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Healing the ground we broke
Amble through Kansas prairies and cornfields as we learn how treasuring the ground beneath our feet can lead to farms that better withstand climate change, use less fertilizer and suck carbon out of the atmosphere.
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Monarch butterfly sightings may be fewer in the US this summer
Monarch butterfly sightings may be sparser than usual in the U.S. and Canada following a drastic drop in populations wintering in Mexico, researchers told ABC News.
Monarch butterflies just took a big hit. Midwesterners may see few of them this year
Scientists say roosting monarchs took up 2.2 acres of Mexican fir forests this winter. That's the second smallest overwintering population on the books.
The choreography connecting kelp forests to the beach
How does the synchrony of abundance across kelp forests affect beach food webs and resilience in a changing environment? A new paper by current and former Reuman Lab members & collaborators in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences explores these questions.
Research offers a reason why diversity in plant species causes higher farming yield
A study appearing in Nature Communications based on field and greenhouse experiments at the University of Kansas shows how a boost in agricultural yield comes from planting diverse crops rather than just one plant species: Soil pathogens harmful to plants have a harder time thriving.
Tagging monarch butterflies to track migration
This short video on The Weather Channel encourages visitors to the website to participate in the monarch tagging program of Monarch Watch and provides contact info. It follows an interview with Chip Taylor, Monarch Watch founding director.
Centuries-old forests in the Midwest are struggling. Fire can help save them
North American oak-hickory canopies are powerhouses for feeding wildlife. Without periodic understory fires, they wane.
Kristen Baum will lead Monarch Watch
Monarch Watch, an international program at the University of Kansas dedicated to the conservation and study of monarch butterflies, has a new director. Kristen Baum, well known for her work on monarchs and pollinators, began this week as director of Monarch Watch and as a senior scientist at the…
Algae blooms are getting more toxic and spreading north on the Great Plains
States like North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana will have to deal with toxic blue-green algae blooms already common in Kansas. Utility companies will have to act fast to treat drinking water and keep it safe.
The ugly blue-green algae that frequently spoil Kansas lakes for swimming,…
Monarch Watch on The Weather Channel
How do monarchs find their way to Mexico, and what effect does weather have? Chip Taylor of Monarch Watch answers those questions and more.
KU research: Human-driven climate change to amplify risk of toxin concentration in U.S. lakes
Environmental and health regulators in Kansas routinely notify the public when lake concentrations of blue-green algae surged to levels that people and pets should avoid drinking or swimming in the water.
Warning advisories are in place for Lake Afton in Sedgwick County, Fossil Lake in Russell…