ACES PhD student Yushu Xia builds connections with French soil scientists towards managing nitrogen
The following are reflections from Yushu Xia, a PhD student in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, on her research project partially funded by an ACES International Graduate Grant: “Improving Agricultural Nitrogen Models for Nitrogen Management Assessment at a Field Spatial Scale.” Yushu’s advisor is Dr. Michelle Wander.
Meet McKenzie Johnson, assistant professor in NRES studying environmental policy within conflict
From classifying mosquitos in the Amazon to conserving natural resources in a war zone, Dr. McKenzie Johnson brings significant international experience to the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES), where she recently joined the faculty as an assistant professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences.
Johnson is also a recent recipient of an ACES International Seed Grant for a project she will initiate this spring: “Environment and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding in Colombia.”
Toxic byproducts of Agent Orange continue to pollute Vietnam environment, study says
URBANA, Ill. – During the Vietnam War, United States aircraft sprayed more than 20 million gallons of herbicides, including dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange, on the country’s rain forests, wetlands, and croplands. Agent Orange defoliated the thick jungle vegetation concealing Viet Cong fighters and destroyed a portion of the country’s food crops, but it was primarily the dioxin contaminant that harmed so many Vietnamese and U.S. military personnel.
Major gift elevates U of I work in sustainability
URBANA, Ill. — Sustainability leadership, research, education, and practices will remain at the forefront of University of Illinois priorities, thanks in part to significant endowments from Stuart L. and Nancy J. Levenick of Naples, Florida.
Mr. Levenick, a U of I alumnus who captained the 1975 Illini football team and received a B.S. in forestry in 1976, and his wife have designated this major endowment in two parts:
Machine learning detects importance of land stewardship in conservation policy
URBANA, Ill. – At the southern tip of the Himalayas, farmers in the Kangra region of India’s Himachal Pradesh graze cattle among rolling hills and forests. The forests, under management by the state or farmer cooperatives, are thriving. But a new University of Illinois study shows, unlike state-managed forests, farmer cooperatives directly benefit both forest health and farmers.
Targeting deer tick control at multiple life stages may be necessary, study says
After they hatch, deer ticks take two years to reproduce. In that time, they morph from tiny larvae to nymphs to adults, with each stage feeding on a different group of host animals. For researchers studying the dynamics of Lyme disease, understanding host-tick interactions could reveal weak spots that may leave ticks vulnerable to control. A recent University of Illinois study simulates these interactions and provides guidance for effective management.
Deeply held environmental beliefs predict whether anglers act to control aquatic invasive species
URBANA, Ill. – Many anglers know invasive species cause problems in their favorite fishing spots, but a smaller subset routinely acts to prevent aquatic hitchhikers on boats and other equipment. What sets these anglers apart? A recent study from the University of Illinois attempts to answer that question from a social science perspective.
Environmental greenness may not improve student test scores, study finds
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Researchers at the University of Illinois and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service suggest in a new study that environmental greenness may not be associated with higher test scores in schoolchildren after all.
In a study that involved more than 400 public schools in Chicago, the Illinois-led team found that there was “no convincing evidence for a positive relationship between greenness and academic performance.” The study was published recently in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning.
Tapwater and Terrorists: UI Finds Ways to Protect Water
June 5, 2003
Urbana - When President Bush began his campaign for a homeland security agency, he did so from a Kansas City location with an ominous backdrop--a water treatment facility on a busy street that was protected by only a rusty chain-link fence.
It was symbolism at work. But real concerns lie behind this symbolism--concerns that our tapwater constitutes a large, vulnerable target for terrorists.
Soak Up Indiana Beach Closing Info on New Web Site
June 5, 2003
Before you pack up your fun-in-the-sun supplies and hit Indiana’s Lake Michigan beaches this summer, you might want to hit the Internet first. A new Web site can tell you whether any of these beaches are closed due to E.coli contamination.
“Last year, Indiana beaches were closed nearly 20 times over the course of the summer,” said Leslie Dorworth, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant aquatic ecology specialist.