KBS LTER

MSU researcher honored with prestigious Soil Science Research Award MSU AgBioResearch scientist Bruno Basso was recently awarded the Soil Science Research Award from the Soil Science Society of America.

Congratulations to @kbslter.bsky.social scientist, Bruno Basso, on receiving the prestigious Soil Science Research Award from the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), one of the highest honors for advancing scientific knowledge in the field.

www.canr.msu.edu/news/msu-res...

These ultra-long experiments outlive their scientists — on purpose To study phenomena that unfold over decades or even centuries, scientists may launch long-running projects they may never see finished.

The Beal seed experiment at @michiganstateu.bsky.social, plus several of our fellow LTER Network sites mentioned in this article about long-term experiments!

www.snexplores.org/article/long... @hubbardbrook.bsky.social @davidlowry.bsky.social @uslter.bsky.social

7 long-term MSU projects shape how we see the world Learn about a few of the project and experiments at MSU that span years, decades and even centuries.

Check out the feature on @kbslter.bsky.social! At MSU, some discoveries take decades — even centuries — to unfold. The university’s roster of long-term experiments includes our MCSE exploring how farming methods affect the environment and the food supply.

msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/11...

30-Year Study Showcases No-Till Benefits For over three decades, researchers at Michigan’s Kellogg Research Station have measured yield, profitability, soil aggregation, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions and soil moisture in bot...

For over three decades, researchers at Michigan’s Kellogg Research Station have measured yield, profitability, soil aggregation, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions and soil moisture in both tilled and no-tilled fields.

www.no-tillfarmer.com/blogs/1-cove...

The functional groups of prairie strip people - LTER Prairie strips bring not only plant diversity to croplands, but many groups of people too. Rachel Drobnak introduces the human side of prairie research at Kellogg Biological Station LTER.

Check out this awesome blog for the @uslter.bsky.social, written by our very own Rachel Drobnak @dirtylittleworms.bsky.social. Rachel shares stories about the research and outreach surrounding prairie strips done at @kelloggbiostn.bsky.social!

lternet.edu/stories/the-...

In Michigan, the final generation of Monarch butterflies are beginning their migration south to spend the winter in California, Florida or Mexico. Many are stopping by the @kbslter.bsky.social for resting and feeding along their journey! [Photo credit: Jamie Smith]

From drones helping farmers increase sustainability and profitability, to plant defenses under high nutrients, to the insect apocalypse - check out the latest research from the @kbslter.bsky.social in our press highlights!

lter.kbs.msu.edu/who-we-are/i...

The publications collected in this month's LTER Network News really demonstrated the wide range of impactful research the LTER does. Here's the list:

mailchi.mp/lternet/lter...

Three decades of declines restructure butterfly communities in the Midwestern United States | PNAS Insects are declining worldwide. These declines have been documented across taxonomic groups and are worrisome given ecosystem services provided by...

More bad news for butterflies. Our new paper led by Wendy Leuenberger shows common species are declining even more rapidly than rare ones. @ZipkinLab

Three decades of declines restructure butterfly communities in the Midwestern United States | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2501340122

Satellites and Drones Are Unlocking Benefits ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ in Michigan

Today in @nytimes.com Science Section - @kbslter.bsky.social researcher, Bruno Basso, is featured as one of the leaders of a growing movement seeking to harness technology to help farmers, increase agricultural yields, and heal the environment all at the same time.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/c...

Satellites and Drones Are Unlocking Benefits ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ in Michigan

Millions of currently farmed acres hold opportunities for biodiversity conservation that are hidden in plain sight!

Opinion | How to Count Butterflies

Great story! Learning to identify butterflies is in reach. Counts by thousands of people make up the best long term data 🦋 And there are practical means to forestall rapid butterfly decline. Thank you @margaretrenkl

Poster for 90 minute workshop on HOW TO DESIGN BETTER EXPERIMENTS, by Mridul Thomas & Ravi Ranjan. Details: September 23rd 16:00 CEST ; 14:00 UTC Description: Experimental designs can make or break an experiment. A good experiment has a clear goal and efficiently uses experimental resources to achieve that goal. In this workshop, we will review what experiments are for, basic and advanced principles of designing experiments, and how to use simulations to evaluate designs before actually doing the experiment. We’ll do a moderate amount of coding in R and so experience with this would be helpful but is not required. We intend to have small-group discussions to help participants develop their own experiments, and encourage participants to think of a specific question they would like to answer with an experiment.

@raviranjan.bsky.social & I are teaching a free online workshop with on experimental design for environmental scientists on the 23rd.

We'll focus on using simulations to evaluate how well different experimental designs help achieve your goals.

Please sign up & share! forms.gle/MZTxeQs4UpMr...

MSU team develops scalable climate solutions for agricultural carbon markets MSU scientists develop a scalable, science-based system for agricultural carbon markets that improves climate impact accuracy, builds trust in carbon credits, and supports regenerative farming across ...

New research from Michigan State University, led by agricultural systems scientist Bruno Basso, addresses a major problem in agricultural carbon markets: how to set an accurate starting point, or “baseline,” for measuring climate benefits.

msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/07...

Goldenrods more likely evolve defense mechanisms in nutrient-rich soil A University of Michigan study finds that plants growing in nutrient-rich soil may be more likely to defend themselves against insects.

New study out of the @kbslter.bsky.social, led by Mia Howard, finds that plants growing in nutrient-rich soil may be more likely to defend themselves against insects and cites the importance of long-term research in the study of evolution!

news.umich.edu/study-golden...

Out in the @kelloggbiostn.bsky.social LTAR today for their 3rd annual field day - hearing from farmers, scientists, crop advisors, NRCS, and more - as they share what they’ve learned so far from the aspirational treatments of this experiment and partnership!

Christine Sprunger @sprunger.bsky.social is one of 39 visionaries named to the 2025 Top Agri-food Pioneers, or TAP, list by the World Food Prize Foundation. Congrats Christine!

www.kbs.msu.edu/2025/07/chri...

Several @kbslter.bsky.social graduate students presented at #ESA2025! Check out these updates on their research!

www.kbs.msu.edu/2025/09/esa-...

LTER Photo Contest 2025 - LTER Introducing the LTER Photo Contest, 2025! Spurred on by the great images submitted last year and the fierce site vs. site competition that took place on our Instagram page to pick a winner, we're back...

Calling all KBS LTER photographers! Have some photos from your best day and worst day in the field? Submit them to the LTER Network's yearly photo contest!

lternet.edu/stories/lter...

Family Aphelenchidae [af-i-lenk-i-dae]. This family likes to eat fungi, which nematologists call “fungivores.” Aphelenchidae are common in soils all over the world!

#ecology #science #worms #nematodes #invertebrates #soil #soilecology

Want to keep up with the latest news from the @kbslter.bsky.social? Check out our blog!

lter.kbs.msu.edu/blog/

Nature-based climate solutions can help mitigate the radiative forcing that follows deforestation - Communications Earth & Environment Nature-based climate solutions such as conservation agriculture and forestry can partially offset the global warming caused by deforestation, while natural forest regeneration is capable of a complete...

From @kbslter.bsky.social researchers, Grant Falvo and Phil Robertson, have a paper out in Nature Communications Earth and Environment exploring how nature-based climate solutions can help mitigate the radiative forcing that follows deforestation across Midwest.

www.nature.com/articles/s43...

Family Monhysteridae [mon-hiss-tare-i-dae]. Monhysteridae are quirky bacteria-eating nematodes, because they have unique body features and are adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions: anaerobic (no oxygen), dry, and even polluted environments.

#worms #nematodes #soilscience #ecology

Family Hoplolaimidae [hop-low-lime-i-dae]. Hoplolaimidae are considered plant parasites because they require a host plant to live and reproduce. They can parasitize a wide range of host plants, including pine trees, grasses, and agricultural crops.

#wormwednesday #ecology #invertebrates #nematodes

Regenerative Agriculture: A Transformative Approach to Ecological Farming and Soil Recovery Learn how ecological farming can combat soil degradation and ecological breakdown, promoting sustainable practices in agriculture.

New review highlights scientific basis of regenerative agriculture. Rather than prescribing specific methods, it emphasizes observable outcomes – improved soil function, biological activity, and resilience – allowing flexibility across farming contexts.

www.morningagclips.com/regenerative...

@kbslter.bsky.social uses soil warming experiments from the LTER and beyond to show global patterns of warming on plant communities. Some things are common: biomass increases, N decreases, but mostly, it's complicated!

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Another @kbslter.bsky.social showed that a plant species more often took a defensive morph after THREE DECADES of nitrogen addition. That's cool evidence that nutrient addition is driving evolution within a single long-term experiment!

nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Purple coneflower, big bluestem, etc in a prairie reconstruction at Kellogg Biological Station

Yellow coneflower, big bluestem, etc in a prairie reconstruction at Kellogg Biological Station

Yellow coneflower, big bluestem, etc in a prairie reconstruction at Kellogg Biological Station

Today we wrapped up the 10th summer of vegetation surveys in our KBS prairie restoration (reconstruction) experiment, testing how the geographic origin and species diversity of seeds used to initiate restoration affects long-term ecological dynamics

@kelloggbiostn.bsky.social @kbslter.bsky.social

It was an honor to get to show off all of the hard work done by Mike and Lona Bronkema of Shady Side Farm at today’s MiSTRIPS field day. In addition to two prairie strips, Mike has a diversified cropping system with “beyond organic” practices.

We braved the insane heat wave to join the Kent County Conservation district for their prairie-themed field day. We watched a seed drill demo, saw a restored prairie in its second year, and shared details of the @kbslter.bsky.social MiSTRIPS program!