News

Event- Melting down at the poles: What are the differences?

SOGES poster: Melting down at the poles A panel of polar scientists will examine the rapid changes happening at the poles; how this influences us globally, including effects on biodiversity and extreme events; and how models can help us predict and understand these changes.

Wednesday, February 13
5-6:30 p.m.
Avogadro's Number
605 S. Mason Street

Join the School of Global Environmental Sustainability for an exciting discussion by leading polar scientists on the rapid changes affecting the poles, their biodiversity and us.
Panel of CSU experts

Diana Wall, Ph.D., School of Global Environmental Sustainability
David Thompson, Ph.D., Department of Atmospheric Science
John Moore, Ph.D., Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability
Shane Kanatous, Ph.D., Department of Biology

CSU research sheds new light on wolves' impact on ecosystems in Yellowstone

Willow Trees in Yellowstone New research by Kristin Marchall finds that the removal of wolves from Yellowstone National Park caused complex changes in ecological processes that cannot be simply reversed by wolf reintroduction alone.

Marshall conducted her research while she was a doctoral student at CSU’s Warner College of Natural Resources in the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology. Her research was part of a larger, 10-year experiment conducted by a team of researchers from CSU’s Warner College of Natural Resources that examined the effects of beaver dams and removal of browsing on restoration of willows in Yellowstone. The paper is co-authored by Marshall’s research co-advisors at CSU: David Cooper, senior research scientist in the Department of Forestry and Rangeland Stewardship, and Thompson Hobbs, senior research scientist with the Natural Resource Ecology Lab and professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability.

Bill Ritter to kick-off ESS/NREL spring seminar series and new degree program celebration

ESS poster: Sustainability as a core value Colorado State University's Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability in the Warner College of Natural Resources will celebrate the launch of its new Bachelor of Science degree with an event Monday, Feb. 4.

President Tony Frank, Provost Rick Miranda, Director of the Center for the New Energy Economy Bill Ritter, Warner College of Natural Resources Dean Joyce Berry and Department Head John Moore, will be on hand 1:30- 3 p.m. in Room 228 of the Lory Student Center.

In addition to launching the new Bachelor of Science in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability (ESS), this event marks the beginning of the 2013 Ecosystem Science and Sustainability/Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory spring seminar series.

Faculty and alumni from CSU's Natural Resource Ecology Lab named ESA Fellows

Ecologocial Society of America Logo The Ecological Society of America (ESA) recently unveiled a new program to honor members who have made outstanding contributions in the advancement or application of ecological science in academics, government, non-profit organizations or the broader society.

NREL faculty and alumni honored
Seven faculty and alumni from the Natural Resource Ecology Lab (NREL) and the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University were selected as part of the newly established ESA Fellows program.

Jill Baron, Alan Covich, John C. Moore, Bill Parton, Deb Peters, David Schimel and Diana Wall were all named ESA Fellows for their work and contributions to the field of ecology. Fellows must go through an extensive nomination process and once selected they are elected for life.

“This is a huge honor for the Natural Resource Ecology Lab, the Warner College and for CSU; we are so proud of our colleagues who received this recognition,” said NREL Director John Moore.

Desert dust alters ecology of Colorado alpine meadows

Desert A new study by a NREL researcher indicates that accelerated snowmelt by desert dust that blows into the mountains changes how plants respond to seasonal climate cues that regulate their life cycles. As a result, climate warming may have a greater influence on their annual growth cycle. "The observed changes in plant life cycles due to desert dust synchronize plant growth and flowering across the alpine, which vary greatly in the absence of dust" said Heidi Steltzer, a Colorado State University researcher in the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, who led this study. "Synchronized growth was unexpected and may have adverse effects on plants, water quality and wildlife."