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A field of soil science that is in a unique position to encompass and understand the variety of factors affecting earth today is pedology. Pedologist Patrick Drohan says in his profession, “you have to understand how the parts of the ecosystem interact, not just in the present time period but through past time periods...”
Timber 2013, June 7-8 at the Ag Progress Days site, showcases high-quality exhibitors with a focus on forest product harvesting and processing, value-added services, land clearing, and emerging biomass markets. This year's show includes active equipment, in-the-woods harvesting demonstrations, and the Penn State Woodsmen’s Team.
The 2005 Penn State alumnus currently is involved in a groundbreaking conservation project at the Ka'ena Point Coastal Reserve in Hawaii. The effort targets the decreasing population of native seabirds, namely the Laysan albatross and the wedge-tailed shearwater.
Penn State had seven students compete in the National contest, which was hosted Apr. 20 to 27 by the University of Wisconsin, Platteville. They finished six, with 2,630 points. The University of Maryland, coached by Penn State alumnus Dr. Brian Needelman, won the contest with 2,738 points.
Two women from the Penn State Woodsmen Team placed first in their events at a competition in Syracuse, N.Y., on March 23, defeating their opponents in the women's obstacle course and women's stock saw.
Jenifer McAndrew, class of 2011, works as a husbandry aquarium technician at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island near Manteo.
Informally dubbed "the hen study," the project aims to generate information that will allow the Pennsylvania Game Commission to more effectively set fall wild turkey season lengths.
Now a senior studying forest science, Darcy McKinley Lester wanted to travel to Australia because she considers the ecosystem Down Under to be fascinating.
In a four-year study, Duane Diefenbach, adjunct associate professor of wildlife ecology and leader of the Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, documented deer dispersal behavior that provides insight into how far and how fast chronic wasting disease (CWD) could spread among wild deer.
“The Children’s Garden will help foster an appreciation for nature through experiences that may spark a deep and lasting interest in plants and their environment,” said Kim Steiner, director of the Arboretum and professor of forest biology.
A well-known conservationist and a prominent ecologist will offer keynote addresses at Penn State's first statewide Private Forest Landowners Conference.
The ground plays an important role in maintaining a clean environment by serving as a natural water filtration and purification system, said Henry Lin, professor of hydropedology and soil hydrology. Understanding the components that make up this integral part of the ecosystem can lead to better groundwater management and smarter environmental policy.
The Conservation Officers of Pennsylvania Association (COPA) is hosting a 5-K Run on March 30, 2013. All proceeds from the race will benefit the WCO David L. Grove Scholarship Fund at Penn State.
As carbon registries, carbon credits and carbon trading become more important in the coming years, managed fire should play a major role in managing forests for both ecological and carbon-sequestration reasons, contends Matthew Hurteau, assistant professor of forest resources.
Submit Spring 2013 Undergraduate Research Proposals by 5:00 p.m., December 7, 2012 to Richard Rateau, 110 Agricultural Administration Building.
"I am exceptionally proud of this year's team," said team adviser Patrick Drohan, assistant professor of pedology. "They had the best overall finish at regionals in the team's history. Eight of them are very new to soil science and performed incredibly well. Any company looking for a great field soil scientist should feel confident hiring them."
For the last two years, eight students journeyed from central Pennsylvania to Madrid to conduct research in the field of global climate change ecology with Margot Kaye, assistant professor of forest ecology, and Jason Kaye, associate professor of biogeochemistry.
Robert Caccese always knew he wanted to attend law school to study environmental law, but he felt it would be beneficial to focus on something else as an undergraduate student.
A student in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences will be the first recipient of a scholarship created to honor the memory of Wildlife Conservation Officer David L. Grove, who was killed in the line of duty in November 2010.
Long-term weather forecasts point to mild weather -- 60- to 70-degree days and nights in the mid-40s -- through the end of October, with no frosts. For fall foliage lovers, that's not good, warned Marc Abrams, professor of forest ecology and physiology.
