Konza Prairie Research Natural Area (KPRNA) is a 3,487 ha tallgrass prairie preserve managed as a biological research station by the Division of Biology, Kansas State University. Over 120 projects, involving KSU researches from 14 Departments and 5 Colleges, and 65 visiting researches from other institutions, are being conducted on the site. KSU research on KPRNA is supported by $5 M in extramural funding from 15 government agencies and private foundations. Current facilities include a large renovated stone ranch house and barn that serve as research and educational headquartes,a small laboratory, 30 km of fencing, 17 km of maintained gravel roads, fire management equipment, and 60 watershed treatment units (avg. size 0.55 km2) maintained under different long-term prescribed fire and gazing treatment combinations. Ungulate grazers are managed within a 949 ha bison enclosure and handling facility, and a 325 ha cattle enclosure. The replicated watershed-level grazing and prescribed fire treatments provide the infrastructure for over 80% of the research on the site. The overall research on KPRNA, the numbers of visiting (non-KSU) scientists, and the number of small plots maintained for their research programs have all grown significantly in the last decade. Therefore, a three phase development plan for KPRNA was initiated including 1) producing a long range Master Plan, II) stabilizing and renovating the existing facilities and equipment, and III) constructing new laboratory, support facilities, and living quarters for visiting scientists. Phases I and II are essentially completed. This project will begin Phase III and focuses on enhancing support facilities for visiting scientists. Specifically, the project to increase laboratory space for visiting scientists and to support the purchase of a special purpose tractor needed for maintenance of both the long-term watershed-level treatments and the greatly increasing numbers of small plots established by co llaborating and individuals visiting researchers. The expansion of experimental plot research on KPRNA has resulted from an increasing conceptual focus on key questions regarding 1) underlying processes and mechanisms driving large-scale community and ecosystems patterns and change, and 2) assessment of their generality across grasslands and other terrestrial ecosystems via cross-site studies. Concurrently, matching funds will be used to install onsite computing facilities and T1 computer line connection to the KU campus, and to construct a new building to house fire management equipment. The completion of this proposed work will significantly enhance the KPRNA research capacity, laboratory and computing support facilities for visiting scientists and students, and data management and communication system. These improvements will facilitate further in collaborative cross-disciplinary research on grasslands and other terrestrial systems.
