Location: Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research
Project Number: 5070-12000-001-002-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2019
End Date: Aug 31, 2022
Objective:
1. Collect and analyze data from weather stations and eddy covariance flux towers.
2. Develop and implement protocols for floristic biomass and biodiversity sampling and plant tissue quality measurements for comparison of the native, perennial Tucker Prairie ecosystem with the LTAR BAU and ASP production systems.
Approach:
For Objective 1, equipment and procedures are generally well established. Advice will be provided as needed and maintenance and associated tasks for field instrumentation and dataloggers will be undertaken for several continuous and temporary measurement deployments, including:
a. weather stations (Field 1 and South Farm),
b. ASP (Field 1), BAU (Field 3), and TP (Tucker Prairie) eddy covariance flux towers.
For Objective 2, standard protocols provided through LTAR will be implemented and new protocols will be developed and evaluated for making comparisons between Tucker Prairie (the native, perennial ecosystem) and the grain cropping systems (ASP and BAU). Comparisons will include floristic biomass and diversity, as well as plant tissue and grain quality. Exploratory protocols related to above-canopy seed dispersal will be implemented and ecological data will be collected at all three sites. Cooperator will collaborate on development of appropriate protocols, data collection, and data interpretation.
