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Item Open Access SGS-LTER 1986 proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1986-04-10) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorWe propose to continue the long-term ecological research project in the Shortgrass Steppe, at the Central Plains Experimental Range in north central Colorado. The theme of this work revolves around the ideas of the origin and maintenance of spatial pattern in shortgrass ecosystems and the rules for transforming information about a particular temporal or spatial scale to information about the next higher scale in a hierarchy. The research we are proposing is organized by a nested hierarchy of spatial scales ranging from a single plant up to the Central Grassland region of the United States. The five LTER Core Topics provide a secondary organizing structure for the proposed work. Experiments are proposed for a range of spatial scales over each of the Core Topics. Our overall objective for this work is to begin unraveling some of the apparent complexities surrounding the issues of spatial and temporal heterogeneity and relationships among various scales of each. Even partial confirmation or rejection of these ideas will provide essential information to help move ecosystem ecology in the direction of principles for relating ecological processes and structures to spatial and temporal heterogeneity.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 1990 proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1990) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorWe propose to continue the long-term ecological research project in the shortgrass steppe, at the Central Plains Experimental Range in north central Colorado. The objective is to improve our understanding of the long-term processes responsible for the origin and sustainability of shortgrass steppe ecosystems. Our concept for long-term study of the shortgrass steppe is that the major controls over ecosystem structure and function are climate, geomorphology, and landuse management. Each of these controls has important spatial and temporal heterogeneity across a range of scales, and exerts its influence at a particular combination of levels. We hypothesize that the most important controls at the CPER are soil texture and landuse. We propose to continue current work and initiate new studies to further examine the influence of soil texture and landuse over shortgrass steppe ecosystem structure and function using field experimental research, simulation, and regional analysis.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 1996 proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1996) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorThe shortgrass steppe (SGS) occupies the middle of the productivity gradient along which the LTER grassland sites lie. It is unique among North American grasslands for its long evolutionary history of intense selection by both drought and herbivory, leading to an ecosystem that is very well adapted to withstand grazing by domestic livestock. The distinctive features of the SGS are both its vegetation and the concentration of biological activity and organic matter belowground. The vegetation of the SGS is characterized by lowgrowing plants that are either tolerant or resistant to grazing and drought. The large concentration of biological activity belowground reflects the distribution of plant production (Milchunas and Lauenroth 1992) and the enhanced rates of energy flow through heterotrophs belowground (Lauenroth and Milchunas 1992). It is also explained in part by the fact that most biologically active elements in grasslands are protected from natural disturbances by being stored in soil organic matter (SOM). The SGS LTER project has been in operation since 1982, and currently supports 46 longterm experiments, numerous shortterm experiments, and has a large emphasis in integrative simulation analysis. SGS LTER work is divided into 5 major areas: populations and processes, biogeochemical dynamics, paleoecology and paleopedology, water and energy dynamics, and disturbances.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 1998 specimen collection proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1998) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorThe Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS LTER) project represents the continuing development of a research tradition that began with the US/IBP Grassland Biome project in the late 1960s. Much of this research has focused on the Central Plains Experimental Range (CPER), a 6,280 hectare research site owned by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) that is adjacent to the 78,100 ha Pawnee National Grasslands (PNG). Research at the SGS LTER site over the past 20 years has had an influence on national and international grassland ecology; work from this site has generated 639 journal articles, 181 chapters, 141 theses, and 336 abstracts. An important part of our mission is to support the broad scientific community conducting research in the shortgrass steppe. An integral part of that mission is the collection and curation of representative species collections. The Shortgrass Steppe LTER project currently maintains a fairly extensive collection of voucher specimens of native plants and a small but important collection of several animal groups. These collections are invaluable to the activities of the project, as described below. We are seeking supplemental funding from NSF to improve existing infrastructure of our collections, implement new plans for maintaining and curating these specimens, and to add and replace specimens of representative taxa in our collections.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 1998 supplemental proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1998) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorThe Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS LTER) project occupies an important position among LTER sites. The SGS lies at the western end of the east-west grassland productivity gradient and the northern end of the north-south semi-arid grassland gradient (SGS, Sevilleta, Jornada). This position allows us to evaluate ecosystem properties and processes between the SGS and other sites on these two gradients. In this supplemental proposal, we propose to initiate collaborative efforts across LTER projects and sites by conducting integrated field and laboratory studies that cross precipitation (an east-west transect between SGS and Konza) and temperature gradients (a north-south transect between SGS and Sevilleta). These two transects will allow us to integrate knowledge of ecosystem processes by assessing systematic variations in biotic and abiotic properties across these climatic gradients. The proposed transect studies involve a collaborative project with the Konza LTER group, a collaborative effort with the Sevilleta project, and a pilot study to develop methodologies for study of terrestrial weathering and biogeochemical cycles across the two climatic gradients. In addition to these transect studies, we are requesting funds for a replacement site vehicle.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 2000 RAMHSS proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2000-01-27) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorLetter by John C. Moore requesting supplemental funding under the Research Assisitant for Minority High School students (RAMHSS) program.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 2000 REU supplemental proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2000-01-25) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorLetter by Ingrid C. Burke, Eugene F. Kelly requesting funding for a Research Experience for Undergraduates grant to be associated with the Shortgrass Steppe LTER project (DEB-9632852).Item Open Access SGS-LTER 2001 supplemental proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2001-01-31) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorLetter requesting funding supplemental to the Shortgrass Steppe LTER project (DEB-9632852).Item Open Access SGS-LTER 2002 proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2002) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorFeatures some highlights of results, prioritizing new areas of research this last round of funding. The report is organized using a modified version of LTER core areas. Although results are presented by core areas, activities are strongly linked across these areas.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 2003 soil water supplemental proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2003) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorA request for funds to install soil moisture probes at five sites across a research site.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 2003 supplemental proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2003) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorThe strategy for this supplemental funding request is to prioritize funding for the activities that will capture a potentially dramatic research opportunity during the summer, strengthen weaknesses perceived by reviewers of our proposal, and attract new or extend some existing collaborations.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 2004 supplemental proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2004) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorA request for funding to support two Research Experience for Undergraduates students during the 2004 summer field season. Students will work directly with PI's and their graduate students from the Shortgrass Steppe long term ecological research project.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 2005 EdEn supplemental proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2005-06-10) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorRequest for an EdEn Supplement to DEB-0217631 SGS-LTER: Long-Term Ecological Research-Shortgrass Steppe, proposing to form a consortium of four Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) programs (located in Michigan, Colorado, Baltimore, and Santa Barbara) that will engage in coordinated efforts to achieve two mutually reinforcing goals.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 2005 schoolyard proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2005) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorEnclosed are the rationale and budget request for supplemental funding under the Schoolyard LTER development program. The existing programs will be built upon. Funds will be provided to schools for schoolyard plot and program development.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 2008 proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008-02-01) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorTwenty five years of intensive study has revealed a Shortgrass Steppe (SGS) ecosystem that is resilient. Despite chronic water stress, periods of severe drought, and intensive grazing by large herbivores, the essential ecological structure and key interactions maintaining the SGS and its services have remained intact. With global change, however, we may see a range of conditions far outside those experienced on the SGS during the last several thousand years. Forecasting how ecosystems will respond to global change depends on mechanistic understanding of ecosystem drivers. The resilient SGS ecosystem, bounded within "natural" variation but interrupted by human influence, may be supplanted by an unfamiliar one, with humans playing a direct role. Research at SGS-LTER aims toward understanding how ecosystem resilience is influenced by interactions of five key drivers: climate, physiography, biotic structure, natural disturbance, and human landuse. The goal of SGS-LTER renewal is to "test the limits" of resilience, function and structure of the SGS, by both continuing our past work, and by experimentally manipulating factors we know from previous work to be important. We consider multiple temporal scales of change, and our combination of long-term monitoring, short and long-term experiments puts us in the position to forecast the impacts of global change on the SGS. Our global change experiments follow two criteria: i) manipulating factors that will most likely change in the future; and ii) selecting ecological attributes and interactions we previously identified either as vulnerable to change or likely to influence multiple other interactions.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 2009 supplemental proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorEnclosed are the rationale and budget in request for supplemental funding under the Schoolyard LTER development program. The 2009-2010 funds would be used to strengthen existing partnerships. The request includes funds for supplies aimed at school-based activities and SGS Field Station needs related to education, and funds to support our regional outreach efforts to the broader community.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 2010 proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Kelly, Eugene F., author; Kaplan, Nicole E., author; Derner, Justin D., author; Antolin, Michael F., author; Moore, John C., authorThe Shortgrass Steppe Long-term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER) program focuses on how grassland ecosystems function and persist or change in the face of global change. Our conceptual framework asserts that climate, physiography, grazing, fire and landuse, operating over different spatial and temporal scales, are the dominant determinants of the structure, function, and persistence of the SGS. Using the shortgrass steppe (SGS) ecosystem of the North American Great Plains as a model, we seek to (1) identify the ecological attributes of grasslands that historically have resulted in their persistence and (2) understand these attributes in ways that will allow us to identify area of vulnerability and better forecast the future of grasslands in the face of global change. Given its geographic extent and history, the SGS encapsulates many of the features of a system driven by social-ecological interactions and the vulnerabilities of semiarid grasslands to global change. Our overarching question is: How will structure and function of the SGS respond to expected changes in climate, management, and land-use, and what will be the consequences?Item Open Access SGS-LTER 2010 supplemental proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorA request to release 15% of funds withheld from the 2008 proposal due to budgetary constraints when the award was issued. The funds will be used as detailed in the renewal proposal.Item Open Access SGS-LTER 2012 supplemental proposal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (SGS-LTER), authorA request for funds to retain some current staff so that processing of remaining datasets may be completed and compliance with the LTER Data Portal and compatibility with LTER data in the NIS will be ensured.