Ecology News | Ecology | The Huck Institutes (en-US)

PSAA Presents is every Penn Stater’s home for all of the virtual and in-person programming that the Penn State Alumni Association offers. Credit: Penn State Alumni Association. All Rights Reserved.

Jan 13, 2025

Virtual speaker to discuss impact and potential of PlantVillage on Jan. 21

The next Virtual Speaker Series from the Penn State Alumni Association will highlight PlantVillage, an AI-enabled "land grant in a phone" that uses data sharing to help farmers adapt to climate change and manage emerging pests and diseases.

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Samples for the study were collected by researchers from Penn State, the Forest Service and other partners around the Oregon ash range, extending from California, Oregon and Washington into British Columbia. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Jan 09, 2025

Ash tree variability may offer restoration path post-beetle decimation

Researchers found that genetic diversity is key to breeding ash trees resistant to emerald ash borers and rising temperatures.

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The study focused on the horned-face bee, which helps pollinate crops like apples and blueberries, and the alfalfa leafcutting bee, which pollinates alfalfa. Credit: Alain C./Flickr. All Rights Reserved.

Jan 07, 2025

Quantity over quality? Different bees are attracted to different floral traits

When it comes to deciding where they’re going to get their next meal, different species of bees may be attracted to different flower traits, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State and published in PNAS Nexus.

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Jan 28, 2025

New Annual Summit Focuses on Graduate Student Resiliency

Earlier this month, the Huck Institutes, in partnership with the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School at Penn State, hosted the Inaugural Huck Institutes T32 Summit.

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Flies play a crucial role as pollinators, second only to bees in terms of the volume of crops and habitat they pollinate. Pictured here is a blue fly pollinating common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). Credit: Martha B. Moss/Penn State Extension Master Gardener / Penn State. Creative Commons

Jan 02, 2025

Pollinators most vulnerable to rising global temperatures are flies, study shows

New research led by Penn State scientists suggests flies are increasingly at risk due to rising global temperatures.

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A team led by Penn State researchers used principles of pulse monitoring in traditional Chinese medicine to design a pressure-sensing platform to identify the optimal pulse signal, which they combined with a machine learning model to also predict blood pressure. Credit: Provided by Huanyu "Larry" Cheng. All Rights Reserved.

Dec 17, 2024

Old wisdom meets new tech: Traditional Chinese medicine inspires pulse sensors

A team led by Penn State researchers used principles of pulse monitoring in traditional Chinese medicine to design a pressure-sensing platform to identify the optimal pulse signal, which they combined with a machine learning model to also predict blood pressure.

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The agroforestry practice of forest farming may be a solution to conservation challenges surrounding the wild exploitation of ramps, often called wild leeks, but it requires proper site selection to be successful. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Nov 27, 2024

Better habitats for forest farming wild leeks could help future foraging demands

An interdisciplinary Penn State research team characterized ramp habitat for the first time in Pennsylvania, offering guidance for the agroforestry practice known as forest farming.

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The researchers said they hope their recent findings will give homeowners the confidence to participate in tick management around their homes and yards. Credit: Dillon Fancher/Unsplash. All Rights Reserved.

Nov 26, 2024

Tick tubes help reduce the parasites on mice, but time and frequency matters

A new study led by researchers at Penn State analyzed the effectiveness of a simple, inexpensive strategy for controlling ticks that homeowners can use in their backyards.

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Nov 13, 2024

Biology and Ecology Student Research Showcase winners announced

The Biology and Ecology Student Research Showcase, hosted by the Biology Graduate Student Association and Ecology Graduate Student Organization on Nov. 1, featured poster and podium presentations from nearly 30 graduate and undergraduate students.

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Rangelands offer potential for natural climate solutions — storing vast quantities of carbon in rangeland soils while also supporting the livelihoods of communities. Credit: Conservation South Africa. All Rights Reserved.

Nov 01, 2024

$1.3M NSF grant to fund research into restoration of degraded ecosystems

An international team of researchers led by Ida Djenontin, assistant professor of geography at Penn State, was recently awarded a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Dynamics of Integrated Socio-Environmental Systems program to investigate the socioecological outcomes of restoration in degraded woodlands ecosystems.

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