Free State Prairie
Lawrence Free State High School
University Of Kansas Research
Our goal was to create not only a prairie restoration at Free State High School, but also a place where students, teachers, and researchers from both the high school and the University of Kansas could do scientific inquiry. Click on the buttons to see more about the design of the Free State Prairie:
So far, studies have focused on prairie plants, effects of animals on soils, and plant-microbe interactions. We have published three papers in scientific journals, and three university students have used their work at Free State as part of their graduate studies. Use the buttons below to see more of the university's research.
Research Question:
How many seeds should be sown in a restoration? And how much do plant species “move around” the site?
(Research paper by Jaksetic, N., Foster, B. L. Schwarting, J., Bever, J. D. and Alexander, H. M. 2018. Sowing density effects and patterns of colonization in a prairie restoration. Restoration Ecology 26: 245 –254).
Research Question:
How does seed sowing density and presence of prairie microbes affect plant communities?
(Research paper by Lubin, T. K., Schultz, P., Bever, J. D., and Alexander, H. M. 2019. Are two strategies better than one? Manipulation of seed density and soil community in an experimental prairie restoration. Restoration Ecology 27:1021-1031)
Research Question:
What are patterns of soil disturbance by small mammals and does this affect soil properties or what plants are abundant?
(Research paper by Alexander, H.M., Barnes, C., Timm, R.M., and Sikes, B. A. 2020. Mammalian soil disturbance, plant cover, and soil nitrogen in a prairie restoration. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Sciences 123: 179-190).
Research Question:
How does surveying vegetation early in the season vs. late in the season affect the results we see?
(Research paper by Betson, N., and Foster, B.L. 2023 Seasonal Shifts in Diversity and Composition of a Tallgrass Prairie Restoration Have Implications for Sampling Time. Ecological Restoration 41:16-24).
Research Question:
Does increasing forb (wildflower) seeding density increase sown forb establishment? And how do the effects of forb seeding density on the plant community, and the plant community in general, change over the first 8 years?
Naomi Betson, a KU graduate student is currently working on this project. See Researcher Highlight for Naomi earlier on this page (see “How does surveying vegetation early vs late in the growing season affect the results we see?”)
