School of Environmental and Forest Sciences
December 4, 2019
Better wildfire and smoke predictions with new vegetation database
![ponderosa pine forest](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/12/04071000/Ponderosa-pine-forest-150x150.jpg)
Researchers from the University of Washington and Michigan Technological University have created the first comprehensive database of all the wildfire fuels that have been measured across North America. Ultimately, it can help scientists make more informed decisions about fire and smoke situations.
October 17, 2019
Old friends and new enemies: How evolutionary history can predict insect invader impacts
![Dead trees](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/10/16162703/Red-pine-scale-damage-150x150.jpg)
A team led by the University of Washington has developed a way to help foresters predict which nonnative insect invasions will be problematic, and help managers decide where to allocate resources to avoid widespread tree death.
August 23, 2019
Video: Wildfires west of the Cascades: Rare, but large and severe
![](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/08/23151021/Norse-peak-hills-smoke-USFS-150x150.jpeg)
More than 99 percent of wildfires in the last 40 years have been east of the Cascade Crest. But evidence that suggests Western Washington also has a history of large wildfires, each burning hundreds of thousands of acres. We might not be familiar with them, because most happened centuries ago.
August 21, 2019
3 UW graduate students earn NASA fellowships, continue legacy of success
![rainier vista](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/08/21120139/i-NTDHmg9-X3-150x150.jpg)
Three University of Washington graduate students are among this year’s recipients of a prestigious NASA fellowship that funds student research projects in the fields of Earth and planetary sciences and astrophysics.
July 24, 2019
How to consider nature’s impact on mental health in city plans
![two children in park](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/07/24103904/Arboretum-2-150x150.jpg)
An international team led by the UW and Stanford has created a framework for how city planners and municipalities around the world can start to measure the mental health benefits of nature and incorporate those into plans and policies for cities and their residents.
July 9, 2019
UW professors to receive 2019 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
![](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/11/04145313/IMG_4058-150x150.jpg)
Six University of Washington professors are to receive a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, according to an announcement July 2 from the White House. The award, also known as the PECASE, is the highest honor given by the U.S. government to early-career scientists and engineers “who show exceptional promise for leadership in science and technology.”
April 1, 2019
UW students spearhead efforts to predict peak bloom for cherry trees
![collecting data](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/03/29105831/app-edit3.00_01_18_29.Still004-150x150.jpg)
A team of UW students hopes to make it possible to accurately predict peak bloom timing for the iconic Quad cherry trees.
March 26, 2019
New tool maps a key food source for grizzly bears: huckleberries
![huckleberry leaves turning red](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/03/26093004/Huckleberry-landscape-2-150x150.jpg)
Researchers have developed a new approach to map huckleberry distribution across Glacier National Park that uses publicly available satellite imagery. Tracking where huckleberry plants live now — and where they may move under climate change — can help biologists predict where grizzly bears will also be found.
February 27, 2019
Return of the wolves: How deer escape tactics help save their lives
![two gray wolves](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/02/27094706/wolf-2-150x150.jpg)
As gray wolves return to eastern Washington, a new study finds that one species of deer is changing its behavior to spend more time away from roads, at higher elevations and in rockier landscapes.
February 11, 2019
Many Arctic lakes give off less carbon than expected
![lakes in yukon flats](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/02/11075511/Yukon-Flats-lake-4-150x150.jpg)
New research by the University of Washington and U.S. Geological Survey suggests many lakes pose little threat to global carbon levels, at least for now.
November 29, 2018
Forests, human health, Northwest outlook: UW researchers involved in Fourth National Climate Assessment
![cover of Fourth National Climate Assessment Volume II showing wildfires](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/11/29120818/NationalClimateAssessmentCover-150x150.jpg)
University of Washington researchers contributed to the Fourth National Climate Assessment that considers impacts, risks and adaptation across the United States.
November 8, 2018
Common allergen, ragweed, will shift northward under climate change
![ragweed against blue sky](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/11/08100709/Ragweed2_AndreasRockstein_Flickr-150x150.jpg)
The first study of common ragweed’s future U.S. distribution finds the top allergen will expand its range northward as the climate warms, reaching new parts of upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, while retreating from current hot spots.
November 2, 2018
Racial, ethnic minorities face greater vulnerability to wildfires
![firefighting in oregon 2018](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/11/01141138/Oregon-fires-2-150x150.jpg)
Massive wildfires, which may be getting more intense due to climate change and a long history of fire-suppression policies, have strikingly unequal effects on minority communities, a new study shows.
October 24, 2018
A dose of nature: New UW initiative to spearhead research on health benefits of time outside
![](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/10/23155901/abigail-keenan-27292-unsplash-150x150.jpg)
A new University of Washington initiative seeks to advance research on the health benefits of time spent in nature, connecting academic researchers with pediatricians, childcare providers, mental health practitioners and others who work with various populations on critical health issues.
August 20, 2018
California plain shows surprising winners and losers from prolonged drought
![wildflowers on hill](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/08/20101749/Superbloom_at_Carrizo_2017_BLM-150x150.jpg)
Meticulously tracking of 423 species before, during and after the worst droughts to hit California in more than a thousand years shows surprising patterns. Key prey species plummeted in the third year of the drought, and carnivores were hardest hit in later years.
August 13, 2018
UW forest biologist on wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, California
![firefighting in oregon 2018](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/11/01141138/Oregon-fires-2-150x150.jpg)
Forest biologist and University of Washington professor David Peterson explains which natural materials burn hotter and faster during a wildfire, what homeowners can do to protect their properties and how climate change is impacting the fire season.
August 1, 2018
Harmful dyes in lakes, rivers can become colorless with new, sponge-like material
![the dye starts to become clear](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/08/01092758/color-removal-2-150x150.jpg)
A team led by the University of Washington has created an environmentally friendly way to remove color from dyes in water in a matter of seconds.
May 25, 2018
Broccoli in space: How probiotics could help grow veggies in microgravity
![broccoli going to space.](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/05/04124842/McGowan_ISSPressRelease_5-22-18_15-150x150.jpg)
Astronauts at the International Space Station are spending more time away from Earth, but they still need their daily serving of vegetables. In the quest to find a viable way for crew to grow their own veggies while orbiting — and possibly one day on the moon or Mars — student researchers are sending broccoli…
April 3, 2018
New arboretum trail daylights creek, gives greater access to wetlands
![bridge with walker](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/04/04130152/04-02-2018_Arboretum_Trail-1165-150x150.jpg)
A new trail that winds through Washington Park Arboretum is bringing to focus plants previously hidden and a stream that used to be underground in pipes and culverts. The UW together with Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Arboretum Foundation on Sunday, April 8 will celebrate the trail opening with festivities along the path.
March 2, 2018
Two species of ravens nevermore? New research finds evidence of ‘speciation reversal’
![raven](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/03/04130902/Raven-in-rain-Bj%C3%B8rn-Aksel-Bjerke-web-150x150.jpg)
A new study almost 20 years in the making provides some of the strongest evidence yet of the “speciation reversal” phenomenon in two lineages of common ravens.
December 13, 2017
UW project seeks sustainable blueprint for hydropower dams
![children fishing](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/12/04132851/5697482192_130cf154f7_b-150x150.jpg)
A new NSF-funded project will use findings in the Mekong River basin as an example of how three critical issues — feeding people, generating energy and maintaining functioning ecosystems — can be addressed thoughtfully and progressively in the developing world.
November 15, 2017
Are petite poplars the future of biofuels? UW studies say yes
![small poplars](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/11/04133740/Short-rotation-coppice-e1510688868425-150x150.jpg)
A University of Washington team is trying to make poplar a viable competitor in the biofuels market by testing the production of younger poplar trees that could be harvested more frequently — after only two or three years — instead of the usual 10- to 20-year cycle.
November 6, 2017
‘Smart’ paper can conduct electricity, detect water
![](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/10/04134124/Nano-Paper_Dichiara_2017_10_02_14151-150x150.jpg)
A University of Washington team wants to simplify the process for discovering detrimental water leaks by developing “smart” paper that can sense the presence of water.
October 4, 2017
Study points to win-win for spotted owls and forest management
![spotted owls](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/10/04134622/Spotted-Owl-pair-150x150.jpg)
A new study has found that cover in tall trees is the key habitat requirement for the spotted owl, not total canopy cover. It indicated that spotted owls largely avoid cover created by stands of shorter trees.
August 31, 2017
Q&A: How Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and Yellowstone National Park are confronting climate change
![barn with mountains in the back](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/08/04135216/Barns_grand_tetons-150x150.jpg)
A new book focuses on climate change risks in the Northern Rocky Mountains, and how managers of public lands can prepare.
August 14, 2017
Probiotics help poplar trees clean up Superfund sites
![trees in field](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/08/04135800/poplar-4-150x150.jpg)
Researchers from the University of Washington and several small companies have conducted the first large-scale experiment on a Superfund site using poplar trees fortified with a probiotic — or natural microbe — to clean up groundwater contaminated with trichloroethylene, or TCE.
May 23, 2017
Wolves need space to roam to control expanding coyote populations
![gray wolf](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/05/04141337/gray-wolf-150x150.jpg)
Wolves and other top predators need large ranges to be able to control smaller predators whose populations have expanded to the detriment of a balanced ecosystem, a new study in Nature Communications finds.
May 1, 2017
Researchers find more efficient way to make oil from dead trees
![A forest with beetle-killed trees from Mt. Fraser, British Columbia.](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/05/04141916/Mt_Fraser_-_Pine_Beetle_Damage-150x150.jpg)
A University of Washington team has made new headway on a solution to remove beetle-killed trees from the forest and use them to make renewable transportation fuels or high-value chemicals. The researchers have refined this technique to process larger pieces of wood than ever before ― saving time and money in future commercial applications.
February 22, 2017
Large-scale experiment on the rural Olympic Peninsula to test innovations in forest management
![stream](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/02/04143134/P1000051_basin-767-150x150.jpg)
Scientists at the University of Washington and the state Department of Natural Resources intend to test a management approach that mimics natural disturbance patterns and processes across a large portion of the Olympic Peninsula, an area known for having the most rainfall in the lower 48 states, high tree-growth rates and old-growth forests, part of which remain today.
January 3, 2017
Songbirds divorce, flee, fail to reproduce due to suburban sprawl
![Dark-eyed junco, an "exploiter" species.](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/01/04144202/dark-eyed-junco-1-150x150.jpg)
New research finds that for some songbirds, urban sprawl is kicking them out of their territory, forcing divorce and stunting their ability to find new mates and reproduce successfully, even after relocating.
University of Washington-led study shows new global evidence of the role of humans, urbanization in rapid evolution
![](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/04/04154958/IMG_4058-150x150.jpg)
A new multi-institution study led by the UW shows more clearly than ever that urbanization is affecting the genetic makeup of species that are crucial to ecosystem health and success.
November 16, 2016
2 UW scientists lead effort to craft ‘blueprint’ for holistic fisheries management
![A herring fishing boat.](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2015/06/04171242/herring-fishery-TILE-150x150.jpg)
Two University of Washington professors are leading an effort to help U.S. fisheries consider the larger marine environment, rather than just a single species, when managing a fishery.
October 11, 2016
Morel mushrooms pop up, cluster together after wildfires
![morel mushroom](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/10/04145844/IMG_75822-150x150.jpg)
A new study finds that morel mushrooms cluster in groups across burned areas in the forest after a wildfire. It’s one of the only scientific studies to actually quantify morels’ abundance after a fire.
September 19, 2016
Microbes help plants survive in severe drought
![Poplars given microbes survived better in drought conditions](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/09/04150600/inoculated-poplar-150x150.jpg)
Plants can better tolerate drought and other stressors with the help of natural microbes, University of Washington research has found. Specifically, plants that are given a dose of microbes stay green longer and are able to withstand drought conditions by growing more leaves and roots and using less water.
September 12, 2016
UW forestry student wins Bullitt Foundation’s top prize for wildlife conservation
![Bogezi captures a crocodile during one of her research projects in Uganda.](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/09/04150808/Uga_Kidepo-Croc-150x150.jpg)
A Q&A with Carol Bogezi, a UW doctoral student in environmental and forest sciences who received the 10th annual Bullitt Environmental Prize. The award recognizes people with exceptional potential to become powerful leaders in the environmental movement.
August 26, 2016
Interactive map shows where animals will move under climate change
![animated map of U.S.](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/08/04151022/igrations-in-Motion-The-Nature-Conservancy201608261220351-150x150.gif)
The University of Washington and The Nature Conservancy have created an animated map showing where mammals, birds and amphibians are projected to move in the Western Hemisphere in response to climate change.
August 18, 2016
From White House to Tacoma, WA, urban agriculture is growing
![Sally Brown](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/08/04151237/160104_VP_Composting-4-150x150.jpg)
UW professor Sally Brown and collaborators have published the most extensive compilation to date explaining how to grow urban agriculture, and how doing so could save American cities.
August 12, 2016
Q&A: Phil Levin joins UW, The Nature Conservancy in new role
![Phil Levin](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/08/04151510/Phil-Levin-150x150.jpg)
Phil Levin, a former senior scientist at NOAA Fisheries, recently began a joint role at the University of Washington and The Nature Conservancy. UW Today sat down with Levin to find out why he took this job and what he hopes to accomplish.
June 13, 2016
Eastern U.S. needs ‘connectivity’ to help species escape climate change
![map showing different migration scenarios across US](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/06/04152455/climate-connectivity-map-150x150.jpg)
A new study has found that only 2 percent of the eastern U.S. provides the kind of climate connectivity required by species that will likely need to migrate, compared to 51 percent of the western U.S.
June 9, 2016
Jerry Franklin named 2016’s ‘Eminent Ecologist’ by leading ecological group
![Jerry Franklin, far right, teaches a class in the forest.](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/06/04152530/1-Chapter-open-image-Jerry-with-Students-e1465503461924-150x150.jpg)
The Ecological Society of America has named University of Washington professor Jerry Franklin its “Eminent Ecologist” of 2016. The award, considered the organization’s most prestigious accolade, honors a senior ecologist who has made significant, long-standing contributions to the field of ecology.
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