Research projects listed on this page represent a sampling of project from the last year. Please use the search box above to investigate our research project archive.
Nebraska scientists reveal invisible effects of prairie management practices
Well-managed grasslands offer benefits invisible to the human eye, including increased productivity and cooler temperatures, Nebraska scientists say in the May issue of New Phytologist. (5/23/2025)
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Khorchani helping solve equation leading to better farming
Makki Khorchani, a recent faculty hire in the School of Natural Resources, has been using historical data and models to identify best farming practices. (3/26/2025)
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Husker scientist illuminates species' ability to glow
Rene Martin, assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources, stepped into the global spotlight with her discovery of biofluorescence in birds-of-paradise.
(2/24/2025)
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Oral history project captures Niobrara's resilience
Educators from Rural Prosperity Nebraska; the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication; and the School of Natural Resources have teamed up with researchers from Oklahoma State and Louisiana State universities to study community resilience amid natural disasters. (2/11/2025)
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Franz, USDA Collaborate to Create Web-based App to Optimize Soil Sampling
The Soil Sample Planning Organizer Tool, or SSPOT, “was designed as a user-friendly tool to help both producers and researchers make informed sampling decisions,” said Trenton Franz, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln professor of hydrogeophysics and associate director of research for the School of Natural Resources. (1/8/2025)
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Sun striving to better measure greenhouse gases
Xiangmin Sun, a micrometeorologist who grew up on a farm in China, has been carrying out research at Mead since July 1 to improve how to measure methane and nitrous oxide. (12/19/2024)
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Carroll continuing to lead in bird conservation
John Carroll, a School of Natural Resources professor, continues advancing Galliformes conservation through the International Union for Conservation of Nature. (12/17/2024)
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UNL commits $5 million to better measure environmental impact of cattle
Part of the ADAPT project will take place at Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln research facility near Whitman, Nebraska. (11/11/2024)
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Ameyaw to test alley cropping farming with USDA grant
Lord Ameyaw, a Nebraska forestry professor, recently received a USDA Conservation Innovation Grant to study and test alley cropping, a way to farm using rows of trees in agricultural fields. Ann Powers, a forestry lecturer, serves as co-investigator on the grant. (10/10/2024)
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Nebraska scientist documents badgers and coyotes hunting together
Emma Balunek was watching motion-activated video she had taken of a rockpile in rural Colorado when a badger and coyote strolled onto the scene together. The young scientist knew badgers and coyotes competed for the same prey and even preyed upon each other. Why were these two strolling side by side? (9/30/2024)
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Floating Wetlands Project Improves Water Quality
A University of Nebraska-Lincoln team is leveraging the power of plants to combat nutrient pollution in urban ponds. Led by soil and water chemist Steve Comfort and watershed hydrologist Aaron Mittelstet, Nebraska students installed two floating wetlands in Lincoln’s Fox Hollow neighborhood on June 14, 2024. (8/7/2024)
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Husker projects advance study of soil moisture, hydrology
Trenton Franz and colleagues installed a neutron monitor at the university’s Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center near Mead. The device is only the third one in the United States, and the only one located outside the East Coast. (7/2/2024)
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Turk investigating soil health over time, a key to climate resilience strategies
Judith Turk, associate professor in the School of Natural Resources, will use an $854,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Program to shed light on how human activity is impacting soil degradation in the Great Plains. (5/28/2024)
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Significant Workshops
Implications of a Changing Arctic on the Water Resources and Agriculture in the Central U.S. (2015)
The focus of this workshop was on how the significant climatic and environmental changes being observed in the Arctic may be affecting changes in mid-latitude weather and the implications of these changes on the frequency of extreme weather and climate events (e.g., severe weather, droughts, floods, heat waves) in the Central U.S.
Climate Change Implications for Nebraska (2014-2016)
In September 2014, the University of Nebraska published a report summarizing climate change impacts to the state. This comprehensive report summarized the current understanding of climate change science, projected changes in climate for Nebraska and the implications of these changes for some of the state’s primary sectors. Eight roundtable discussion focusing on areas such as wildlife, human health, energy availability were conducted and summarized.