Research Activities
FER Home : Environmental Impact Assessment : Research Activities
The Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources (FER) is constantly conducting environmental impact assessment research into specific ecosystems and exploring evolving techniques in the field.
The underlying goal of our research is to improve the planning, decision making and processes humans use when taking actions that can affect how our planet’s natural resources are used, managed, conserved and restored.
In the past, we have studied man-induced changes in the chemical climate and their effects on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; the effects of silvicultural practices on soil and water; persistent organic pollutants in soils and sediments; pollutant bioavailabilty, ecological toxicology and other various aspects of risk assessment; hazardous materials management; the environmental impact of highway projects, decision support methodology for the design of animal waste management strategies; the ecological risk assessment of nonpoint source pollution for stream life; and more.
These activities not only furthered the field of environmental impact assessment, they provided an opportunity for participating students to build their discovery skills while collaborating with professionals from other departments and organizations.
Current Projects
FER faculty members and students are currently conducting environmental impact assessment research projects involving:
- Differences in regional and state level use of energy consumption and emissions, and the impact of it on public transportation systems and nearby ecosystems.
- The impact of various forestry harvesting systems, equipment use and nutritional regimes on forest ecosystems and harvest cycles.
Graduate Student Research
Graduate students play an important role in FER environmental impact assessment research by pursuing a variety of topics as part of their hands-on education. For a look at completed graduate student research in this area, please visit the Dissertation Library of the NC State Graduate School.
Research Facilities
In addition to FER’s other Forests & Facilities, FER often uses the following resources when conducting environmental impact assessment research:
- Schenck Memorial Forest: this 245 acre tract is located in western Wake County about 10 minutes from the NC State campus. Students of forestry, botany, zoology and recreation all use the forest for educational purposes.
- The Hill Demonstration Forest, a 2,400-acre tract in Bahama, N.C. about one hour from the NC State campus. This forest is home to a number of research intitiatives as well as a full-time summer school residential program held each year.
- The Bull Neck Swamp Research Forest: this waterfront property on NC’s Albemarle Sound is a unique wetlands research site that covers 5,500 acres, including more that seven miles of rare, undisturbed shoreline. Here FER students and faculty study critical environmental issues, including coastal water quality, wildlife management, forest regeneration and environmentally sound timber management.
