| The Landscape | Native Ecosystems | Land-Use History | News and Events |

Welcome to the KSR Conservation and Restoration Initiative website.

Contacts
Sharon Ashworth, Project Coordinator ashworth@ku.edu	Bill Busby, Associate Scientist wbusby@ku.edu
Dean Kettle, Associate Director Field Station and Ecological Reserves kettle@ku.edu	Kelly Kindscher, Associate Scientist kindscher@ku.edu
Scott Campbell, Associate Director Field Station and Ecological Reserves swcamp@ku.edu	Ed Martinko, Director, Kansas Biological Survey martinko@ku.edu

This new initiative, begun in 2005, is dedicated to the restoration and rehabilitation of the native landscape of NE Kansas. KSR aspires to promote conservation and restoration of native ecosystems with on-the-ground management, research, and outreach.

 

On-the-ground management to protect high-quality prairie remnants, enhance degraded prairies, and create prairie where it was destroyed. Removing trees that have invaded former prairie areas is an initial step in full-scale restorations. Fire promotes the tallgrass prairie vegetation and is a principal management tool in prairie restoration and conservation. Former prairie areas converted to cropland must be reassembled from scratch.
Research to learn how ecosystems function and how to restore them. Field experiments test ecological theory and provide critical information for restorations. Plant and animal responses to restoration activities are tracked to assess restoration progress and enable science-based adjustments in treatment levels (this process is termed "adaptive management").
Outreach to provide knowledge and promote understanding of native ecosystems. Restoration sites are outdoor classrooms for students, and workshops provide information on techniques to preserve and restore native ecosystems throughout NE Kansas.

The Landscape

Land-Use History

Tallgrass prairie dominated northeast Kansas 200 years ago. In the 1850s, Douglas and Jefferson Counties were 95% prairie. Prior to European settlement, the Kansa Indians lived in and helped maintain a vast prairie-forest landscape. The interaction of fire, native grazers (e.g., bison and elk), and climatic conditions sustained this native landscape. Settlement by people of European origin rapidly altered native ecosystems. Forests were cut and wetlands drained. Prairies were destroyed directly by plowing, or indirectly through suppression of wildfires that allowed trees to invade. In addition, many non-native plants and animals were introduced.

Native Ecosystems

Natural ecosystems - prairies, forests, wetlands - are vital to the health and well being of the planet and its people. They provide food and fiber, retain nutrients, mitigate flooding, and improve air and water quality. Ecosystems support a suite of plants and animals that serve as pollinators, act as predators on pests, and provide aesthetic enjoyment. Native ecosystems are pieces of historical landscapes that have remained intact despite disturbances. They serve as reservoirs of genetic diversity, and harbor rare species that may provide yet undiscovered medicines and foods. Many native ecosystems have been destroyed and others degraded. It is imperative we protect remaining native ecosystems and learn how to restore those that are damaged.

News and Events

On Monday, November 27 there will be a mini-symposium titled "Ecology, evolution, and conservation of a rare prairie plant: Mead's milkweed (Asclepias meadii)." This event is co-sponsored by the Kansas Biological Survey and will be held from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. in the Malott Room of the Kansas Union.

On Friday, December 8 there will be a talk given by Harmony Dalgleish (Biology Department, Kansas State University) titled "Belowground bud banks as regulators of grassland dynamics."  The talk will be held from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in the Gridiron Room (105) of the Burge Union.