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Ecology Institute

Accelerating Research, Inspiring Solutions 


*** The leadership of the Penn State ecology community has prepared the following statement about the continuing need to address racism and injustice in our society:

Please read here. 

The Penn State Ecology Institute brings together faculty, students, postdoctoral scholars, and stakeholders to drive innovation in ecology-based research and training. Our approach is interdisciplinary, drawing on the diverse skills and perspectives in our research community. We also engage with other disciplines, including geosciences, geography, sociology, ethics, policy, decision analysis, economics, landscape architecture, and anthropology. Together, we are working to address the most defining challenges in contemporary ecology. Come see, come learn, come explore with us.

Resilience and Adaptation

Provisions of Ecosystem Goods and Services

Ecology at the Interface

Rapid Evolutionary Change

Ecological Foundations

News

Secrets of reptile and amphibian aging revealed

At 190 years old, Jonathan the Seychelles giant tortoise recently made news for being the “oldest living land animal in the world.” Although, anecdotal evidence like this exists that some species of turtles and other ectotherms — or ‘cold-blooded’ animals — live a long time, evidence is spotty and mostly focused on animals living in zoos or a few individuals living in the wild.

Future of deer management clouded by coming steep decline in hunter numbers

Because so many deer hunters are aging out of the sport — and new hunters are not being recruited to replace them — deer management strategies will need to change to manage populations of whitetails in many states.

It's tick season: Learn to protect yourself and your animals with free webinars

To educate the public about tick risk and tick bite prevention in these companion animals, Penn State Extension will offer the spring 2022 “Tick Webinar Series.” The vector-borne disease extension team will hold three webinars in May — Lyme Disease Awareness Month — at no cost to participants.

News

Secrets of reptile and amphibian aging revealed

At 190 years old, Jonathan the Seychelles giant tortoise recently made news for being the “oldest living land animal in the world.” Although, anecdotal evidence like this exists that some species of turtles and other ectotherms — or ‘cold-blooded’ animals — live a long time, evidence is spotty and mostly focused on animals living in zoos or a few individuals living in the wild.

Future of deer management clouded by coming steep decline in hunter numbers

Because so many deer hunters are aging out of the sport — and new hunters are not being recruited to replace them — deer management strategies will need to change to manage populations of whitetails in many states.

It's tick season: Learn to protect yourself and your animals with free webinars

To educate the public about tick risk and tick bite prevention in these companion animals, Penn State Extension will offer the spring 2022 “Tick Webinar Series.” The vector-borne disease extension team will hold three webinars in May — Lyme Disease Awareness Month — at no cost to participants.

Mining for knowledge: Scientists identify bee that can aid black cherry recovery

A ground-nesting bee family — commonly known as miner bees — could play a heightened role in rebuilding black cherry populations in Pennsylvania and beyond, according to Penn State entomologists who investigated pollinators’ contributions to the valuable hardwood species.