Blog
Dr. Adam Janke
October 18, 2021 10:47 AM
AMES, Iowa – As deer hunters head to the woods this fall, they are again reminded to be vigilant and active participants in the state’s efforts to fight chronic wasting disease.
Dr. Matt Helmers
October 1, 2021 8:30 AM
A new study underway by economists at Iowa State University aims to better understand nutrient impacts through the lens of local recreation and tourism, with a focus on assessing the economic impacts of water quality improvement on rural and lower-income communities.
Catherine DeLong
September 22, 2021 3:10 PM
It might be confusing to some how someone who studied soil science could end up being focused on water quality, but for Iowans it’s likely that the connection is more straightforward.
Dr. Billy Beck
September 22, 2021 3:06 PM
Trees hold an incredible power, that being their ability to fix carbon from the atmosphere via photosynthesis and use it to produce a tangible product – wood.
J. Arbuckle
September 15, 2021 12:28 PM
Iowa is a major producer of grain, meat, dairy, eggs, and other major agricultural commodities.
Dr. Billy Beck
September 3, 2021 11:38 AM
Woodland owners and those with an interest in forestry can network and improve their knowledge during several field days planned this fall across the state.
Dr. Adam Janke
August 20, 2021 8:23 AM
Among the hundreds of wildlife species found in Iowa, few are so common that we can assert with relative confidence that each night, every person in Iowa would find themselves only a mile or two away from one. Perhaps deer rise to this level of ubiquity. Perhaps pigeons or mourning doves too.
Dr. Joe E Morris
July 12, 2021 7:48 AM
Due to recent high temperatures and dry conditions, stocking farm ponds can be difficult to do this time of the year. However, several measures can be taken to increase your success...
A new trailer named “Marsh Madness” combines sight, sound, and science to engage Iowa audiences about the values of the state’s wetland ecosystems.
A new study indicates that insects like honey bees in many cases can do a better job of pollinating soybeans than the plants can do on their own.
When youth have the opportunity to learn something new in Iowa 4-H, sometimes it’s hard to predict where the opportunity will take them.
Dr. Steven P Bradbury
May 24, 2021 8:39 AM
New research on monarchs by Iowa State University scientists offers important insights to those trying to boost populations by planting habitat close to corn and soybean fields.
Dr. Joe E Morris
May 19, 2021 9:03 AM
Pond complexity depends on the food webs involving many types of organisms. The simplicity of such systems is based on the limited number of fish species in them.
Dr. Billy Beck
April 28, 2021 11:38 AM
The derecho that swept across Iowa and the Midwest in August of 2020 caused extensive damage to forests and woodlots – but not all of it was negative.
Dr. Adam Janke
April 2, 2021 9:43 AM
The diversity and breadth of Iowa’s natural environment is captured in a new series of publications by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the Iowa Association of Naturalists.
Dr. Matt Helmers
March 26, 2021 5:19 PM
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a demonstration is worth a million words at least! I am reminded of this as we are brushing off the winter dirt from the Conservation Station Fleet and beginning to plan for summer 2021 outreach.
Dr. Steven P Bradbury
February 26, 2021 1:00 PM
The World Wildlife Fund, Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas and the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve released its 2020-2021 overwintering monarch population report on February 25, 2021.
Dr. Adam Janke
February 18, 2021 12:36 PM
In January 1921 George Washington Carver traveled from Tuskegee, Alabama, across the Jim Crow south and into the segregated nation’s capital. He was there to extol the value of southern farmers’ peanuts as the House Ways and Means Committee considered tariffs on imports.
Jamie Benning
February 18, 2021 8:17 AM
Farmers and landowners across the state work regularly with their local Natural Resource Conservation Service and Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) professionals to plan and construct conservation practices or discuss cost-share options to try new management practices.
Dr. Billy Beck
January 20, 2021 8:51 AM
A recently-funded study is kicking into high gear this spring, intent on investigating the water quality and quantity impacts of certain woody structures that are all-too-familiar to Iowa landowners—beaver dams.
Dr. Steven P Bradbury
January 16, 2021 9:00 AM
On December 15th, 2020 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the monarch butterfly is warranted for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). However, because of on-going work with higher-priority species, the Service precluded issuing an immediate proposed listing rule.
Dr. Adam Janke
December 30, 2020 2:31 PM
Adam Janke, assistant professor in natural resources ecology and management and extension wildlife specialist at Iowa State University, offers these special tips for getting rid of your live Christmas tree after the holiday season...
J. Arbuckle
December 14, 2020 11:17 AM
New Research Identifies Four Farmer Types with Differing Perspectives on Soil and Water Conservation
Soil and water conservation is critical to the long-term sustainability of Iowa agriculture. Farmers can use a range of soil and water conservation practices to maintain agricultural productivity while minimizing impacts on water and wildlife.
Dr. Joe E Morris
December 5, 2020 9:05 AM
Temperature has a direct effect on fish metabolism, feeding, and survival. No other physical factors affects the development and growth of fish as much as water temperature. Metabolic rates of fish increase rapidly as the temperature rises.
Dr. Adam Janke
November 17, 2020 3:00 PM
Everyone has learned a lot about the spread and control of infectious diseases in 2020. Although the important task at hand is to apply that knowledge in helping our neighbors and family avoid a Covid-19 infection, we would be wise to apply many of these lessons to help white-tailed deer fight a disease of their own.
Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, is a neurological disease affecting members of the deer family. The prion-based CWD that infects the central nervous system is a different type of disease from the virulent respiratory one we have become familiar with in 2020. But CWD and Covid-19 share many characteristics, including how they can be spread asymptomatically and the potential for high infection rates in the absence of intervention.
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