Penn State President Eric J. Barron will discuss some of the new invasive species that have been introduced to Pennsylvania, what impact they might have, and what residents need to know during the next episode of WPSU’s “Digging Deeper” on Sunday, Feb. 17.
Elizabeth W. Boyer, associate professor of water resources in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has been honored with the 2018 Witherspoon Lecture Award by the American Geophysical Union.
Ecosystem and bioproduct researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences are working with professional sports franchises to make their venues "greener" and reduce the environmental impact of their events.
The intense wildfires that swept through the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee late last month were a tragic melding of the past and the future, according to a researcher in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
Drought conditions in parts of Pennsylvania, particularly in the northcentral region, are likely to dampen the fall foliage display, according to a forest ecologist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
When Dennis Brett decided to keep his first block of wood, World War II had just ended and Harry Truman was president. By comparison, Penn State's modest wood collection, which has been enhanced as a result of Brett's generosity, was already about 40 years old by that time.
Even though amphibian populations are declining sharply worldwide, there is no smoking gun to indicate a cause and thus no simple solution to halting or reversing these declines.
Despite continuing development, urban sprawl and changing land use, Pennsylvania's forest area has remained stable in recent decades, according to a forest scientist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
Those interested in woodlands, trees, wildlife and other aspects of nature will come together next month on Penn State's University Park campus for Pennsylvania Forest Fest, a celebration of the state's vast forestlands. The free public event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, in and around the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens, part of The Arboretum at Penn State, on the corner of Bigler Road and Park Avenue.
Drought resistance is the key to large-scale production of Jatropha, a potential biofuel plant -- and an international group of scientists has identified the first step toward engineering a hardier variety.
A variety of workshops and demonstrations will provide valuable information to forest-products professionals who attend the 2013 Forest Products Equipment and Technology Exposition, June 7 to 8 at Penn State's Ag Progress Days site at Rock Springs. Known as Timber 2013, the bi-annual trade exposition is hosted by the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Pennsylvania Forest Products Association.
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.
Preparations are under way for the 2013 Forest Products Equipment and Technology Exposition, which will be held June 7 and 8 at Penn State's Ag Progress Days site at Rock Springs.
Known as Timber 2013, the bi-annual trade exposition is hosted by the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Pennsylvania Forest Products Association. Parking and admission are free.
Timber 2013 is an opportunity for owners and employees of forest-products companies to hone their business skills, learn about the latest production practices and see emerging technology, according to Penn State's Bob Oberheim, Timber 2013 manager.
With the current focus on carbon emissions affecting climate change and the critical role forests play in storing the element, a better understanding of the impact that fire has on the global carbon cycle is needed by policymakers, according to a researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
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.
Hurteau -- who for six years has been studying carbon markets, the carbon cycle and forests' ability to lock up varying amounts of the element under changing conditions -- is seeking to alter perspectives about the effect of fire on carbon sequestration. His research has involved both field studies and modeling to address a range of topics, including forest carbon, wildfire, species diversity and productivity.
As the Northeast begins the recovery process in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, a water-quality specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is urging those who rely on private water supplies to guard against possible flood contamination of their wells. In areas where flooding occurred, well owners should disinfect these water supplies before drinking water from them, according to Bryan Swistock, water resources extension associate.
