News
Jun 24, 2022
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.
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May 19, 2022
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.
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May 04, 2022
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.
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Feb 02, 2022
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.
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Jan 19, 2022
Entomologists to study how climate change may influence pollinator stressors
A Penn State-led team of researchers will use a newly awarded $682,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to examine how climate change may influence and interact with various stressors that affect the health of pollinators.
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Oct 25, 2021
Popular perennial flowering plants can attract diverse mix of pollinators
Popular species of perennial flowering plants vary widely in their attractiveness to pollinators, but homeowners and landscape managers who select certain perennial cultivars can support a diverse community of pollinators in their own backyards, according to a new study from a team of Penn State researchers.
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Oct 07, 2021
Warm, wet autumn could mute and delay foliage display in Pennsylvania
Because of the warm, wet summer, trees in Pennsylvania are mostly in great shape. But for the state’s forests to exhibit their most vibrant colors, conditions need to be cooler and drier in the next few weeks, according to a Penn State expert.
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Sep 13, 2021
Long-distance relationships for endangered corals
Flash-frozen sperm collected from corals in Florida and Puerto Rico was used to fertilize coral eggs from hundreds of miles away in Curaçao. The technique could be used as a conservation tool by introducing genetic variation into endangered corals and potentially accelerating their adaptation to climate change.
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Aug 11, 2021
Global food security professor named to 'Most Creative People in Business' list
Entomologist David Hughes has been named to Fast Company's 2021 list for his innovative, impactful PlantVillage project.
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Jul 13, 2021
Macalady named Ecology Institute director
Microbe expert Jennifer Macalady replaces outgoing director Erica Smithwick, who oversaw the research unit for the past five years.
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