane oxidation, N2 fixation)R it d i bi l l i t t it St t G d (UNH) J L (IU) Recruited microbial ecologists to site – Stuart Grandy (UNH), Jay Lennon (IU)
Recruited new plant‐microbe researchers to site – Steve Bentivenga(UW‐Oshkosh), Sarah Emery (Univ. Louisville), Jen Lau (KBS)
Long‐term data sets not being exploited sufficiently Response:
Site synthesis volume (50 multiple‐year graphs of 110 total) Individual research areas Individual research areas
Biogeochemistry: Syswerda et al. 2011, 2012, Gelfand et al. 2013 Plant dynamics: Grman et al. 2010, Cleland et al. 2013, Cleland et al. 2013 Insect dynamics: forthcoming (site synthesis volume) Microbial ecology: Levine et al. 2011 Agronomic responses: Snapp et al. 2010, Gelfand et al. 2010 Human dynamics: (limited relevance: derivative)
Human dynamics model and assumptions not well described
KBS LTER 2010 Proposal Issues Identified in Panel Summary, cont.
Human dynamics model and assumptions not well described Response:
Model of adoption decisions clarified as constrained optimization (Swintonpresentation)
Broader impacts: Farmers not sufficiently engaged (feedback lacking) Response:
Climate change in agriculture education research (discussion sessions focus groups Climate change in agriculture education research (discussion sessions, focus groups, community meetings)
Closer extension educator ties (collaborations, state and regional meetings)
Information management: LNO Metadata repository has too few KBS contributions Response:
We have added to Metacat 84 KBS datasets (each with several data tables) 48 data sets now on NIS (41 on staging server) – 190 data tables48 data sets now on NIS (41 on staging server) 190 data tables
KBS LTER 2010 Proposal Issues Identified in Panel Summary, cont.
P j L d hi i i l l ki Project management: Leadership transition plan lacking Response:
University support for LPI has been established and is working to keep current LPI in placep
We have a future lead PI transition plan (Robertson to Hamilton with co‐lead arrangement)
Co‐PI transitions happen organically (mainly retirements) and have occurred successfully in the past; we do not anticipate immediate transitions nor futuresuccessfully in the past; we do not anticipate immediate transitions nor future difficulty
Cross disciplinary Publications (co authorship analysis)
KBS LTER Research Integration
Cross‐disciplinary Publications (co‐authorship analysis)
Based on co‐authorship analysis; n=431 publications
Site Volume: The Ecology of Agricultural Ecosystems ‐Long‐term Research on the Path to Sustainability
1 Conceptual and Experimental Approaches to Understanding Agricultural1. Conceptual and Experimental Approaches to Understanding Agricultural Ecosystems: KBS LTER
2. Ecosystem Services Afforded by Agriculture and their Economic Value3. Production Agriculture in the US North Central Region: Why We Farm
Where We FarmWhere We Farm4. Soil Organic Matter Dynamics: Controls and Management for Ecosystem
Functioning5. Microbial Diversity in Agricultural Soils and its Relation to Ecosystem
Functions6. Plant Community Dynamics in Managed and Natural Ecosystems7. Arthropod Biodiversity and Pest Suppression in Agricultural Landscapes8. Agricultural Nitrogen: Boon and Baneg g9. Simulating Crop Response and Biogeochemical Fluxes to the
Environment10. Changes in Water Quality as Water Moves Through Agricultural
Landscapes 2013!Landscapes11. Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases in Agricultural Ecosystems12. Changing Farmer Choices about How to Manage Agricultural Ecosystems13. Agronomic Lessons from KBS: Field Crop Performance in the LTER and
Li i Fi ld L bLiving Field Lab14. Development of Acoustic Monitoring Technology for Ecological
Investigations15. Synthesis: Bringing It All Together
Provisional AgendaKBS LTER Site Review
8:30 WelcomeIntroductions, Agenda ApprovalKBS LTER Overview
9:30 Science Themes I (15 min + 5 min q/a)Microbial Dynamics – Tom Schmidt, co‐PIPlant Community Dynamics – Kay Gross, co‐PIPlant Community Dynamics Kay Gross, co PIInsect Dynamics – Doug Landis, co‐PI
10:30 Breakh10:45 Science Themes II
Agronomic Impacts – Sieg SnappHuman Dynamics – Scott Swinton
11:30 Data ManagementOverview – Sven BohmSpatial Databases – Suzanne Sippelp pp
12:00 Lunch – McCrary Cafeteria
Completed Experiments
Rotation / Entry Point Study (1989 – 1996) How does climate variability affect year‐to‐year MCSE yields?
Vetch / Tillage Study (1989 1994) Vetch / Tillage Study (1989 – 1994) What factors affect cover crop success?
European Corn Borer Study (1999 – 2004) Do genetically‐engineered Bt traits in leaf litter affect decomposition
dynamics or soil microbial processes?
Gene Transfer Study (1998 – 2010) Gene Transfer Study (1998 2010) How quickly does prokaryotic gene flow (2,4‐D degradation capacity) occur?
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Slide 30
gpr215 Do not print - keep in reserve for questions (unhide later)Phil Robertson 2, 5/23/2013