media mentions

Jul 13, 2023

Genetically Edited Wood Could Make Paper More Sustainable

Science Magazine
Jack Wang and Rodolphe Barrangou, biotechnologists at North Carolina State University, and dozens of colleagues built a computer model, based on decades of forest biotechnology studies, to predict how simultaneously changing poplar genes related to lignin production might impact the trees’ wood composition, growth rate, and other factors.

Jul 13, 2023

AI Provides Most Accurate Estimate of Africa’s Largest Bat Colony Population

Technology Networks
In a new study, artificial intelligence (AI) has provided the most accurate estimate yet of the bat population in Kasanka National Park, Zambia, recording the presence of between 750,000 and 1 million bats – the largest colony by biomass anywhere in the world.

Jul 10, 2023

Nature’s Defenses: How the Sitka Spruce Fends Off Weevil Invasion

Earth.com
A study from North Carolina State University reveals how the Sitka spruce tree defends itself against the voracious spruce weevil. The findings will provide insights for breeding more resistant species of this tree, which could ultimately safeguard its survival against the voracious spruce weevil, Pissodes strobi.

Jul 5, 2023

New Accounting Methods Could Rebuild Confidence in Forest Carbon Markets

CIFOR Forests News
“There is essentially a contract involved where some parties promise to reduce forest carbon emissions, and other parties promise to provide recognition, rewards, or compensation for that, so we need an accounting system to implement the contract,” said Erin Sills, a professor of forest economics at North Carolina State University and a CIFOR-ICRAF senior associate.

Jul 3, 2023

The Last Place on Earth Any Tourist Should Go

The Atlantic
Traveling to Antarctica is a carbon-intensive activity. Almost all travel presents this problem on some level. But “this kind of tourism involves a larger carbon footprint than other kinds of tourism,” says Yu-Fai Leung, a professor in the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University who has done extensive research on Antarctic travel.

Jul 1, 2023

New Study Reveals Simple Act Could Stave Off 2 Leading Causes of Death Among Adults: ‘Doesn’t Need To Be Complicated’

Yahoo News
An article by Lincoln Larson and Aaron Hipp of NC State University points out that “nature-based programs can even be prescribed by health care providers as part of alternative, cost-effective treatment plans.”

Jun 29, 2023

“Dead Trees All Over the City”: Where Tree-planting Efforts Go Wrong

Smart Cities Dive
Smart Cities Dive caught up with NC State professor Lincoln Larson to discuss the potential worst outcome of tree-planting efforts, whether trees are inherently valuable to society and why communities in most need of trees may not welcome more.

Jun 23, 2023

How Scientists Are Helping Flooding Communities

Australian Broadcasting Corporation
There are grim predictions that climate change will lead to more frequent flooding in many parts of the world. When it comes to protecting flood-prone areas, large-scale infrastructure is often costly and slow. So, some communities are choosing to fight against flooding in their own backyards. Meet two of them — one in Scotland, the other in the state of Georgia in the United States.

Jun 9, 2023

Is Climate Change Fuelling Canada’s Wildfires?

BBC News
Robert Scheller, professor of forestry at North Carolina State University, said: "The climate signal is very strong. We are seeing both a larger area burned, and more severe fires."

Jun 8, 2023

The Wildfire Smoke Plume You’re Smelling Could Break Up, But Another Is Coming To NC

The News & Observer
Wildfires are inextricably linked to the surrounding climate, according to Robert Scheller, a professor of landscape ecology and the associate dean of research at NC State's College of Natural Resources. They happen because a forest dried out over weeks or months, creating the fuel that a fire needs to burn once it is sparked.