University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
College of Biological Sciences
http://www.cbs.umn.edu/

Cedar Creek LTER

Cedar Creek Long Term Ecological Research

BioCON Experiment

The Cedar Creek Long Term Ecological Research (CDR LTER) site is part of the LTER Network, a group of research sites funded by NSF to address the challenge of long-term, ecological research. LTER sites are chosen to represent major ecosystem types or natural biomes and share the goal of the studying  of ecological phenomena over long periods of time based on data collected in five core areas of ecological research.
 
CDR LTER has been a part of the LTER network since 1982, just two years after the program was started in 1980. Over the course of 4 decades, CDR LTER has become one of the best known ecological research sites in the world. While research at CDR LTER has deepened and expanded over the years to remain at the cutting edge of ecological inquiry, its scientists and staff continue to maintain many of the original experiments and studies, some of which predate the LTER program and are now in their seventh decade. As with other LTER sites, data generated by CDR LTER are considered as the gold standard, because of their quality and duration. These data are freely available to anyone and are used by scientists and educators around the world. In addition to its research mission, CDR LTER supports a large education and outreach program that researches thousands of students, teachers, local residents, and the general public.
 
CDR LTER is based at the 2200 ha Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (CCESR) in central Minnesota, a field station run by College of Biological Sciences at University of Minnesota.
 

                                                                   

Latest

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR CEDAR CREEK ECOSYSTEM SCIENCE RESERVE?

Check out the new CCESR website!

Prescribed Burning

Cedar Creek manages the prairies and now-rare oak savannas by setting controlled fires called prescribed burns.

Large tracts of prairie and oak savanna once covered parts of Anoka and Isanti Counties. Fires started by lightning would sweep through these habitats and the native flora and fauna became adapted to periodic burning. Since towns and homes have been established in nearby areas, it has become too dangerous to allow such natural fires to burn freely. Cedar Creek manages the prairies and now-rare oak savannas by setting controlled fires called prescribed burns.Cedar Creek has been practicing prescribed burning since the 1960s, making it one of the longest ongoing scientific fire experiments in the world. Researchers at Cedar Creek study the effects of fire at individual, community, and ecosystem levels with the goal of maintaining the prairies and developing effective restoration methods for the savanna.  Learn More

Ecology Internships and Burn Technician Positions are currently being filled.

We are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Read Cedar Creek's Code of Conduct

Follow us on twitter