News

Tue, 04/11/2023

When a Kansas county wants people to plant milkweed but a city makes them rip it out (Opens in new window)

Across the Midwest, some city codes threaten people with fines for having milkweed on their property. But experts say many places have dropped those rules to support monarchs with urban and suburban butterfly gardens.

Fri, 04/07/2023

Kansas Biological Survey to host public forums about native grazing lands

LAWRENCE — In April, the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research will host two free public forums in Douglas County about native grazing lands. The first forum will be held at 6:30 p.m. April 20 at Worden Cornerstone Church west of Baldwin City. The second forum will take...

Wed, 04/05/2023

KU scientist named a fellow of Ecological Society of America

Tue, 03/14/2023

Plant Health 101: How To Improve Crops Using Genomics & Genetics (Opens in new window)

In this episode of Finding Genius, Maggie Wagner, an assistant scientist at our research center and an assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, discusses plant genetics and microbiome science, including her research on the genetic basis of plants' interactions with their environment in both natural and agricultural systems.

Wed, 02/01/2023

All over the map: KU project highlights "incredible variety" of Kansas environment

This article, published in the "Rock Chalk Review" section of the Winter 2023 issue (paper and online to subscribers) of Kansas Alumni Magazine, is a version of the Nov. 16, 2022, KU News release on the Mapping Kansas Ecosystems website developed by Dana Peterson and Jennifer Moody.

Thu, 01/26/2023

Monarch butterfly numbers plummet despite recovery last winter, but 1 year never tells the whole story (Opens in new window)

The number of monarch butterflies that have survived the migration to Mexico this fall appears to have plummeted.

Fri, 01/20/2023

Experts in ecosystem resilience, ground-penetrating radar and social systems receive KU research achievement awards

Thu, 12/08/2022

Keystone pipeline spills in Kansas, dirtying creek and causing oil prices to spike (Opens in new window)

Comments by one of our scientists added to coverage of the spill: more specific info is needed to understand the effect of oil in local waters. ...

Fri, 12/02/2022

Couple establishes professorship in support of Monarch Watch with $1.4M gift, encourages others to support the cause

LAWRENCE — With a desire to find more time for writing and experiments, Orley “Chip” Taylor, University of Kansas professor emeritus of ecology & evolutionary biology, says it’s time to step aside — but not before making sure Monarch Watch, the program he founded in 1992, is well-positioned for the...

Tue, 11/29/2022

Kansas scientists are testing jacuzzi-like water jets to save a reservoir (Opens in new window)

All Things Considered aired this version of a recent Kansas News Service story on silted-in reservoirs, water injection dredging at Tuttle Creek, and concerns about the plan. ...

Fri, 11/25/2022

Learning to live with toxic algal blooms in Kansas (Opens in new window)

Toxic blue-green algae threaten cattle and have collectively robbed Kansans of thousands of hours of recreation. They drain millions from lake-based economies when outbreaks close lakes to public access. Drinking water is susceptible to the toxin, too, rendering it smelly and foul-tasting.

Thu, 11/17/2022

The world’s roots are getting shallower (Opens in new window)

Plant roots act as engineers for Earth’s surface, breaking up bedrock, transporting water and nutrients, and stabilizing landscapes. They’re so important that scientists have hypothesized that their evolution, beginning around 415 million years ago, altered landscapes and the course of Earth’s history.

Wed, 11/16/2022

KU researchers launch new Kansas ecosystems online teaching tool

Sat, 11/12/2022

Meet the students working to keep the endangered monarch butterfly population alive (Opens in new window)

After years of declining populations, the monarch butterfly was recently declared endangered. CBS News correspondent Debra Alfarone meets the next generation of activists working to keep the insect population alive. ...

Fri, 11/04/2022

Farm safety (Opens in new window)

With all the dangers that farmers need to be aware of when working on their farms, there are several ways that farming can become a hazardous operation. This episode of Real Ag covers Farm Safety in Kansas through visits with farmers and the Kansas Farm Bureau.

Tue, 11/01/2022

Program helps Native students bridge from Haskell to KU to careers in science

Mon, 10/31/2022

Studying microbes to understand the possibility of life on other planets (Opens in new window)

A team of KU researchers is studying microscopic organisms in extreme environments to see if life is possible beyond Earth. ...

Sun, 10/30/2022

Students plant gardens to aid endangered monarch butterflies (Opens in new window)

CBS News interviews Maryland students maintaining a butterfly garden and Monarch Watch Waystation. ...

Tue, 10/18/2022

What if Jacuzzi-like water jets could save a lake? Scientists will try it in Kansas (Opens in new window)

Reservoirs that feed the Kansas River during times of drought are filling up with mud. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has an idea to slow the process. ...

Fri, 09/30/2022

Register for Oct. 2, 3, 8 tours of environmental artwork at the KU Field Station (Opens in new window)

Be a part of artist Janine Antoni’s environmentally embedded artwork at the KU Field Station. Offer your body to the land and let it teach you. Join the guided tours given by KU researchers and students on October 2, 3, and 8. TOURS HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY. ...

Fri, 09/30/2022

Bon voyage: Museum assists monarch butterfly populations (Opens in new window)

Monarch butterflies might look delicate, but they’re able to journey from North America to Mexico during autumn, often with the help of scientists and nature enthusiasts. ...

Wed, 09/28/2022

Drought killing western Kansas crops also poised to kill fish (Opens in new window)

There's a temporary free-for-all at Ellis City Lake, where the same hideous drought that's killing western Kansas crops is poised to kill the fish. So many of the usual limits on fishing have been lifted to harvest fish before they die. ...

Wed, 08/31/2022

Predicting future algae blooms to preserve safe drinking water (Opens in new window)

Ted Harris and a team of faculty, students and staff are examining long-term water quality changes in large Kansas lakes, especially changes related to blue-green algae, which can cause harmful algal blooms (HABs). ...

Mon, 08/22/2022

Month of the Monarch will honor 30 years of conservation; Monarch Watch to unveil future plans (Opens in new window)

Monarch Watch has enlisted help from thousands of community scientists all over the world to fulfill its mission: Bring back the monarchs. Those dedicated to that goal will celebrate three decades of conservation work in September as the organization announces its next steps. ...

Mon, 08/01/2022

Inside the debate over who should—and shouldn’t—have access to the medicinal plant called Colorado cough root (Opens in new window)

Also called oshá, the plant is sacred to many Native American and Indigenous people, who don't want it commoditized by the American herbal products industry. Because it often grows on public lands, the U.S. Forest Service has been put smack in the middle of the fight.

Thu, 07/07/2022

University of Kansas names five new distinguished professors

LAWRENCE – Five University of Kansas professors have joined elite company by being named distinguished professors. Sharon Billings and Marta Caminero-Santangelo received the designation of University Distinguished Professor, while Jie Han, Peter Ukpokodu and Lisa Wolf-Wendel received the designation of Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor. ...

Fri, 06/10/2022

Restoring native prairie plants? You may be missing one key ingredient—fungi (Opens in new window)

Vulnerable native fungi are easily killed off, but many native prairie plants can’t re-establish without them. Liz Koziol, a research professor at the University of Kansas, studies arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and their role in the success of native prairie plants.

Mon, 05/09/2022

13 students receive research awards from Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research

Mon, 05/02/2022

PHOTOS: A hike through the Breidenthal Biological Reserve (Opens in new window)

This photo feature in the Lawrence Journal-World showcases images from longtime Lawrence photographer Mike Yoder, taken during a guided tour through the Reserve, which is part of the KU Field Station.

Tue, 04/19/2022

Three students to compete for Udall Scholarships

LAWRENCE — Three students at the University of Kansas are nominees for Udall Undergraduate Scholarships, which recognize students who demonstrate leadership, public service and commitment in the fields of tribal public policy, Native health care or the environment.  ...