Research Activities
FER Home : Natural Resources Management : Research Activities
FER network of government and industry partnerships keeps us active internationally in natural resource management research. In addition, all faculty experts in this area are expected to pursue original research, while all students are given opportunities to take part in actual research initiatives as part of their education and training.
Working in conjunction with faculty members from other areas within the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources as well as other departments at NC State, FER’s natural resources management experts have explored a variety of advanced scientific problems involving natural resource management — including the following recent topics:
- Anthropogenic impacts on forest ecosystems;
- Genotype and environment interactions;
- Eecology and management of various protected plant and animal species;
- Integrated management of plant diseases;
- Nan-induced changes in the chemical climate and their effects on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems;
- The control of non-indigenous, invasive species;
- Management and hydrology of forest drainage systems;
- The management of riparian ecosystems;
- Soil-machine-plant-weather interactions;
- Urban conservation;
- Integrated natural resources planning;
- Plus studies involving watersheds, land preservation, climate change and much more.
Graduate Student Research
Graduate students have played an important role in natural resources management research, studying 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
FER’s research efforts in natural resource management often take place in one of NC State's many living laboratories. Please visit our Forests & Facilities section for more information on these resources. Research projects may also take place at one of the following special facilities:
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.
The NC State Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology is a field research organization headquartered in Raleigh with laboratory outposts across North Carolina. The Center sponsors research on topics range from freshwater to coastal marine ecosystems. Through this center, NC State works with more than 40 institutions worldwide to assess and find practical solutions to water quality problems in North Carolina and the nation.
