Eugene F. Kelly Soil and Crop Sciences Colorado State University Ft. Collins, CO 80523 (970) 491-6881 pedoiso@lamar.colostate.edu
With this NEON Core Site RFI response, we are recommending that the Central Plains Experimental Range (CPER) in northern Colorado serve as the core wildland site in the Central Plains Domain (Domain 10). The predominant ecosystem-type at the CPER is C4-dominated native shortgrass steppe, a variety of other communities characteristic of the domain (e.g., southern mixed grass and cool season species) are also present. The continental climate of the CPER is representative of the domain as a whole, characterized by low precipitation, periodic water deficits, and large interannual and interseasonal climatic fluctuations. At CPER and throughout the Domain, most (70%) of the annual precipitation at CPER is derived from the Gulf of Mexico and falls during the warm season between April and September.
The CPER is a 6,798 hectare short grass steppe vegetation located in the Colorado Piedmont section of the Great Plains which encompasses most of northeastern Colorado (40.83 latitude, -104.724 longitude). The site is owned by the USDA-ARS has been managed as a field research station by the USDA-ARS, has been a Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site since 1982 and meets the criteria for a core wildland site as defined by NEON. The CPER is uniquely positioned and equipped to serve as a Core Wildland site, with its critical ongoing and legacy datasets, NEON-relevant infrastructure, long-term experiments, and expertise in ecological research, biodiversity and data management. Partnerships between Colorado State University, the University of Colorado, University of northern Colorado, the University of Wyoming, the University of New Mexico, Kansas State University, Fort Hays State University, will provide strong support for the operation of the site, while partnerships with USDA-ARS, USDA- Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy and Department of Interior (BLM and NPS) provide strong regional support for the choice of CPER within Domain 10.