Engineering Resilient Ecosystems News | Engineering Resilient Ecosystems

Penn State Beaver Associate Professor of Biology Sarah Nilson discovered Allium buridckii, a second species of wild ramps, growing in southwestern Pennsylvania. Credit: Sarah Nilson/Penn State Beaver / Penn State. Creative Commons

Nov 05, 2025

Second species of wild ramps discovered, solving long-standing debate

Overharvesting has led to conservation concerns for a popular foraged plant, but improved genetic understanding could help conservation efforts, researchers say.

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To see how microbial activity changes near and inside roots, the researchers chose crimson clover, or Trifolium incarnatum, as a test plant. It’s a legume commonly grown as a cover crop in the U.S. Northeast that forms root nodules with bacteria like the one shown here. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Nov 05, 2025

Novel technique reveals insights into soil microbe alarm clock

New study yields clues about when dormant microscopic bacteria and fungi in soil ‘wake up’ and colonize roots, which influences plant growth and health.

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Sahil Pawar, a doctoral candidate in entomology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, studies how soil salinity, drought and climate change influence the interactions between crops and the pests that feed on them. Credit: Contributed photo. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 31, 2025

Salty soil, scrappy bugs and shared ideas drive graduate student’s research

Sahil Pawar says that tackling the world’s agricultural challenges is not a task for one person — it requires a collective effort. That grounded view shapes the early-career entomologist’s research, which examines how environmental stressors, such as soil salinity, drought and climate change, influence the interactions between crops and the pests that feed on them.

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Entomologists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences examined the potential for birds to feed on spotted lanternflies. Credit: Anne Johnson / Penn State. Creative Commons

Oct 27, 2025

Spotted lanternfly may use ‘toxic shield’ to fend off bird predators

Spotted lanternflies may season themselves to the distaste of potential bird predators, according to a new study led by entomologists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

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Oct 24, 2025

Oct. 24 kicks off 'Plants for the People and the Planet' innovation series

This free seminar series, open to the community at-large, will showcase cutting-edge research and diverse perspectives on how plants can shape a healthier, more sustainable future.

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Wild lupine, a plant of conservation concern across most of its natural range in eastern North America, grows along a Pennsylvania roadside. Credit: Isabella Petitta. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 09, 2025

Wild lupine genetics could be key to conservation of species

Researchers at Penn State studying declining populations of sundial lupines in the eastern part of the United States are closer to determining how the plant's genetics could be used to inform reseeding strategies to help with conservation efforts of the blue flowering plant.

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If beekeepers use organic management practices over time, they even can produce 50% more honey than when following conventional management practices, according to the researchers. Credit: Simon Kadula/Unsplash. All Rights Reserved.

Sep 19, 2025

Organic beekeeping can be even more profitable than conventional methods

Organic beekeeping can support healthy and productive honey bee colonies, and a new study led by researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences found that adopting organic honey bee colony management is not only profitable, but in some cases, it can be even more profitable than conventional management.

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The Huck Institute of the Life Sciences at Penn State University Park. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Sep 16, 2025

Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences names 2025-26 seed grant recipients

The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State has selected eight research teams that span 12 departments across six colleges to receive 2025-26 seed grant funding.

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Flatheads grow fast in this river system, attain large body sizes and can eat a variety of prey. Because adult flatheads have few natural predators, they can exert strong control over the ecosystem. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Sep 05, 2025

Invasive flathead catfish now top predators in Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania

New study suggests that smallmouth bass and channel catfish are changing what they eat to avoid having to compete with or being eaten by the invader.

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Beech Creek, a 170-square-mile watershed in Clinton and Centre counties, has shifted from a thriving trout fishery to waters polluted by acidic mine drainage. Credit: Chris Komlenic. All Rights Reserved.

Aug 27, 2025

Research sheds light on Beech Creek’s struggle with abandoned mine drainage

Students in the TREES dual-title graduate degree program partnered with residents to gather data and build support for watershed restoration.

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