Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER)/CDR018: Plant Competition Under Different Nitrogen Levels at Cedar Creek Natural History Area

LTER - Long-Term Ecological Research Program/Cedar Creek Natural
History Area (CDR)

LTER/CDR018 [Summary adapted from the LTER Core Data Set Catalog]:

This is the new garden plot experiment located next to the CDR014
gardens. This garden contains monocultures of major grass species
from across the grassland biome of North America, and also three
legume species (CDR020). The design and purpose are similar to
CDR014, except the plots are larger. The basic experimental design
consists of growing plants in monoculture and in various competitive
combinations on each of 14 different soil mixtures. Each soil mixture
has 26 subplots. Each subplot, which is 1.2 m x 1.2 m, is a unique
treatment. Thus, there are no replicates of a treatment within a soil
mixture. Rather, the experiment is a regression experiment, with the
regression variable being the experimentally imposed level of total
soil nitrogen. At the time the seeds were planted, each plot was
fertilized with a mixture of P, K, Ca, Mg, and trace metals. Plots 1
through 23 were planted with different combinations of the following
species: Schizachyrium scoparium, Andropogon gerardi, Bouteloua
gracilis, Panicum virgatum, Agropyron smithii, and Buchloe
dactyloides. A belowground gopher fence and an aboveground
rodent/deer fence was built around the area.

Proprietary limits: Investigators have priority over data for
five years, but are interested in collaboration for novel comparisons before
then.

The Cedar Creek Natural History Area (CCNHA) is a 2200 hectare
experimental ecological reserve operated by the University of
Minnesota in cooperation with the Minnesota Academy of Sciences. CCNHA
is located in Anoka and Isanti Counties north of Minneapolis/St. Paul.
The site was established in 1940, was designated a National Natural
Landmark by the National Park Service in 1975. In 1977 it was included
as an Experimental Ecology Reserve in a proposed network, and in 1982
it was one of 11 sites in the U.S. selected by the National Science
Foundation for funding of LTER.

Information about LTER is also available at
'http://lternet.edu/'