Forestry & Natural Resources

Much to learn from annual Celebration of Teaching Excellence

Tuesday, September 24th, 2019

By Chad Campbell “Small changes can make a big difference in students’ undergraduate experiences and professional development,” said Elizabeth Flaherty as she presented the Kohls Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher Lecture. In recognition of her innovation and excellence in teaching undergraduate students, Flaherty was one of two professors selected to present during the College of Agriculture’s sixth…

When disease threatens animals, predators might provide the remedy

Monday, September 23rd, 2019 • University News Story

When disease shows up in wild animal populations, there aren’t pharmacies or vets to turn to. The best solution might actually be the one thing they spend their lives avoiding – predators.

Meet the College of Agriculture’s newest faculty members

Tuesday, August 27th, 2019

By Emma Ea Ambrose As the semester kicks-off hundreds of new faces crop up across the College of Agriculture’s campus. Not all of these unfamiliar faces are freshmen and transfer students, however. Ten faculty members are also joining the college this semester in the departments of agricultural economics, animal sciences, entomology, forestry and natural resources…

New publication series to focus on pond and wildlife management

Thursday, August 22nd, 2019 • University News Story

There are more than 40,000 private ponds and lakes in Indiana, many of which are used for fishing and other recreations. Across the United States, people own more than 180 million acres specifically for the purpose of hunting and fishing. Landowners wi…

Invasive pests kill so many trees each year, it’s equal to 5 million car emissions

Tuesday, August 13th, 2019 • University News Story

Invasive insects and pathogens have wreaked havoc on ash, elm, chestnut trees and others, wiping some of them almost completely from American forests. In addition to the ecological impact, a Purdue University study shows that the carbon storage lost to…

Sen. Mike Braun to visit the Davis Purdue Agricultural Center

Monday, August 5th, 2019 • University News Story

U.S. Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana will visit Purdue University’s Davis Agricultural Center on Wednesday (Aug. 7). He will be available to speak with media at the end of his visit at 6 p.m.

Indiana State Museum to host local premiere of ‘Global Soundscapes: Mission to Record the Earth,’ an interactive film for families

Wednesday, July 10th, 2019 • University News Story

The premiere of “Global Soundscapes: Mission to Record the Earth,” showcasing the landscape and sound ecology work of Bryan Pijanowski, a Purdue University professor of forestry and natural resources, will be featured at a red carpet event at 6 p.m. J…

Senior swimming in marine opportunities

Wednesday, May 29th, 2019

By Carley Myers Last summer Katie D’Addato had an experience of a lifetime. She spent her summer internship in Sarasota, Florida, working alongside unique aquatic animals. “I was releasing baby sea turtles, checking on herd populations of dolphins out at sea, and training manatees for research,” said D’Addato. “It was not the typical internship compared…

Champions Cultivate the Future

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2019

Nature paper offers global map to understand changing forests

Wednesday, May 15th, 2019 • University News Story

An international collaboration of hundreds of scientists – led in part by the Forest Advanced Computing and Artificial Intelligence (FACAI) Laboratory in Purdue’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources – has developed the world’s first global map of tree symbioses. The map is key to understanding how forests are changing and the role climate plays in these shifts.

U.S. forests changes are double-edged sword for environment

Wednesday, April 10th, 2019 • University News Story

Climate change, nitrogen deposition and fire suppression are leading to shifts in the types of trees that dominate American forests. These changes will have environmental consequences, potentially positive and negative, according to a Purdue University…

Behind the Research: Jarrod Doucette

Tuesday, April 9th, 2019

About the feature Many people are involved in the remarkable range of programs, services and facilities that undergird research in the College of Agriculture. Collectively they’re integral to the college fulfilling its research mission. “Behind the Research” explores their individual roles. Each academic year, we profile six people whose work supports the College of Agriculture’s…

Private woodland owners can learn wildlife stewardship skills at short course

Monday, March 4th, 2019 • University News Story

A June workshop will provide Indiana’s private woodland owners with the information and skills needed to implement management practices to benefit the wide range of wildlife species that call those forests home.

Proper pesticide to highlight forest owner workshop

Monday, February 25th, 2019 • University News Story

There are safe and effective ways to use herbicides to manage forests and fend off invasive species. That’s the message Fred Whitford, director of Purdue Pesticide Programs, wants to communicate to forest owners at the upcoming Ohio River Valley Woodlands and Wildlife Workshop.

Want to learn more about the birds and the bees?

Thursday, February 14th, 2019

By Emma Ea Ambrose  When health teachers in middle school instruct pupils about the “birds and the bees” they usually don’t mean literally. The only thing more uncomfortable than a middle schooler learning the ins and outs of the human body, however, may, in fact, be the actual mating habits of birds and bees. With…

Groundhogs can’t predict the weather but they do poop underground

Wednesday, January 30th, 2019

By Emma Ea Ambrose Groundhogs are good at many things, said Brian MacGowan, Purdue University Extension wildlife specialist and Forestry and Natural Resources Extension coordinator, but predicting the weather definitely isn’t one of them. The lore surrounding Groundhog Day originated in Germany where people used the reactions of badgers and hedgehogs to gauge weather patterns….

Climate drives link between forest biodiversity and productivity

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2019 • University News Story

Some ecologists believe that species richness is positively related to ecosystem productivity, while others conclude that the relationship is bell-shaped or they are unrelated. Using big data, Purdue University scientists now know which theory is corre…

Purdue-led group prepares state for life with changing climate

Thursday, January 10th, 2019

Purdue-led group prepares state for life with changing climate By Brian Wallheimer This past November, Jeff Dukes and Jonathon Day took turns returning phone calls. Reporters from all over Indiana – and some in Illinois and Kentucky – wanted to know what tourism in the state would look like over the coming decades as climate changes….

10 Most Read Stories of 2018

Wednesday, December 19th, 2018

Purdue celebrates dedication of new animal sciences complex In March, Purdue formally dedicated its new 123,000 square-foot animal sciences complex, boosting the university’s commitment to Indiana’s vital food animal production industry. “These wonderful state-of-the art classrooms, laboratories, and interactive spaces bring together students, faculty, and staff in ways that will foster collaboration, spark new ideas,…

2018 Corinne Alexander Spirit of the Land-Grant Mission Award presented to Douglass Jacobs

Monday, December 3rd, 2018

By Chad Campbell Douglass Jacobs, the Fred M. van Eck Professor of Forest Biology and Associate Head for Extension in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR), was honored as the tenth recipient of the Corinne Alexander Spirit of the Land-Grant Mission Award. First given in 2008, the award was recently named after Corinne…