About the Department
Our vision is to forge a sustainable future where ecosystems and people thrive.
Our mission is to create a bright future for humanity by keeping forests healthy, waterways clean, soils fertile, and native wildlife and fish abundant.
Our diverse and inclusive community fosters new discoveries, pioneers cutting-edge science, prepares students for meaningful careers, inspires the next generation of leaders, and builds partnerships to devise innovative management solutions to the greatest environmental challenges of our time.
We proudly serve with our communities locally to globally to better steward Earth's ecosystems.
We accomplish our mission through Teaching, Research, and Extension.
Our teaching provides undergraduate students hands-on experience with real-world applications, excellent internship experiences, and robust scholarship opportunities. Our graduate education offers master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees rooted in research through our core science and management disciplines.
Research programs focus on generating the new knowledge needed to restore, conserve, and better manage ecosystems to be more sustainable. Research includes all areas of natural and agricultural ecosystems, wildlife and fisheries sciences, forest sciences, hydrological sciences, and soil sciences.
Extension programs led by the Department help people make informed decisions that improve their own well-being and ensure clean water, viable populations of native wildlife, recreational opportunities, attractive communities, and the sustainable production of wood and paper products.
Meet our faculty, staff, and students, and learn more about our academic home. Welcome!
Latest News
November 11, 2026
When rain finally does come to drylands, only some microbes in the soil ‘awaken’
A team led by researchers at Penn State — driven by projections that biological soil crusts will decline by as much 40% in the next 45 years — found that when a dryland soil does get wet, most of the microbes in the biocrust stay inactive. It’s a discovery that will inform ongoing efforts to conserve and restore biocrusts, according to the researchers.
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November 2, 2026
‘Growing Impact’ podcast explores plants as environmental contaminant sensors
Penn State researchers are exploring how plants could serve as living biosensors to detect environmental contaminants by measuring changes in their electrical signals, potentially giving farmers and communities a faster way to identify pollution.
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October 28, 2026
New fellowship in College of Ag Sciences to expand international learning
A new fellowship program in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will support undergraduate students seeking applied global learning experiences to deepen their understanding of food and agricultural systems worldwide, thanks to a $250,000 commitment from donor Pamela Arbuckle.
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October 9, 2026
Penn State Soil Judging Team places second at 2026 Northeast Regional Contest
The Penn State Soil Judging Team Placed second overall at the 2026 Northeast Regional Collegiate Soil Judging Contest, held Sept. 23-25 near Waldorf, Maryland, and hosted by the University of Maryland's Department of Environmental Science and Technology.
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Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
- Office 814-865-7541
- Fax 814-865-3725
