Category: Ecosystem Services

New research on the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) show that both farmed and wild oyster filter nitrogen from the water, processing the element in their shells and soft tissues and helping reducing cases of eutrophication. In a recent paper, scientists showed that oysters and other shellfish can help complement land-based nutrient management practices, such as upgrades to wastewater treatment plants around New Hampshire’s Great Bay estuary to reduce nitrogen output.

An unintended impact of land-use changes over the past century has been a more than 86 percent decrease in the range of the New England cottontail. Ongoing habitat restoration efforts will help the survival of the New England cottontail, and new research by COLSA researchers finds that these efforts will also benefit at least 12 shrubland-obligate bird species with which the cottontail shares its habitat.

The maple syrup industry is critical to sustaining vibrant local economies as well as the New England region’s cultural identity, social fabric and environment. This research by New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station scientists examines opportunities of diversifying sugarbushes and producing novel syrups from birch, beech and other species.

New Hampshire has 80 percent forest cover and assessing the health and composition of this significant forestland is crucial for management and economy. This research by New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station scientists explores the possibility of using unpiloted aerial systems to overcome the limitations of traditional forest assessments and provide more informative characterizations of northeastern forests.

Beech bark disease (BBD) spreads via invasive scale insects & fungal pathogens, killing beech trees. Despite research, the role of the two fungal pathogens in BBD progression and the impact of insect attack on beech bark is not fully understood. This research—conducted by scientists from the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire—examined the distribution of BBD fungal pathogens and beech bark's response to insect and pathogen attack.

New research from the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station reveals factors affecting skunk abundance in New England and across the U.S., emphasizing that the omnivorous striped skunk plays an important role in New England's ecosystems as a predator and seed disperser.

The Northeast is facing warmer, wetter and more variable weather, including droughts. This research by New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station scientists assesses the sensitivity and response of dominant tree species (red oak and white pine to drought, providing the first physiological and soil moisture thresholds and recovery abilities.

New research shows that hawks that hunt swarming bats steer toward a fixed point in the swarm – rather than targeting individual bats – and attack, hoping for a successful capture. This behavior was observed of Swainson’s Hawks (Buteo swainsoni) and other raptors hunting a colony of approximately 700,000 to 900,000 Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis).

The decision to not list the New England cottontail under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2015 was attributed to the perceived success of ongoing conservation efforts, as evaluated by the Policy for Evaluation of Conservation Efforts (PECE) analysis. In the seven years since, despite substantial collaborative efforts by the members of the New England Cottontail Conservation Initiative and other stakeholders, the remaining population of New England cottontail in the Northeast has only declined further