Cedar Point Biological Station, like any biological station, or marine lab, can be recognized as a field-based museum of natural history. We encourage you to see CPBS as a very large research and education collection; we believe this is, in essence, what the Gainesforth family intended when the ranch was sold to the University of Nebraska. Like a traditional museum any one who can demonstrate a reasonable research or educational need will be granted access. With this privilege, you will have access to a unique collection of research materials which cover a broad spectrum of the sciences. CPBS and adjacent properties are managed by Nebraska Game and Parks (NGP), Nebrask Public Power District (NPPD), Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District (CNPPID), and private ranchers who function as the collection managers, curators, docents, educators, and research staff in this museum.
Bibliography
The CPBS research bibliography includes over 400 research papers in addition to over 100 books, theses-dissertations, maps, and presentations about the flora, fauna, and geologic aspects of the area.
On-site Collections
We have two collections here at Cedar Point: a herbarium and an insect collection. While our herbarium is fully documented, we are currently compiling the insect collection into a searchable database.
Herbarium
This is a list of all the specimens in the herbarium at the Cedar Point Biological Station. The list was compiled by Robert B. Kaul, U. Nebraska-Lincoln and most recently updated in 2007. The herbarium has been active since Cedar Point opened in 1976 as a biological research station.
In 2006-7, K.H. Keeler edited the plant lists from Arapaho Prairie and Cedar Point Biological station to reflect more current nomenclature. Plant taxonomy and systematics are undergoing rapid revision. At the same time, the internet is providing continually updated online references. The names on these lists were modified to conform to modern definitions using, chiefly, the USDA PLANTS database. The USDA PLANTS database, however, uses Cronquist (Cronquist, A. 1981), an integrated system of classification of flowering plants for its classification, an old scheme. At the same time, they are updating generic names to much more recent decisions, particularly those in the Flora of North America (REF). Consequently, the updating was done with a mixed approached, using the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website for systematics at the family level and above, and the PLANTS Database for genera and species names.
Insect Collection
Cedar Point is home to many different species of insects. This insect list has been complied from the collections that have been accrued over the years by B.C. Ratcliffe, A. Joern, S. Rolfsmeier, J. Krupa, M. Kaspari, and many others. This list was started in the 1970s therefore we have tried to keep the taxonomy updated, but it may not be completely in line with new hierarchy. If you notice any old taxonomic categorizations, please let us know!
Bird List
Bird research is continuous here at CPBS, and every year, ornithology is one of the classes CPBS offers. We also have many bird-lovers come and go. This tri-fold brochure of our bird checklist includes over 300 bird species that have been reported from the area around Cedar Point Biological Station, Keith County, Nebraska. The checklist is based on a paper by Brown et al. 1996
Links to Datasets and Associated Facilities
CNPPID - Reservoir Elevation and Platte River Flow Data
Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology
University of Nebraska Museum of Natural History: Search the University of Nebraska State Museum databases for Mammals, Birds, Herps and Fish. In the County field enter either Keith for Cedar Point, or Arthur for Arapaho Prairie.
Prairie Plains Resource Institute
Nebraska Game and Parks: General permit information.
High Plains Regional Climate Center
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Research Compliance Services
Cliff Swallow Project: Information about the 30+ year long research done by Dr. Charles Brown with details of cliff swallows and projects.