Invasive Species Research in the News
Research on invasive species led by Forest Resources scientists is in the news! Check out these recent stories about invasive buckthorn and jumping worms. Funding for this research is provided by the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center (MITPPC).
Save the Date: Give to the Max Day on November 21
Mark your calendars for Give to the Max Day on November 21, Minnesota’s state-wide day of giving where we band together to make our state a better place. This year, the Department of Forest Resources is raising money to fund experiential learning for our students. Visit our giving page to contribute: z.umn.edu/fr-gtmd24.
Ashlyn Cowgill wins student poster award at Minnesota Water Resources Conference
PhD candidate Ashlyn Cowgill won a student poster award at the 2024 Minnesota Water Resources Conference. In her research, Cowgill is using large datasets to construct sediment and phosphorus budgets for midwestern watersheds. Her winning poster presents well-characterized watersheds in Minnesota under different land-use and landscape conditions. Such research can influence which former agricultural lands are targeted to be returned to forests in order to have the greatest impact on water quality.
Battling Buckthorn on CBS
If you're battling buckthorn, tune into the recent CBS news segment featuring researcher Mike Schuster to learn more about why the invasive shrub is so hard to get rid of and tips for keeping it out of your woodlands for good.
"How did earthworms invade Minnesota?"
The Star Tribune recently spoke with researcher Lee Frelich to answer the question "how did earthworms invade Minnesota?" Earthworms aren't native to the state – and their feeding habits damage the soil structure of our forests, resulting in a decrease in native plants, such as trilliums, and an increase in invasive plants, including buckthorn. Read the article to learn more.
Rising carbon dioxide and nitrogen pollution may jointly threaten biodiversity
Peter Reich, Research Professor in the Department of Forest Resources, is lead author on a newly published paper about a decades-long field study that examined the dangerous impact of rising carbon dioxide and nitrogen pollution on grassland biodiversity in Minnesota.
"Weather whiplash leaves forest ecologists worried for Minnesota's trees" on Kare 11
"I'm really worried about the future of trees in Minnesota with these extremes," Forest Resources researcher Lee Frelich shares in a piece that aired on Kare 11 this past weekend. Read or watch the full piece to learn more.
To grow Minnesota’s future forests, an effort to collect seeds takes root
MPR journalist Dan Kraker visited the Cloquet Forestry Center to observe one of three Tree Seed Collection workshops hosted by the Sustainable Forests Education Cooperative (SFEC) in September. 'The sessions are part of a larger effort aimed at addressing a crucial shortfall in the state’s reforestation efforts — there aren’t enough seeds, nor the people to collect them, to grow the trees needed in a changing climate," Kraker writes.
The gem that is College Park
Learn about College Park, a "teaching park" designed by our department's first dean, in this article published by the Park Bugle community newspaper.
Treewilding book quotes Forrest Fleischman
Associate Professor Forrest Fleischman is one of the experts quoted in the new book Treewilding: Our Past, Present and Future Relationship with Forests by Jake Robinson. Per its description, the book, "navigates the intricate web of forest restoration. It reveals how a nuanced approach is required – one that integrates the latest scientific advancements (for instance in microbial ecology, acoustic technology and epigenetics), Indigenous leadership and a holistic understanding of the interconnectedness of life within these vital ecosystems."