Lunch with a Scientist is an ongoing monthly lecture series at Cedar Creek. Each month, scientists present a general-audience lecture about their work at or related to Cedar Creek and take questions from the audience.
The series has been running since January 2019 as an in-person program. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was shifted online in April 2020, from which point recordings are available. Programs take place on the second Tuesday of each month (11:30am central time), either in-person at Cedar Creek, via zoom, or both. Details about speakers and delivery mode are at
https://cbs.umn.edu/cedarcreek/public-programs/lunch-scientistSeptember's Lunch with a Scientist featured scientist Dr. Anita Porath-Krause discussing a new project in the the Nutrient Network. The Nutrient Network is a global, long-term study examining the impacts of nutrient enrichment and herbivores on grassland ecosystems. While much research has focused on plant communities, productivity, and carbon dynamics, the microscopic microbial communities remain less understood. In this talk, Dr. Porath-Krause explored the role of soil microbes under various fertilization conditions and how changes in microbial activity influence soil fertility.