NRES

Illinois once harbored more than 8 million acres of wetlands. By the 1980s, all but 1.2 million wetland acres had been lost, filled in for development or drained to make way for agriculture. Now, thanks to a 2023 Supreme Court decision, roughly 72% of the remaining 981,000 acres of Illinois wetlands are no longer protected by the federal Clean Water Act, putting communities at risk of losing the flood control, groundwater recharge, water purification and natural habitat these wetlands provide, researchers report.

The U.S. National Science Foundation has announced new funding to understand and reduce grassland fire risk in the Southern Great Plains.

The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences has announced the Finalists for the

Most birdwatchers are drawn to the dynamism of birds — snippets of a call as flyers twist and dive overhead, or a flash of wings in the bushes, gone before you can snap a picture.

Imagine moving into a new house just to discover it has no insulation. That’s what life can be like for a bat box resident.

A scientist in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Each fall, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have analyzed 96 years of forest census data to better understand ecological changes and inform management practices.

Imagine a prairie. How many plant species do you see? Maybe you’re picturing yellow coneflowers, some little bluestem, perhaps a few asters. But plant ecologists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign say these ecosystems are much more diverse than many people realize.

If you’ve ever been on a fishing boat, you might be familiar with live wells – small water tanks, built into the boat, where live fish can be stored. In bass fishing tournaments, these live wells keep fish alive throughout the competition, so that they can be released at the end. Anglers are always looking for ways to keep fish safe and healthy in these wells, since live bass mean higher prizes and more fish spawned for next year.