Ecology News | Ecology | The Huck Institutes (en-US)

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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Erica Smithwick is a distinguished professor of geography in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Credit: Provided. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 27, 2025

Erica Smithwick to participate in panel on communicating climate research

Erica Smithwick, the director of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute at Penn State, will join three other climate scholars at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29, for a virtual panel event on communication.

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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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Feral hogs, like this one pictured in a Louisiana swamp, were an animal mentioned in a new study that analyzed over half a million tweets to understand how the public talks about invasive species. Other frequently mentioned animals included cats, dogs, squirrels, goats, rats and horses. Credit: Pedro Mendes/Creative Commons. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 27, 2025

Small group of users drive invasive species awareness on social media

A new study co-authored by a scientist at Penn State analyzed over half a million tweets to understand how the public talks about invasive species — and which accounts are driving the conversation.

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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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The on-skin sensing platform, developed by a team led by researchers at Penn State, can detect vitamin B6 in small concentrations of sweat. The sensor also has the capability to be adapted for glucose sensing at a high sensitivity, allowing patients with diabetes to monitor glucose and vitamin B6 simultaneously. Credit: Provided by Larry Cheng . All Rights Reserved.

Oct 09, 2025

Highly sensitive monitor can detect vitamin B6, glucose in sweat

The on-skin sensing platform, developed by a team led by researchers at Penn State, can detect vitamin B6 in small concentrations of sweat. The sensor also has the capability to be adapted for glucose sensing at a high sensitivity, allowing patients with diabetes to monitor glucose and vitamin B6 simultaneously.

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Morels, like this yellow or common morel, Morchella esculentoides, were one of the two most often collected wild mushroom species by respondents to the researchers' survey, with 13% reporting that they harvest them. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Oct 09, 2025

Wild mushrooms harvesters in Mid-Atlantic region collect fungi, build community

Researchers see the emergence of ‘digital mycology community,’ as mushroom foragers seek guidance and band together into groups online to further their knowledge.

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