A wildfire that consumed more than 2000 ha of tallgrass prairie on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area created a unique opportunity to establish the relationship between methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide fluxes and net primary productivity (NPP). The fire left a matrix of watersheds with various fire histories. These watershed also vary in soil carbon and nitrogen amounts, factors which strongly influence trace gas flux and NPP. Watershed level differences in other constraints to NPP (water and light limitations) have been minimized by removal of litter. By concurrently obtaining trace gas flux measurements, ground measurements of foliage biomass, and satellite images, Drs. Rice, Seastedt, Tate, Turner and Benning propose to establish the relationship between methane flux, nitrous oxide flux and NPP in temperate semi-humid grasslands. Research conducted at the Konza Prairie is at the leading edge of grassland studies and the facilities available to these investigators are outstanding.
