Development of the Ninnescah Field Station and Experimental Tract

宁尼斯卡野外站和实验区的发展

• 批准号: 0626817
• 负责人: Christopher Rogers
• 金额: $ 24万
• 依托单位: Wichita State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-02-01 至 2011-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0626817&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Development; Ninnescah; Field; Station; Experimental

This award provides partial support for construction of a new, tornado resistant building at the Ninnescah Field Station and Experimental Tract (NFSET). The station is located 30 mi southwest of Wichita on 133 ha of mixed use land, including unplowed lowland prairie, restored midgrass prairie, riparian woodlands, and wetlands. This location, at the transition between mesic tallgrass prairie and xeric shortgrass steppe, makes it valuable for studies of variation in ecological processes along ecosystem productivity gradients and for the study of ecosystem response to climate change. The proximity to Wichita affords reasonably easy access for faculty and student research, academic field trips, and outreach efforts aimed at students in the Wichita public schools. Between 2001 and 2005, the Ninnescah Field Station supported 55 university courses and 5 scientific articles were published using data from the site. Existing improvements at the site are limited to two trailers that provide limited meeting and office space. The new 3,000 sq. ft. building will support an expanding emphasis in ecology and evolutionary biology, as well as increased inter-university research collaborations and enhanced teaching efforts. The building, which includes laboratory, instructional and library space, will allow immediate integration of field experiences with classroom instruction, computer access, and museum specimens. The value of sites like the NFSET, where scientists can participate in land management decisions and can implement long-term experimental manipulations without concerns about change in land management, is accentuated in Kansas where most land is privately-owned and in row-crop and livestock agriculture. Amid this agricultural landscape, the NFSET preserves remnant prairies that provide research opportunities and increase understanding of the role of prairies in our national identity. In addition, the field station building will enhance existing outreach programs involving the Wichita State University Department of Biological Sciences and the Wichita Public Schools, and will expand opportunities for participants in a recently funded NSF GK-12 program.

该奖项为在宁尼斯卡现场站和实验区 (NFSET) 建造一座新的抗龙卷风建筑提供了部分支持。 该站位于威奇托西南 30 英里处，占地 133 公顷混合用途土地，包括未开垦的低地草原、恢复的中草草原、河岸林地和湿地。该位置位于中生高草草原和旱生短草草原之间的过渡地带，对于研究生态过程沿生态系统生产力梯度的变化以及研究生态系统对气候变化的响应具有重要意义。毗邻威奇托，为教师和学生的研究、学术实地考察以及针对威奇托公立学校学生的外展工作提供了相当便利的条件。 2001 年至 2005 年间，宁尼斯卡现场站支持了 55 门大学课程，并利用该网站的数据发表了 5 篇科学文章。该地点现有的改进仅限于两辆拖车，可提供有限的会议和办公空间。这座占地 3,000 平方英尺的新建筑将支持对生态学和进化生物学的日益重视，以及加强大学间的研究合作和加强教学工作。该建筑包括实验室、教学和图书馆空间，将允许现场经验与课堂教学、计算机访问和博物馆标本立即整合。像 NFSET 这样的地点的价值在堪萨斯州尤为突出，那里的大多数土地都是私人所有，用于种植中耕作物和牲畜，科学家可以参与土地管理决策，并可以实施长期实验操作，而不必担心土地管理的变化。农业。在这片农业景观中，NFSET 保留了残余的草原，为研究提供了机会，并加深了对草原在我们国家认同中的作用的了解。此外，现场站建设将加强涉及威奇托州立大学生物科学系和威奇托公立学校的现有外展项目，并将为最近资助的 NSF GK-12 项目的参与者提供更多机会。