Rainfall runoff in urban areas contributes to localized flooding and washes contaminants and excess nutrients downstream affecting water quality. Systems to mitigate these problems can be challenging to implement in urban areas due to existing infrastructure and competing demands for land use. However, one option is to find alternative applications for the excess rainwater and use it replace the potable water that is currently being used for certain purposes. Researchers at the University of Minnesota are using this appropriation to evaluate alternative uses for captured rainwater.
Increasingly many youth are disconnected from the outdoors and the natural world and many of these same youth, nearly 50% in Minnesota, are also not proficient in science. Yet such experiences and knowledge are necessary components for this next generation to understand and participate in solving the complex environmental challenges facing our world.
Red-headed woodpeckers are a flagship species of threatened oak savannas in Minnesota. We aim to better understand red-headed woodpecker population ecology and develop a unified management plan for restoration.
We will investigate road salt alternatives and pavement innovations that will reduce or eliminate the flux of chloride from road salt into our lakes, streams and groundwater.
The research will collect samples of microplastics to establish relationships between physical and remote sensing characteristics of microplastics for cost effective monitoring of microplastics in Minnesota natural and engineered waters.
Long-term forest plot datasets are helpful for understanding the changing conditions and ecology of forestland over time. The USDA Forest Service produced statewide forest inventories in 1935, 1953, 1962, 1977, 1990, 2003, 2008, and 2013. Unfortunately, only the data from 1977 to the present is currently easily accessible and available in full.
Ecological restorations aim to aid the recovery of native ecosystems that have been degraded or lost. However, very seldom are restorations evaluated past the initial implementation phase to determine whether the efforts achieved their goals and the funds spent were a strategic conservation investment. Monitoring and evaluation of restorations can teach what works and what does not in order to advance restoration practices and increase the likelihood of success for future projects.
Sandhill cranes have expanded their range in Minnesota and elsewhere and as populations have expanded several states, including Minnesota, have initiated sandhill crane hunting seasons and other states are considering doing the same. Partially this is in response to increasing complaints of crop degradation by sandhill cranes.
Advanced tools are needed which provide critical timelag and feedback information for making environmental policy decisions, as Minnesota prepares to launch the Groundwater Protection Rule and nutrient reduction strategies.
Pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural nutrients serve important functions in crop production and the treatment of disease. However, these chemicals become pollutants when discharged into surface waters through wastewater, storm water, and agricultural runoff. There are natural processes, though, that help break down and remove these pollutants from water. One such process is the role that sunlight interacting with dissolved organic matter naturally present in surface water from decaying plant materials and algae has in transforming these contaminants.
Sustainable energy production is a major challenge facing our society. Solar energy is renewable and is a viable and attractive option. However, there are obstacles to widespread use. Current technology is expensive, making it difficult for businesses and homeowners to implement, and solar cells are commonly made using toxic and rare elements or using processes that require large amounts of energy. To become commonplace, solar cells must be inexpensive and robust, and they must be made of abundant, cheap, nontoxic materials.
Native trout require clean, cold water that usually originates from springs, but the springs feeding the 173 designated trout streams in southeastern Minnesota are under increasing pressure from current and expected changes in land use. This joint effort by the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is working to identify and map the springs and the areas that feed water to these springs and to learn how these waters might be affected by development and water use.
Our primary objective is to understand how to harvest timber in the boreal forest in a way that enables species with limited movements to thrive in a changing landscape.
Our project team will implement a rural, community-scale project, which demonstrates how a large flow-battery connected to solar and wind generation improves grid stability -- and enhances usage of renewables.
Our project team will implement a rural, community-scale project, which demonstrates how a large flow-battery connected to solar and wind generation improves grid stability -- and enhances usage of renewables.
This project will promote responsible use of Minnesota?s limited groundwater resources through the expansion of the existing Irrigation Management Assistance tool into a ~67 county, mobile-compatible web app.
Producing new materials from regional plant byproducts for renewable solar energy. This project engages many students in environmental research; this homegrown technology will ultimately provide affordable energy to Minnesota families.
We will advance an ?off the shelf? technology to treat industrial wastewater onsite, turning pollutants into energy and treated water. This will lead to water quality benefits and cost savings.
The best way to prevent aquatic invasive species spread is to stop the transfer of water and living material between lakes. We will test how well boat cleaning methods work.
