Research

Spring isn’t just for wildflowers and pollen—it’s also a time to hear wild turkeys gobble across Georgia and much of the Southeast.

That telltale chortle is also a signal that turkey hunting season is about to open, although changes to Georgia’s state regulations will keep hunters on standby for a week or two longer this year.

But the changes, say wildlife experts, will hopefully benefit both turkeys and hunters.

A team of University of Georgia researchers has created a model to help land developers and public officials identify the land that is best suited for conservation.

Led by Fabio Jose Benez-Secanho, a former UGA graduate student, and Puneet Dwivedi, associate professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, this first-of-its-kind algorithm considers a variety of factors not included in other models when calculating the value of land for conservation.

Sometimes things are fine—until they’re not. A boat capsizes. A bridge collapses. The stock market takes an extreme turn.

These are examples of “catastrophe theory,” a tool in mathematics that can be used to describe a set of variables that combine, at a specific point, to completely change a system. It’s a framework that can be applied to a variety of scenarios, and now a University of Georgia scientist wants to use it to better understand how plants use water and respond to drought.

Mike Kane has been wearing a lot of hats over the years. Often, he’s worn them at the same time. 

These dual experiences began early in his career as a graduate student, taking classes at North Carolina State University while working for the school’s Forest Fertilization Cooperative. The experience gave him a taste of two worlds, balancing the needs of the private sector while working in academia.  

When cities or counties institute plastic bag bans or fees, the idea is to reduce the amount of plastic headed to the landfill. 
 
But a new analysis by a University of Georgia researcher finds these policies, while created with good intentions, may cause more plastic bags to be purchased in the communities where they are in place. The study was published earlier this year in the journal Environmental and Resource Economics. 
 

Seminar: New Frontiers in Conservation Genetics: How Genetic Analysis in Helping to Shape in a New Era in Wildlife Conservation

A University of Georgia professor’s dogged research into a mysterious eagle-killing disease has now received an international award.
 

Using cameras and collars, UGA researchers aim to understand wildlife movements, geography
 

Squirrels, birds and opossums have all adapted to living in urban spaces. More recently, so have coyotes.
 
But much is still unknown about how coyotes move throughout urban areas, such as metro Atlanta, as well as their effect on humans and other wildlife. For example, why are these animals reported in some areas of the city but not others?
 

Mountain spring water is often touted as the cleanest water you can drink. But a new study from the University of Georgia revealed this isn’t the case.

Using data collected over 40 years, researchers detailed how water quality in high-elevation streams has been negatively affected by a combination of historical events and modern changes, namely sediment from rural roads and agricultural runoff.

New UGA research could help limit damage the pigs cause

Managing the United States’ growing wild pig population has become a significant challenge over the past few decades, but new research from the University of Georgia may help landowners and government agencies fine-tune their strategies for limiting crop and property damage caused by the animals.