Section 3: Research Rules and Guidelines

Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve is a 5,500 acre (2,185 ha) ecological research area and natural history preserve. It contains a mosaic of habitats which reflects the patchy distribution of soil, wetland, and lake types, and past land use patterns. Many tracts are relatively undisturbed by humans and constitute an irreplaceable natural resource for scholarly teaching and research.

Both observational and experimental research are encouraged at Cedar Creek, but both must be planned and implemented to minimize their environmental impact or their effects on on-going research. Active conservation of rare and endangered species or community types is also encouraged. Observational studies, if properly planned and carried out, can involve minimal habitat alteration. Even these studies must be performed so as to prevent disturbance of natural conditions and interference among researchers. Experimental or manipulative investigations may impact areas much more than observational research, and may make those areas unsuitable for other kinds of studies. Although experimental research is encouraged, there are restrictions on the size and number of experimental areas and on the extent of disturbance caused by experiments.

The following rules govern all Cedar Creek research (see attached Cedar Creek’s “Research and Land Use Policy” for more details)

1. No research of any sort may be initiated at Cedar Creek until a research proposal, with location and methodology explained in detail, has been submitted and approved. Ideally, no grant application seeking funding for research at Cedar Creek should be submitted to any funding agency or organization until the proposed research has been reviewed and approved by Cedar Creek. The proposal is to be prepared in the described format.

2. Do not enter any area where research is being performed without prior permission.

3. A use fee of $200/week during periods when the investigator or her/his assistants are using Cedar Creek facilities must be paid by all funded research projects that are from outside the University of Minnesota and that do not pay indirect costs (overhead) to the University of Minnesota. The fee of $200/week applies to grants employing from 1 to 4 individuals at Cedar Creek. Please contact the Director or Associate Director regarding fees for larger projects prior to submitting research proposals to granting agencies. Please note that this site use fee is charged in lieu of the overhead funds that research grants otherwise would generate. Direct support from the University of Minnesota (some of which is derived from overhead) and support from site use fees provides the income that maintains the roads, buildings, grounds and infrastructure of Cedar Creek. Granting agencies regularly approve the payment of such site use fees.

4. Research may be performed within most areas. See the Cedar Creek “Research and Land Use Policy” for a fuller statement of research rules. Certain areas have been designated as being suitable for intensive experimentation, including Fields A, B, C, D, and E, the area used for the Duck Pens and for garden plots (but not the rest of Field 44), and the field containing Biodiversity I and II and BioCON. Small-scale, short-term studies thought to have little long-term impact are allowed in most other areas. However, certain rare, fragile, or otherwise special areas have been zoned for more limited work. These areas include all 22 fields that are part of the LTER Old Field Chronosequence, Crone’s Knoll, Cedar Bog Lake and its wetlands, and Beckman Bog. In addition, because oak savanna is a rare ecosystem type within both Minnesota and Cedar Creek, experimental work is more restricted in savanna and undergoes close scrutiny.

5. No new or expanded research may be initiated until all possible potential conflicts with land management objectives and with research in progress have been resolved by the Associate Director or Director.

6. Vehicular travel within Cedar Creek is limited to designated roadways.  No vehicle is to be driven on any Cedar Creek sand or dirt road at greater than 10 mph, except sand or dirt roads within Cedar Creek grounds that are managed by state or local governments, such as East Bethel Boulevard. Operation of any vehicle off such roads is strictly forbidden unless there is explicit prior written permission of the Director or Associate Director, or in the case of an emergency.

7. Each research proposal must detail its proposed location on a map, on a xerographic copy of relevant vertical aerial photos, preferably by specifying UTM NAD83 coordinates obtained using a Cedar Creek GPS. Locations of proposed treatments must be clearly indicated. Any change of location must have prior approval from the Associate Director or Director.

8. Each permanent study plot or area to be manipulated must be clearly and permanently delimited on the land in a manner approved by the Associate Director, using signposts supplied by Cedar Creek (see memorandum, PDF). Markers are to be placed to maximize visibility in the study area. In addition, all corners of the study area are to be clearly and permanently marked, preferably using 1/2 inch diameter electrical thin-walled conduit tubing or 3/8 inch iron re-enforcing bar (“re-bar”). These should extend at least 50 cm above and below the soil surface. Because pranksters may move or remove marker tubes, a 12-inch nail should be driven completely into the substratum at the base of each tube/re-bar for locating with a metal detector, and UTM NAD83 coordinates of each marker should be recorded.

9. Plastic-topped wire flags may be used only as temporary markers. These are to be removed from all plots before the end of a field season (October 15). If an investigator has not made special provision with Cedar Creek for temporary markers to remain over winter, those remaining may be removed by Cedar Creek staff starting in mid-October, the cost of removal being billed to the investigator.

10. To maintain the heterogeneity of habitats and ecosystems within Cedar Creek, experimentally disturbed areas should not occupy more than 20% of any given site or field. Exceptions to this rule include certain fields which have been designated for intensive experimentation (see above), fields planted with and still dominated by non-native vegetation (such as brome), and areas being actively managed to restore native or biologically diverse communities. In cases in which the habitat type to be disturbed is rare or of great importance for some other reason, the proportion of the area to be disturbed will be restricted to a greater extent.

11. If other workers might mistake the identity of organisms involved in a research project, voucher specimens should be collected and deposited in the appropriate University of Minnesota collection.

12. If any structures, fences, barriers, etc., are installed, or if species exotic to Cedar Creek are added, they must be removed at the end of the research at the expense of the research grants of those responsible for the project.