Prairie Peninsula Domain

The Konza Prairie Biological Station is the NEON candidate core site for the Prairie Peninsula Domain. Land-use change will be the primary focus of NEON activities at Konza Prairie, an ecosystem southwest of Manhatten, KS, that is dominated by native tallgrass and also includes forests and shrubland. In addition to climate, new NEON sensors and monitoring equipment will also measure climate and organism populations in the region and anchor research in biofuels and intensive agriculture. NEON data will supplement an existing 30-year history of ecological measurements at the 8,600-acre Konza Prairie, which is jointly owned by The Nature Conservancy and Kansas State University.

Domain: Prairie Peninsula (Domain #6)

Science Focus: Land use.

Candidate Core Site Name: Konza Prairie Biological Station

Representativeness: The site captures the essential climatic and biotic characteristics of the Prairie Peninsula domain, including a C4-dominated native grassland with a continental climate characterized by warm, wet summers and dry, cold winters.

Location: Latitude: 39.101; Longitude: -96.563.

Existing Infrastructure: Partnerships among Kansas State University, the University of Kansas, and Haskell Indian Nations University provide strong operational support for the site.

Unique Feature: The site is jointly owned by Kansas State University and The Nature Conservancy. It has been an LTER site since 1981.