Winter sport fishing for trout is a vibrant industry, but can be impacted by changing climate. We seek to understand how to conserve trout habitat, especially focusing on winter management.
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an invasive insect that has been decimating ash trees throughout the Great Lakes states. It was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009 and is now found in four counties (Hennepin, Houston, Ramsey, and Winona). EAB poses a particularly serious threat to Minnesota because it is home to nearly 1 billion ash trees that occur throughout the state - the second most of any state.
Minnesota has 15.9 million acres of forest land managed by a variety of county, state and federal agencies, and private landowners for timber production, wildlife habitat, and ecological considerations. Forest managers rely on inventory data to make effective planning and management decisions. Because forests are continually changing through natural and human processes, forest inventory data is periodically updated. However, doing so is an expensive and time-consuming endeavor and, as a result, much of Minnesota’s forest inventory data is currently out of date.
Over the last decade, a parasitic disease, Heterosporosis, has spread to infect fish in at least 20 water bodies in Minnesota. The parasite infects a number of economically important fish, making them inedible. As the disease can currently only be detected in its late stages, little is known about how it is transmitted and how best to control it.
Wild pollinators must survive outdoors during our harsh Minnesota winters. We aim to help them persist by discovering habitats they require for shelter through statewide citizen scientists and novel analyses.
This research will help the State of Minnesota understand how to improve the nitrogen removal of wastewater treatment ponds when needed, protecting outstate surface water quality and groundwater safety.
This research will reduce exposure of Minnesotans to toxic, cancer-causing chemicals by identifying and curbing key pollutant sources in the Upper Mississippi River watershed and improving drinking water treatment.
We propose four strategies to increase in-state Golden Shiner (bait) production because angler demand exceeds production. Out-of-state importation creates a high risk of introducing aquatic invasive species and disease.
Space and water heating and cooling consume 48% of all energy used in an average U.S. residence, and usually that energy is supplied by natural gas or fossil-fuel derived electricity. Geothermal heat pumps can reduce energy requirements for heating and cooling by up to 75%. However, traditional geothermal heat pumps are expensive and their performance is difficult to predict before installation.
Promising new carp deterrent system is tested in the Mississippi River along with an existing deterrent and predators; 99% blockage is suggested and Fish and Wildlife Service is a partner.
The proposed research and outreach program is to establish a biocontrol program to manage the invasive, exotic Japanese beetle to reduce insecticide use in bee lawns and parks.
The University of Minnesota’s Landscape Arboretum is the largest and most diverse horticultural site in Minnesota. It features gardens and natural areas representative of Minnesota and the upper-Midwest that can be explored using several miles of trails. Additionally it conducts fruit and plant breeding research to develop cultivars that have particular desired characteristics, such as cold hardiness or disease resistance. The arboretum has a long-term goal of protecting the entire watershed of which it is a part.
Minnesota supports over 14 million acres of cropland in grain production. Almost 600,000 tons of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers are needed annually to maintain productivity on this land, which requires the equivalent of 3,000,000 barrels of oil and costs farmers over $400 million dollars per year. This amount of fossil fuel use results in a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions, while the absence of fossil energy resources in the state means that these synthetic nitrogen fertilizers must be imported into Minnesota from other states and overseas.
We will develop and test a novel, bio-based, fertilizer coating that slows nutrient release to reduce nutrient runoff from agricultural fields based on modified cellulose and lignin extracted from wood.
We will develop a cost- and energy-efficient method of managing the concentrated saline waste from a municipal desalination plant, increasing the economic feasibility of centralized water softening and sulfate removal.
Establish network of automated radiotelemetry stations to monitor bird migration and local movements of a threatened species, and develop strategic plans for long-term use of infrastructure to monitor animal movement.
We will quantify and map antibiotic and antibiotic resistance gene contamination in Minnesota waters and soils and identify locations in need of mitigation to protect environmental, human, and animal health.
We will map habitat and diseases of urban foxes and coyotes to understand what they need to live and risks posed to people and pets, thereby demystifying them for residents.
Data is needed about which aquatic habitats moose prefer and how moose can potentially enhance nearshore lake foodwebs. This project will map critical aquatic habitats and measure lake foodweb effects.
Waste streams often contain unutilized resources that if properly extracted or otherwise utilized could be used to provide additional sources of renewable energy or other benefits. Wastewater is one of the primary candidate waste streams because of its nutrient content and researchers have been developing technologies such as microbial fuel cells and algal-based biofuel production in order make use of these nutrients.
Many types of bacteria perform critical ecological functions, such as cycling carbon and other nutrients, which enable life to exist. In fact, humans harness these types of bacteria in certain engineered systems, such as wastewater treatment plants and landfills, to provide various benefits such as protecting surface waters from excess nitrogen, decomposing solid waste, and treating wastewater.
We will evaluate the impact of microbial interventions during captivity on the raptor gut microbiome, both in terms of treatment efficacy during rehabilitation and subsequent environmental dissemination.
