LINKS TO KSR TRACT PAGES:

Natural Areas:

Baldwin Woods

Fitch Natural History Reservation

Experimental Tracts:

Nelson Environmental Study Area

Rockefeller Experimental Tract

Robinson Tract

Hall Nature Reserve

KSR is an integrated system of sites for research, teaching, and conservation. KSR tracts are assigned to one of two broad management categories: natural areas and experimental areas.

The names of individual tracts that comprise KSR are retained as a tribute to a lifetime of scholarly endeavor, to retain historic connections, or to honor the wishes of the donors who have provided funds to establish a "living memorial."

Each unit of the KSR system contains unique elements and, collectively, these units permit the diversity of research and teaching activities for which the field station is renowned.

Natural Areas

Natural areas are used exclusively as nature reserves (i.e., protected from human disturbance and manipulation of the environment). These protected areas provide opportunity to study rare species, imperiled natural ecosystems, and ecological processes in "natural" settings that can serve as baselines for comparisons with manipulated areas.

Breidenthal Biological Reserve, Rice Woodland, and Wall Woods

The Rice Woodland, Roy and Eleanor Wall Woods, and Breidenthal Biological Reserve constitute a 82-hectare (202 acre) block of eastern deciduous forest that is used for non-disruptive research and teaching. Collectively known as Baldwin Woods, the three tracts located are located approximately 15 miles south of the University of Kansas near Baldwin City, Kansas.

The entire Baldwin Woods area was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1980 by the Secretary of the Interior. A nationally significant example of the natural heritage of the Nation, the area is described as "a unique remnant oak-hickory stand approaching climax condition, located at the western edge of the eastern deciduous forest."

Fitch Natural History Reservation

FHNR, established in 1947, is the oldest unit of KSR. A former farm of the first Governor of Kansas, fields on FNHR had a history of grazing, haying, and cultivation until 1948. For over fifty years, FNHR has been maintained as a long-term ecological succession site and today is a unique and valuable resource for studying natural history, ecology, and natural succession patterns.

A 2.1-kilometer (1.3-mile) self-guided natural trail through FHNR is open to the public.

Experimental Areas

Experimental areas, in contrast to nature reserves, may be experimentally manipulated and afford development of research facilities. The ability to experimentally manipulate environmental conditions and develop specialized research facilities provides a powerful framework for examining complex environmental issues.

John H. Nelson Environmental Study Area (NESA)

NESA is devoted primarily to experimental ecological studies. A variety of habitats are available for manipulation and numerous research facilities are located there.

The Kansas Aquatic Mesocosm Program (KAMP) facilities include more than 100 experimental ponds and aquatic enclosures, as well as Frank B. Cross Reservoir -- a small protected watershed. At NESA, there are also plant research facilities, fenced enclosures for small mammal studies, and a 12-hectare (30-acre) biotic succession/habitat fragmentation research facility.

KSR field headquarters, a caretaker residence, a meteorological station, laboratories, maintenance and storage buildings, and equipment are also located at NESA.

 

 

Rockefeller Experimental Tract

The 65-hectare (160 acre) Rockefeller Experimental Tract was established in 1956 to study the effects of different management practices on tallgrass prairie and to conserve a small native prairie. Since 1962, reseeded prairie tracts have been burned, mowed, grazed, or left untreated as part of a long-term study of prairie restoration.

A 4-hectare native (unplowed) prairie, the Rockefeller Native Prairie, serves as a baseline for comparisons with restored prairie sites. The native prairie is managed by periodic burning to maintain native biodiversity. About 200 native plant species, including several rare species, are found on this site.

Robinson Tract

Located on the Kansas River floodplain and adjacent rolling hillsides, the Robinson Tract contains diverse biological habitats and geological features. A primary use of RT is for undergraduate teaching, especially students in introductory biology and ecology courses. Hundreds of students each year traverse the prairie, forest, and wetland habitats at RT and learn about these ecosystems. A new wetland restoration project enhances teaching opportunities at the site. The Kansas Geological Survey uses RT for research and teaching on geohydrology.

Hall Nature Reserve

The Hall Nature Reserve (HNR) is the newest unit of the KSR system. The reserve was established in 1999 through the donation of 116 acres of prairie and woodland by Hubert "Hub" Hall and Kathleen McBride Hall. HNR is located southeast of Lecompton, once a territorial capital of Kansas. Wilson Shannon, territorial governor of Kansas from 1855-56, lived nearby, and a limestone structure on HNR was known as "Fort Shannon."

Located on uplands just south of the Kansas River, habitats at HNR include both high-quality and degraded native prairie, reseeded prairie, and successional woodland. Research and teaching at HNR focuses on conservation and restoration of native habitats. HNR includes small acreages of high-quality tallgrass prairie, prairie that has had a history of grazing, prairie that has been seeded in former cultivated fields, areas of woodland with early successional tree species, and areas of mature forest. Research and teaching activities at HNR focus on conservation and restoration of native prairie.