Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve

Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
Name	Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
Location	Minnesota, United States
Area	2050acre
Established	1940s
Governing body	University of Minnesota

Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve is a research and conservation site in Anoka County, Minnesota, affiliated with the University of Minnesota and renowned for long-term ecological experiments. The reserve integrates prairie, savanna, and deciduous forest ecosystems and is a focal point for studies in ecology, conservation biology, and global change science led by faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students. Its experiments inform policies and practices used by organizations such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and international collaborations with institutions like the Max Planck Society, Smithsonian Institution, and Imperial College London.

History

The reserve traces origins to land acquisitions and research initiatives by the University of Minnesota and local donors during the mid-20th century, reflecting conservation movements contemporaneous with the development of the National Park Service and the postwar expansion of research funded by the National Science Foundation. Key figures and collaborators have included ecologists associated with the Ecological Society of America, contributors from the Bell Museum of Natural History, and scientists who later held appointments at institutions such as Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University, Princeton University, and University of California, Berkeley. Over decades the reserve hosted projects tied to programs like the Long Term Ecological Research Network and partnerships with government agencies including the United States Geological Survey and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Geography and Habitat

Situated within the Laurentian Mixed Forest Province transition zone and the historic Tallgrass Prairie landscape, the reserve includes remnant patches of oak savanna, mesic prairie, wetland complexes, and second-growth maple‑basswood forest typical of the Upper Midwest. Its geomorphology reflects glacial and postglacial processes connected to the Wisconsin Glaciation and hydrologic links to regional watersheds studied in coordination with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The mosaic habitat supports species and communities of interest to researchers from the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the Canadian Wildlife Service.

Research and Programs

The reserve hosts interdisciplinary programs spanning community ecology, ecosystem biogeochemistry, restoration ecology, and climate-change biology with investigators from centers including the Institute on the Environment, the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, and international partners like the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Research themes align with initiatives funded by entities such as the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the European Research Council. Scientists collaborate with specialists from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Royal Society, and the Kavli Foundation to publish in outlets like Science (journal), Nature (journal), Ecology (journal), and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Long-Term Experiments and Plots

The reserve is renowned for enduring manipulative experiments and permanent plots maintained within the Long Term Ecological Research Network and analogous global networks such as the International Long Term Ecological Research Network. Classic studies include manipulations of nutrient inputs, fire regimes, grazing simulation, and species removals executed by teams linked with laboratories at Columbia University, University of Michigan, Cornell University, Duke University, and University of Colorado Boulder. Datasets contribute to syntheses coordinated with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and meta-analyses produced by consortia including the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis.

Education and Outreach

Educational offerings at the reserve engage undergraduate courses from the University of Minnesota, field schools with visiting faculty from Michigan State University and Iowa State University, and professional training for managers from organizations such as the Society for Ecological Restoration and the The Nature Conservancy. Public outreach has linked the reserve with exhibits and programming at the Bell Museum of Natural History, citizen-science platforms run with partners like NASA, NOAA, and the Smithsonian Institution, and collaborations with regional school districts and the Minnesota Historical Society.

Facilities and Management

Facilities include field labs, seed banks, instrumented towers, and long-term storage curated by staff and researchers affiliated with the University of Minnesota Libraries and the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute for data archiving and analysis. Operational oversight coordinates with land managers experienced in practices endorsed by the Society for Range Management and compliance with conservation easements held by entities such as the Trust for Public Land and the Minnesota Land Trust. Grants and administrative support have been provided through programs at the National Science Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities for interdisciplinary infrastructure and interpretation.

Conservation and Biodiversity Monitoring

Biodiversity monitoring integrates taxonomic work with partners at the Smithsonian Institution, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Missouri Botanical Garden to track plant, insect, bird, fungal, and microbial assemblages, contributing to regional conservation assessments used by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Long-term datasets inform restoration priorities consistent with guidelines from the International Union for Conservation of Nature and monitoring frameworks such as those promoted by the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention. The reserve also supports applied research for practitioners at NGOs including The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society, and the Conservation International.

Category:University of Minnesota Category:Protected areas of Minnesota