NBC01 Konza Prairie Belowground Plot Experiment: Soil chemistry responses to experimental manipulations of fire, nutrients and mowing

To address the potential interactive effects of fire, aboveground biomass removal, and nutrient amendments on above- and belowground responses, a long-term field experiment was initiated in 1986 as part of the Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program. The general goals of this experiment are: 1) to document both short- and long-term responses of plants and soils to fire, aboveground biomass removal (a surrogate for grazing in these small plots), and nutrient amendments (additions of N and/or P); and 2) to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying tallgrass prairie responses to fire, aboveground biomass removal and nutrient enrichment. Effects of burning, mowing, and N + P additions on soil chemistry are measured on the 64 belowground plots at irregular intervals. Variables measured include P, NO3, NH4, Mn, Cu, K, Zn, Ca, Fe, Mg, Na, ph, Organic matter and Organic-N.