KBS LTER https://lter.kbs.msu.edu Kellogg Biological Station | Long-Term Ecological Research Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:24:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 Undergraduate and graduate KBS researchers show how climate warming may be a boon for native goldenrod https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/2026/08/undergraduate-and-graduate-kbs-researchers-show-how-climate-warming-may-be-a-boon-for-native-goldenrod/ Thu, 06 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/?p=16060 Continue reading Undergraduate and graduate KBS researchers show how climate warming may be a boon for native goldenrod]]> A recent study from KBS students suggests that climate warming can offset insect damage in tall goldenrod, potentially making this already aggressive prairie plant even more dominant as temperatures rise. Climate change may reduce yields of crops like corn and soybeans, but it can also give some plants an edge. That’s one of the takeaways of a recent study of tall goldenrod…

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]]> Graduate research from the KBS LTER reveals plant traits that predict ecosystem stability https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/2026/07/graduate-research-from-the-kbs-lter-reveals-plant-traits-that-predict-ecosystem-stability/ Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:33:36 +0000 https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/?p=16008 Continue reading Graduate research from the KBS LTER reveals plant traits that predict ecosystem stability]]> Researchers showed that functional traits of plants can help explain why some grasslands remain productive over many years, but are less useful in understanding how ecosystems respond to individual disturbances. As climate change brings more frequent droughts and increasingly unpredictable weather, one of the biggest questions facing scientists is how ecosystems will respond.

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]]> Farmscapes to Forests: An evening with KBS LTER’s 2025 Artists-in-Residence https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/2026/07/farmscapes-to-forests-an-evening-with-kbs-lters-2025-artists-in-residence/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:13:13 +0000 https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/?p=15955 Continue reading Farmscapes to Forests: An evening with KBS LTER’s 2025 Artists-in-Residence]]> On the evening of Friday, July 17th, members of the public and Kellogg Biological Station community will join us for an evening exploring the intersection of art and science. The Farmscapes to Forests event will take place at the Overlook Building in the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, and is the program’s first-ever group public exhibition, bringing together the three MSU College of Arts &

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]]> RET Melissa Frost to visit Konza LTER in cross-site synthesis effort https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/2026/06/ret-melissa-frost-to-visit-konza/ Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:37:51 +0000 https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/?p=15940 Continue reading RET Melissa Frost to visit Konza LTER in cross-site synthesis effort]]> Melissa Frost completed a Research Experience for Teachers (RET) at the Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) LTER in 2022 and since then has remained active with the program. Today, she serves on the K-12 Partnership Teacher Advisory Board and will complete a second RET with Dr. Lauren Sullivan this summer. Recognizing the importance of bringing her research experience back to her students…

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]]> Humanizing the Science: LTER Artist-in-Residence program marks its fifth year https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/2026/05/humanizing-the-science-lter-artist-in-residence-program-marks-its-fifth-year/ Wed, 27 May 2026 13:35:14 +0000 https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/?p=15913 Continue reading Humanizing the Science: LTER Artist-in-Residence program marks its fifth year]]> The Farmscapes to Forests: Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Ecological Research Artists-in-Residence Program is entering its fifth year, featuring Kalamazoo-based visual artist Ellen VanderMyde as the 2026 Artist-in-Residence and the debut of the program’s first group exhibition showcasing the work of last year’s cohort of Michigan State University College of Arts & Letters artists.

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]]> LTER researchers collaborate with local educators to promote outdoor STEM education https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/2026/04/lter-researchers-collaborate-with-local-educators-to-promote-outdoor-stem-education/ Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:38:42 +0000 https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/?p=15894 Continue reading LTER researchers collaborate with local educators to promote outdoor STEM education]]> A recent CIRCLE Seed Grant from MSU brought together a team of local K-12 teachers and KBS LTER researchers to develop a replicable schoolyard experiment. Scientific discovery is often associated with remote field sites or specialized laboratories, but it can also begin in familiar places – like schoolyards. At the KBS LTER site, researchers study ecosystems using a combination of…

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]]> KBS grad student earn awards for national energy research for harnessing soil microbes https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/2026/03/brandon-kristy/ Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:23:50 +0000 https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/?p=15698 Continue reading KBS grad student earn awards for national energy research for harnessing soil microbes]]> Brandon Kristy, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Integrative Biology and a member of the Evans Lab at the Kellogg Biological Station, will go to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, or LLNL, to study the “unseen” partners of sustainable bioenergy.Kristy’s specialty is plant science for sustainable bioenergy, where he investigates how soil microbiomes can help crops like switchgrass thrive…

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]]> Thirty years of data reveal major declines in lady beetles and their pest-fighting power in Midwestern farmland https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/2026/03/thirty-years-of-data-reveal-major-declines-in-lady-beetles-and-their-pest-fighting-power-in-midwestern-farmland/ Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:53:38 +0000 https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/?p=15671 Continue reading Thirty years of data reveal major declines in lady beetles and their pest-fighting power in Midwestern farmland]]> Long-term monitoring at the Kellogg Biological Station Long Term Ecological Research site (KBS LTER) shows both native and introduced predators are declining, potentially weakening a key natural defense against crop pests. A new study, led by researchers at Kent State University and Michigan State University, finds that populations of lady beetles, important natural predators of…

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]]> KBS LTER graduate student receives prestigious MSU science award https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/2026/02/kbs-lter-graduate-student-receives-prestigious-msu-science-award/ Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/?p=15644 Continue reading KBS LTER graduate student receives prestigious MSU science award]]> KBS graduate student Rachel Drobnak has received the 2026 MSU Graduate School’s Graduate Award in Science Communication & Outreach for her work in promoting the benefits of prairie strips. KBS graduate student Rachel Drobnak has received the 2026 Graduate Student Award for Science Communication & Outreach. The award, which is given annually to one graduate student at MSU…

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]]> MiSTRIPS program extends its impact beyond farm fields to classrooms and communities https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/2026/02/mistrips-program-extends-its-impact-beyond-farm-fields-to-classrooms-and-communities/ Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:51:20 +0000 https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/?p=15632 Continue reading MiSTRIPS program extends its impact beyond farm fields to classrooms and communities]]> Inspired by their time as Research Experience for Teachers program at the Kellogg Biological Station, two Michigan teachers are using schoolyard prairies as outdoor classrooms to engage students and provide hands-on experience with science. Now in its fifth year, MiSTRIPS has made a lasting impact that extends beyond the 11 participating farmers who have planted more than 50…

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