Preserving a Prairie
TNC and partners advance a legacy of science and stewardship at Konza Prairie.
Nestled in the northern Flint Hills, the Konza Prairie Biological Station stands as a living laboratory and a testament to the power of partnership between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Kansas State University (K-State). Together, we are working to study and protect one of the last remaining tallgrass prairies on Earth—an ecosystem as complex as it is fragile.
K-State’s Dr. Jesse Nippert is at the forefront of this effort, tackling one of the prairie’s greatest threats: the invasion of trees and shrubs, known as woody encroachment.
In the 1960s, TNC members dreamed of establishing a tallgrass prairie preserve in Kansas. But, without local staff or an office in Kansas, the vision needed a local champion. That champion was K-State professor Lloyd Hulbert, who, since 1956, had been discussing with other faculty the need for a prairie ecological research site. In 1971, Hulbert helped secure 916 acres southeast of Manhattan, Kansas, with support from TNC and philanthropist Katherine Ordway. By 1977, the preserve had grown to more than 8,600 acres and was officially named the Konza Prairie Biological Research Station.
Since 1980, Konza has been one of the original sites in the National Science Foundation’s Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program. This initiative has made Konza one of the most intensively studied grasslands in the world, generating more than 2,200 scientific publications and supporting more than 1,000 undergraduate research experiences.
From Student to Steward
For Jesse Nippert, what began as a student job collecting data at Konza evolved into a lifelong calling.
Now a University Distinguished Professor in K-State’s Division of Biology, Nippert leads a team of researchers and students exploring how prairie ecosystems function and adapt. His work is rooted in the foundational LTER research on fire, grazing and climate variability—three forces that shape grasslands globally.
A native Kansan, Nippert graduated from K-State with his bachelor’s degree in park resource management and environmental sciences. He received his master’s degree in forest resources from the University of Idaho and a doctorate in ecology from Colorado State University. He joined the K-State faculty in 2007.
The Silent Spread of Shrubs
Since 2010, Nippert has been investigating how native woody plants like American plum, rough-leaf dogwood and smooth sumac are overtaking grasslands. These species, once confined to specific areas, are now spreading rapidly. Resistant to traditional control methods, they threaten the biodiversity and resilience of the prairie.
“The problem is these woody shrubs won’t stay small,” Nippert warns. “We don’t yet have the tools to
stop this threat.” The shrubs are clonal, meaning they reproduce through vegetative propagation, often via underground stems called rhizomes, to form large, connected colonies. This clonal growth gives them advantages like rapidly resprouting after disturbances and spreading to shade out competition.
His research has revealed that these plants don’t just crowd out native grasses—they alter the very soil and water systems that sustain the prairie. One of Nippert’s studies determined that, even after woody plants were removed from streambeds, water still failed to flow. The reason? The plants had changed the subsurface structure, creating deep channels that persist for decades and reduce water available to other species.
Nippert’s message to landowners is clear: early detection is critical.
“The only thing that is effective is to not ignore these species when they show up in locations where they can spread. It’s so much easier to remove an individual specimen before it takes over the landscape.”
Local Lessons, Global Impact
Nippert’s work extends beyond Kansas. For over 20 years, he has studied bush encroachment in South Africa, comparing results across continents to better understand how clonal shrubs behave and how best to manage them. These insights are helping to inform conservation strategies not just in the Great Plains, but in grassland ecosystems worldwide.
Through his collaboration with TNC, Nippert is helping shape management plans for landowners that support both ecological health and community stewardship of Kansas prairies and beyond.
Make a Difference in Kansas
The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. For more than 30 years, we’ve worked in Kansas to do just that. We've permanently protected 161,000 acres across the state, including six preserves that are open to the public.
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