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Environmental Science: News
General News:
- Various Biological Sciences faculty members are involved in academic and research projects related to environmental science. These projects focus on terrestrial oil spills, global climate change, food safety and succession. For example, Drs. Hunt and Vavrek are examining invertebrate community sensitivity and recovery to terrestrial crude oil spills. Dr. Hunt has expanded the project to include a quarter-long laboratory exercise for Ecology students. Drs. Vavrek, Colgan and Campbell are investigating the role plants, bacteria and fungi play in the remediation of crude oil. Drs. Vavrek and Campbell are elevating the carbon dioxide level in 'mini-greenhouses' to understand changes in loblolly pine ecosystems under projected climate change. Lastly, Drs. Colgan and Hunt, and Mr. White are designing an ecology demonstration 'garden' behind Carson-Taylor Hall. The garden will serve as a resource for students in introductory biology classes to study field sampling techniques and ecological succession.
- Drs. John Adams, Ray Newbold, and Bill Patterson are researching reforestation of abandoned croplands in the Mississippi River Valley bottomlands for carbon sequestration. Bottomland hardwood species were planted on areas in Morehouse and Catahoula Parishes. One site was bedded up to provide increased soil aeration. The soil hydrology of this site was monitored for two years. The growth and survival of the trees is measured at intervals. The amount of carbon sequestered in the trees and soil is being quantified.
- Dr. Jim Dyer, with Dr. Ken Farrish of Stephen F. Austin State University, is restoring a brine contaminated oilfield in Springhill. A leaching system was installed to leach the salts. Loblolly pine and green ash were planted, after application of bark mulch and a grass cover.
- Drs. Bill Patterson and John Adams are investigating long-term effects of windrowing forestry site preparation on soil compaction and soil chemistry.
- Dr. Bill Patterson is researching water quality in the Gee Creek watershed near Lake Claiborne. He is assessing land use effects on sediment, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and flow. Vegetarian management, road grade, and crossing structures are being evaluated for water quality efffects.
- Dr. Ray Newbold is participating in the Cooperative Research in Sustainable Silviculture and Soil Productivity (CRiSSP) project monitoring forest and soil productivity and environmental quality of intensively managed forests.
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