Ecological Setting

The University of Kansas Field Station is located within the prairie-forest ecotone of the central US. This climatic transition zone between eastern deciduous forest and tallgrass prairie exhibits strong east-west environmental gradients, including rapid decline in precipitation. Because of its ecotonal location, Field Station land represents a wide variety of ecosystems and is well suited for studying effects of climate change on a variety of ecological phenomena.

(Click on map to enlarge)

Tallgrass Prairie

Large tracts of native tallgrass prairie are available for researchers. Fire, grazing, and haying are principal management tools. These prairies support many prairie obligate species.

Click here for Anderson County Prairie Preserve brochure.

Oak-Hickory Forest

Native forests, although rare regionally, are part of the Field Station portfolio. One forest is nationally recognized as a premier oak-hickory stand at the extreme western edge of the eastern deciduous forest. A diverse community of plants and animals, many near the western margin of their ranges, are found here.

Managed Lands and Altered Habitats

Before settlement by Euro-americans, beginning in the mid 19th century, the region was dominated by native prairie with smaller amounts of native forest and savanna. Actions of these settlers--suppression of fire, cultivation (plowing) of prairie, cutting of forests, introductions of non-native species--greatly altered the landscape. As is typical of the region, the majority of Field Station consists of lands altered by human activities. However, in combination with extant native communities, this provides an unusually rich mosaic of habitats available for study.

Successional woodlands (fields with aggregating forest following abandonment from agriculture). Sites vary in age, land use history, and community composition.

Reseeded (restored) prairie. Former agricultural fields seeded to warm season grasses and restorations at various times back to 1956, including areas seeded in early (1989) Conservation Reserve Program plantings.

Cool-season grasslands. Former agricultural fields planted to cool-season grasses (primarily Bromus inermis) and used for pasture or hay production. These fields, which have varying land use histories, provide a canvas for many manipulative studies.

Agricultural production lands. Lands under current agricultural management are available to researchers. Research may be integrated into a production system, or lands may be removed from production to accommodate research.

Aquatic Habitats

Natural and constructed features provide a diverse set of aquatic systems for study.

Constructed wetlands. Systems of differing size and depth are available for study.

Headwater streams. Lotic systems are represented by a series of headwater streams; some are perennial and others are intermittent.

Frank B. Cross Reservoir. This 3 ha, 13-m deep reservoir is located within one km of station headquarters.

Experimental ponds and farm ponds. More than 100 experimental ponds and farm ponds are available for study. Some have fish communities, and others do not.