Geologic atlases provide maps/databases essential for improved management of ground and surface water. This proposal will complete current projects and start new projects to equal about 4 complete atlases.
Geologic atlases provide maps/databases essential for improved management of ground and surface water. This proposal will complete current projects and start new projects to equal about 8 complete atlases.
Geologic atlases provide maps/databases essential for improved management of ground and surface water. This proposal will complete current projects and start new projects to equal about 8 complete atlases.
Recent U of M breakthroughs will be built upon to realize the first truly environmentally friendly solar cells, simultaneously unlocking exciting new renewable energy opportunities for the MN Iron Range.
The Soudan Iron Mine near Ely, Minnesota is no longer an active mine and is now part of a state park, as well as the home to a state-of-the-art physics laboratory at the bottom of the mine. The mine has also been discovered to contain an extreme environment in the form of an ancient and very salty brine bubbling up from a half-mile below the Earth’s surface through holes drilled when the mine was active. Strange microorganisms – part of an ecosystem never before characterized by science – have been found living in the brine.
This project proposes to increase the adoption of cover cropping in southwest Minnesota to address issues of loss of diversity and environmental degradation. By generating important information on cover crops,
We will collect native seed throughout Minnesota's prairie region, study microbial effects on plant survival, estimate the geographic scale and rate of adaptation, and communicate results aiding restoration and propagation.
Evaluation of Minnesota raptors, in rehabilitation and free ranging settings, for current or previous exposure to highly pathogenic avian influenza virus to better understand outbreak impacts to raptor populations.
This research project will demonstrate that high temperature anaerobic digestion is highly effective at treating sewage sludge, particularly with respect to destroying disease-causing microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes.
The project will investigate why, when, and where different species of harmful algal blooms release toxins into the water using hyperspectral microscopic imaging towards developing early warning remote sensing tools.
Moose, one of Minnesota's prized wildlife species, are dying at much higher rates in Minnesota than elsewhere in North America. Recently observed increases in mortality rates amongst some moose in northeastern Minnesota have led to concern that the population there may be entering a decline like that seen in the northwestern part of the state, where moose populations fell from over 4,000 to fewer than 100 in less than 20 years. Additionally the specific causes of increased mortality amongst individual moose remain under investigation.
Winter sport fishing for trout is a vibrant industry, but can be impacted by changing climate. We seek to understand how to conserve trout habitat, especially focusing on winter management.
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an invasive insect that has been decimating ash trees throughout the Great Lakes states. It was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009 and is now found in four counties (Hennepin, Houston, Ramsey, and Winona). EAB poses a particularly serious threat to Minnesota because it is home to nearly 1 billion ash trees that occur throughout the state - the second most of any state.
Minnesota has 15.9 million acres of forest land managed by a variety of county, state and federal agencies, and private landowners for timber production, wildlife habitat, and ecological considerations. Forest managers rely on inventory data to make effective planning and management decisions. Because forests are continually changing through natural and human processes, forest inventory data is periodically updated. However, doing so is an expensive and time-consuming endeavor and, as a result, much of Minnesota’s forest inventory data is currently out of date.
Over the last decade, a parasitic disease, Heterosporosis, has spread to infect fish in at least 20 water bodies in Minnesota. The parasite infects a number of economically important fish, making them inedible. As the disease can currently only be detected in its late stages, little is known about how it is transmitted and how best to control it.
Autonomous robots, powered by green hydrogen and solar power, designed to remove weeds in row crop fields can improve agricultural ecosystems with reduced herbicide application and fossil fuel use.
This research will help the State of Minnesota understand how to improve the nitrogen removal of wastewater treatment ponds when needed, protecting outstate surface water quality and groundwater safety.
This research will reduce exposure of Minnesotans to toxic, cancer-causing chemicals by identifying and curbing key pollutant sources in the Upper Mississippi River watershed and improving drinking water treatment.
Wild pollinators must survive outdoors during our harsh Minnesota winters. We aim to help them persist by discovering habitats they require for shelter through statewide citizen scientists and novel analyses.
We propose four strategies to increase in-state Golden Shiner (bait) production because angler demand exceeds production. Out-of-state importation creates a high risk of introducing aquatic invasive species and disease.
Space and water heating and cooling consume 48% of all energy used in an average U.S. residence, and usually that energy is supplied by natural gas or fossil-fuel derived electricity. Geothermal heat pumps can reduce energy requirements for heating and cooling by up to 75%. However, traditional geothermal heat pumps are expensive and their performance is difficult to predict before installation.
Develop and demonstrate a novel and efficient process based on continuous liquid-phase plasma discharge technology to decompose /destroy Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water.
Promising new carp deterrent system is tested in the Mississippi River along with an existing deterrent and predators; 99% blockage is suggested and Fish and Wildlife Service is a partner.
We will compile all available data for Minnesota Trumpeter Swans and use these sources to model historical population abundance and predict future population dynamics.
We will evaluate state-of-the-art lidar technology?s ability to provide stand-level summary statistics of forest resource measurements and how these data can be used to estimate ecosystem services
The proposed research and outreach program is to establish a biocontrol program to manage the invasive, exotic Japanese beetle to reduce insecticide use in bee lawns and parks.
The University of Minnesota’s Landscape Arboretum is the largest and most diverse horticultural site in Minnesota. It features gardens and natural areas representative of Minnesota and the upper-Midwest that can be explored using several miles of trails. Additionally it conducts fruit and plant breeding research to develop cultivars that have particular desired characteristics, such as cold hardiness or disease resistance. The arboretum has a long-term goal of protecting the entire watershed of which it is a part.
Augment, digitize and disseminate repeat topographic surveys of the Whitewater River valley since 1939, which provide critical information for sustainable land and water management.
Create a low-cost and advanced LiDAR package to detect wildlife and prevent wildlife collisions with wind turbines, safeguarding bats and birds from fatal accidents.
Minnesota supports over 14 million acres of cropland in grain production. Almost 600,000 tons of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers are needed annually to maintain productivity on this land, which requires the equivalent of 3,000,000 barrels of oil and costs farmers over $400 million dollars per year. This amount of fossil fuel use results in a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions, while the absence of fossil energy resources in the state means that these synthetic nitrogen fertilizers must be imported into Minnesota from other states and overseas.
