Staff

Feb 7, 2024

The Earth is Getting Greener. Hurray?

Vox
These trends are especially prominent in China and India. Together, these two countries account for roughly one-third of all greening, the study found. “The intensification of agriculture that’s been happening in India over the past four decades is stunning,” said Joshua Gray, a geospatial scientist at North Carolina State University.

Feb 7, 2024

Sorting Recycling is Hard. AI Could Help.

The Washington Post
Waste-sorting plants have been using machines to separate recyclables for years. But the machines — which use magnets, gravity, puffs of air and other rudimentary methods to sort through trash — aren’t perfect. As a result, the “sorted” recyclables, particularly plastic, wind up contaminated with other forms of trash, according to Lokendra Pal, a professor of sustainable materials engineering at North Carolina State University.

Feb 1, 2024

From Giant Crabs to Toxic Snails, A Look at Invasive Species That Made News in NC Last Year

Gaston Gazette
Active ways to stop the emerald ash borer's spread are few, with researchers around the country − including at NC State University − looking into using biological controls from the ash borer's home turf in Asia, including tiny wasps that feed on the bug's larvae.

Jan 29, 2024

Rising Sea Levels Could Lead to More Methane Emitted from Wetlands

News from the Lab
A collaboration between NC State professor Marcelo Ardón and Berkeley Lab’s Environmental Genomics & Systems Biology Division found increased methane production from wetland soils with increased salinity.

Jan 28, 2024

“People’s Lives Are Very Complex”: Why Conditional Payments Aren’t Enough To Protect and Restore Forests

CIFOR Forests News
“People’s lives are very complex. [REDD+ project participants] are often trying to make a living in very remote areas, without any of the backup systems we’re used to [in more developed places],” said Erin Sills, head of the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University.

Jan 24, 2024

Wildlife is Feeling the Cold, Too

The Wildlife Society News
“Sometimes when I am sitting in my warm house on a cold night I feel sorry for the animals stuck outside in the cold,” said Roland Kays, a research associate professor of forestry and environmental resources at North Carolina State University.

Jan 24, 2024

Researchers Say Wildfires in NC Will Likely Only Get Worse. Here’s Why

WCNC
NC State researchers found the more extreme and frequent droughts in the Carolinas will increase how much of the forest will burn by 2100.

Jan 22, 2024

New Scholarship Paves Trail for Future Park Rangers

A scholarship established by Rebecca Harriett '79 and her husband will support College of Natural Resources students interested in working at state or national parks.

Jan 21, 2024

NC Timber Prices Fare Better in East

Morning Ag Clips
State-wide standing timber prices for the fourth quarter of 2023 are up in four of the five major product classes compared to the previous quarter, according to NC State forestry professor Robert Bardon.

Dec 30, 2023

Continuing Research in Christmas Tree Genetics

Spectrum News
NC State researchers are working in conjunction with the staff at the Upper Mountain Research Station to genetically improve future generations of Christmas trees that will keep the industry sustainable.