Andra Johnson named associate director of Penn State Extension

February 29, 2020

Andra Johnson, vice chancellor for research and technology development at the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has been named associate director of Penn State Extension, effective July 1. He is a Forest Resources alumnus.

New book examines how environment can foster intergenerational connections

February 28, 2020

Ways of thinking about, planning and designing intergenerationally enriched environments are explored in a new book co-edited by Matt Kaplan, professor of intergenerational programs and aging in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Forest 'duff' must be considered in controlled burning to avoid damaging trees

February 21, 2020

Many decades of forest fire prevention and suppression has resulted in a thick buildup of organic matter on the forest floor in many regions of the United States, according to a Penn State researcher, whose new study suggests that the peculiar way that these layers burn should be considered in plans for controlled burns.

Forest soils release more carbon dioxide than expected in rainy season

February 14, 2020

Current carbon cycle models may underestimate the amount of carbon dioxide released from the soil during rainy seasons in temperate forests like those found in the northeast United States, according to Penn State researchers.

Citizen scientists may be an untapped resource for water quality improvement

February 11, 2020

Raising awareness and offering technological tools to the thousands of citizens groups in the U.S. that monitor water quality might help community leaders tap these volunteers as a way to improve access to plentiful, clean water and possibly avoid water-related crises, according to a team of researchers.

Executive director of the Student Farm Club reflects on her time at Penn State

February 4, 2020

Jessica Chou, a senior majoring in environmental resource management, has been an active member of the Student Farm Club since she was a freshman. She now is the executive director of the club.

All things considered, wooden pallets are more eco-friendly than plastic pallets

February 3, 2020

Weighing in on a debate that has raged for decades, Penn State researchers, after conducting a series of ultra-detailed comparisons, have declared that shipping pallets made of wood are slightly more environmentally friendly and sustainable than those made of plastic.

Emerging organic contaminant levels greatly influenced by stream flows, seasons

January 30, 2020

Flow rates and time of year must be taken into account to better understand the potential risks posed by emerging organic contaminants in rivers and streams, according to Penn State researchers who studied contaminant concentrations and flow characteristics at six locations near drinking water intakes in the Susquehanna River basin.

Demand for ginseng is creating a ‘wild west’ in Appalachia

January 28, 2020

Dr. Eric Burkhart assisted a National Geographic writer with this story, which also references his ginseng research and outreach program. National Geographic requires readers to provide an email to access the piece.

Wildlife Technology student's work garners University-wide sustainability award

January 16, 2020

Penn State DuBois Wildlife Technology student Eli DePaulis recently received the John Roe Student Sustainability Award from the Council of Sustainable Leaders at the Sustainability Institute at University Park. He earned the award for his work to eliminate an invasive species of shrub honeysuckle from wetlands near the Penn State DuBois campus.

Distinguished professor of ichthyology making 50th trip to Africa to study fish

January 9, 2020

When Jay Stauffer made his first trip to Lake Malawi in 1983, just before joining the faculty in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, he never dreamed that the trip would be the genesis of his career focus and that it would yield valuable partnerships for the University.

Penn State Extension program to help private forest owners use prescribed fire

January 6, 2020

Using low-intensity fire to help manage forests offers many benefits, according to Jesse Kreye, assistant professor of fire and natural resources management in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Among those benefits are promoting desired tree species such as oak, spurring new growth that provides food and cover for wildlife, controlling invasive plants, and suppressing ticks, which often carry pathogens such as the one that causes Lyme disease.

Penn State scientist shares knowledge of soil science during visit to Ukraine

January 6, 2020

Ukraine is called the “breadbasket of Europe,” a moniker earned because of the fertile, black soils that blanket its landscape. As a longtime professor of environmental soil science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Rick Stehouwer has studied this famed “chernozem” soil, knowledge he acquired through books, lectures and lab samples.

College of Agricultural Sciences forest technology wins $10K pitch competition

December 11, 2019

Innovators from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences upheld a winning tradition recently at the TechCelerator pitch competition hosted by the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania. The team was awarded a $10,000 investment for their fledgling enterprise, RealForests. Their victory makes RealForests the sixth team from the college to win one of Penn State’s most prestigious pitch competitions.

Grant to fund workshops on conservation-based forest land estate planning

December 11, 2019

A Penn State project aimed at advancing conservation-based estate planning for forest landowners in two key regions of Pennsylvania is the beneficiary of an $80,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Forest farms could create market for ginseng, other herbs

November 25, 2019

A transition from wild collection of herbs to forest farming needs to occur in Appalachia to make the opaque, unstable and unjust supply chain for forest medicinal plants such as ginseng sustainable, according to a team of researchers who have studied the market for more than a decade.

International ag expert, Drohan, gives keynote address at conference in Ireland

November 25, 2019

Patrick Drohan, associate professor of pedology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, gave a keynote address at the Catchment 2019 conference in Wexford, Ireland, in early November.

Much-anticipated Pollinator and Bird Garden underway in Arboretum at Penn State

November 21, 2019

"Following an intense collaboration between Penn State scientists and our design consultants, Didier Design Studio, we believe we have successfully married aesthetics with state-of-the-art knowledge about the biology of pollinators and birds," said Kim Steiner, director of the Arboretum and professor of forest biology in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Molecular genetics professor selected for prestigious Mercator Fellowship

November 18, 2019

John Carlson, professor of molecular genetics in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, recently was named Mercator Fellow and Visiting Professor at Georg-August University of Göttingen in Germany.

Course offers first-generation students the opportunity to study abroad

November 14, 2019

For many first-generation college students, study abroad experiences seem out of reach. However, a new course offered by the Environmental Resource Management program in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences aims to make that aspiration a reality.

First-year student awarded study abroad funding as Borlaug-Ruan intern

November 12, 2019

Emma Steely, a first-year environmental resource management student in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica through her participation in the Pennsylvania School for Excellence in the Agricultural Sciences at Penn State.

Soil-judging team places 4th at regional contest, qualifies for nationals

October 24, 2019

The Penn State Soil Judging Team placed fourth at the Northeast Regional Collegiate Soil Judging Contest in Easton, Maryland, in early October, qualifying for the national championship to be held in Ohio in the spring of 2020.

College of Agricultural Sciences to host Minority Alumni Panel

October 21, 2019

The Office of Multicultural Affairs in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will showcase the career paths and accomplishments of five notable alumni during a minority alumni panel in November.

From Mount Nittany to Patagonia: Students prep for study abroad in Chile

October 4, 2019

Over winter break, Penn State students in the embedded course, “ERM 499: Natural Resources in Chile/Patagonia,” will spend two weeks exploring the culture of Chile and the vast region of Patagonia with a focus on natural resources, climate and sustainability.

Extremely dry, hot conditions this fall causing early, muted foliage display

October 4, 2019

With last year being the wettest year on record in Pennsylvania, and this year staring out wet again, 2019 was set up to be the mother of all fall foliage displays. Trees in most areas were in great condition going into late summer. But then it quit raining — in a big way.

Daddy daycare: Why some songbirds care for the wrong kids

October 3, 2019

Interspecific feeding — when an adult of one species feeds the young of another — is rare among songbirds, and scientists could only speculate on why it occurs, but now, Penn State researchers have new insight into this behavior.

Ash tree species likely will survive emerald ash borer beetles, but just barely

September 7, 2019

“Lingering ash." That’s what the U.S. Forest Service calls the relatively few green and white ash trees that survive the emerald ash borer onslaught. Those trees do not survive by accident, and that may save the species, according to Penn State researchers, who conducted a six-year study of ash decline and mortality.

Penn State researchers lead the way in Water-Energy-Food research in Africa

September 5, 2019

Three Penn State researchers — Rachel Brennan, in the College of Engineering, and Mike Jacobson and Brian Thiede, in the College of Agricultural Sciences — recently received $250,000 in University Strategic Plan seed funding to address global Water-Energy-Food (WEF) challenges.

Making the Most of Microbes for Soil Restoration and Function

September 4, 2019

The Bruns research group aims to understand how beneficial functions of soil microorganisms can be promoted through better management of agricultural and mining-impacted lands. The group focuses on microbial processes important in nutrient cycling and water retention.

Deer browsing is not stopping the densification of Eastern forests

September 3, 2019

Selective browsing by white-tailed deer has been blamed by many for changing the character and composition of forest understories in the eastern U.S.; however, its impact on the forest canopy was previously unknown.