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2007 Perspective on the Past & Future of the Conservation Reserve Program
4-page publication offering a perspective on the Conservation Reserve program, including administrative issues that must be resolved for the 2007 Farm Bill....
Adjusting to Climate Change: Adaptation and Mitigation Stretegies
This publication defines and describes mitigation and adaptation strategies used to adjust to climate changes on Earth. It compares the two types of strategies and describes their effects on cities, agriculture, and h...
Agriculture's Effect on Environmental Quality: Key Management Issues
This publication describes some important environmental concerns and offers management alternatives.
...Appreciating Reptiles and Amphibians in Nature
This 20-page publication will help amateur herpetologists and nature enthusiasts better enjoy the diversity of the amphibians and reptiles that call Indiana home, in a manner that maintains them for future generations. T...
Aquaculture Family Coloring Book
This print-your-own coloring book provides a fun and active way for children and adults to learn about the many kinds of aquatic animals raised on farms for aquaculture. Each spread highlights one species, pairing a beau...
Atrazine Use & Weed Management Strategies to Protect Surface Water Quality
This publication discusses the importance of atrazine products to Indiana farmers, and best management practices (BMPs) for achieving weed control and reducing off-site movement into surface water....
Before you sign: 7 tips for entering carbon markets
Should your farm entity participate in a carbon market? In this publication, a Purdue University educator advises that farm managers should get answers to seven questions before signing up. ...
Benefits of Connecting with Nature
This Nature of Teaching lesson plan teaches students the relationship between outdoor experiences and mental health.
Do you remember when you were a child, and your parent/caretaker used to say, "Go outside and...
Birds and Residential Window Strikes: Tips for Prevention
Collisions with man-made structures are one of the primary causes of bird mortality. In fact, up to a billion birds are killed each year in the United States due to window strikes. Approximately 50% of the time, these...
The focus of forest science is increasingly shifting to the management of forests as complex systems rather than as simple agricultural landscapes—with a much greater appreciation for the interactive ecosystem proc...
Climate Change and Human Health
This publication describes the general effects of changing climate on human health, covering both positive and negative effects. It is part of a Climate Change series of publications.
Format:...
Climate Change: Are you preparing for it?
This publication provides an overview of how changing climate conditions will affect Indiana and the Midwest and offers sensible strategies for coping with these changes. Understanding past and future environmental chang...
Climate Change: Communication strategies to support local planning
Despite strong evidence that climate change is happening, many people do not realize the urgency with which we need to act, nor do they fully understand the types of impacts facing their communities. This publication pro...
This publication defines and describes the tools used to understand past climate and to predict climate in the future. It is part of a Climate Change series of publications.
Format: PDF
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Climate Variability and Climate Change
Weather is to climate as a page is to a book. A few days of weather do not give the entire story of climate, just as a single page does not tell the entire story from a book. This publication briefly describes the di...
Control of Canada Thistle in CRP and Other Noncrop Acreage
This publication helps land managers effectively deal with Canada thistle problems in conservation plantings....
Designing Hardwood Tree Plantings for Wildlife
This publication focuses on planting hardwood trees that are valuable to wildlife. The publication covers the variety, size and location of trees and shrubs to plant. Also included is a chart with selected tree and shrub...
Climate change is a global problem that will take a global effort to solve. "Global" means all of us contribute to the best of our ability and all change our lifestyles to reduce our impact on climate change. But is t...
Environmental Planning in Community Plans
To guide decisions about development, quality of life and public safety, communities create comprehensive plans, parks and recreation plans, multi-hazard mitigation plans, and sub-area plans. Such plans include opportuni...
Fish Kills in Indiana--Their Causes and Prevention
This publication examines the causes of fish kills and what can be done to prevent them. ...
Food Waste and Natural Resources Lesson Plans
This unit highlights the resources required to produce food and the food wasted along each step of the food production system. It contains two lessons: Producers, Consumers, and Natural Resources; and Food Waste from ...
Forest Ecosystem Management in the Central Hardwood Region
This publication is specific to the Central Hardwood Region and discusses ecosystem management and how it places a stronger emphasis on larger spatial scales than past management approaches. The primary objectives of ...
Forest Management for Reptiles and Amphibians: A Technical Guide for the Midwest
This 24-page publication describes the response of amphibians and reptiles to a variety of forest management practices in the Midwest, and offers general management strategies to minimize negative effects of harvests on ...
This publication provides information regarding many benefits that we enjoy from our forests. Did you know that trees reduce air temperature, improve air quality, produce oxygen, and suppress loud sounds. These are a ...
Frost Seeding to Establish Wildlife Food Plots and Native Grass and Forb Plantings
Frost seeding or broadcasting seed on the ground during the dormant season is an effective method to establish native grass and forb plantings for wildlife as well as food plot plantings like clover. This video will p...
This Nature of Teaching lesson plan teaches students about the endangered eastern hellbender and the importance of conserving it. The hellbender is North America's largest salamander, growing up to 2 feet long. It is ...
Human Activity and the Greenhouse Effect
Every day we generate greenhouse gases through interaction with factories, agriculture, and cars. Our activities produce four major greenhouse gases. This publication briefly describes those gasses and evidence of the...
Implementing Site-Specific Management: Liquid Manure Application
The value of manure in crop production is directly related to how it is managed. There is now the ability to document the amount of manure applied, where and when it was applied, and to avoid application in areas that mi...
Importance of Hardwood Tree Planting
The Importance of Hardwood Tree Plantings publication provides a brief overview of several key societal and environmental attributes that hardwood plantations provide, for example, timber production, wildlife habitat, fo...
Indian Creek Watershed Project: Key Takeaways for Success
The Indian Creek watershed project focused on improving water quality in a small agricultural watershed in central Illinois. The project encouraged local landowners to voluntarily adopt conservation practices and systems...
Woodlots are dynamic, vital ecosystems in the urban and suburban landscapes of the Midwest. People own these small wooded lots in urbanized areas for a variety of reasons: timber production, firewood production, recreati...
Invasive Plant Series - Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altissima
Tree-of-heaven is a serious threat as an invasive species in many habitats or untended areas. It can reach 80 feet or more, its growth rate outpaces most native tree species, and wind scatters seeds that female trees pro...
Invasive Plant Species Fact Sheets: Poison Hemlock
This threepage fact sheet in the Invasive Plant Series provides information on identifying and controlling this poisonous weed. The publication, produced in partnership with the Southern Indiana Cooperative Weed Manageme...
Invasive plants: impact on environment and people
This Nature of Teaching lesson teaches students about the significant environmental and economic losses that can be caused by the introduction of invasive plant species. It includes a game that can be played in class,...
Investing in Indiana Woodlands
This 10-page publication provides information for any family considering the purchase of a woodland, or any owner considering whether or not to dispose of one. It deals with the practical realities of real estate owners...
This four-page fact sheet in the Invasive Plant Series provides information on identifying and controlling this troublesome perennial herb. The publication, produced in partnership with the Southern Indiana Cooperative W...
Management Tips for Spring Manure Applications
As plans for planting and getting into fields accelerate in spring, preparing ahead for manure application will help to streamline the process, insure proper nutrient application rates to support anticipated crop yields,...
Managing White-tailed Deer Impacts on Indiana Woodlands
White-tailed deer are an integral piece of Indiana's forest ecosystems. When in balance with the ecosystem, deer can enhance the health of the forest. This publication highlights the various tools available to woodland o...
Managing Yard Waste: Clippings and Composting
Discusses how gardeners can help address the growing landfill problem by reducing yard waste (leaving grass clippings on lawns) and by recycling yard waste through composting. Explains the ingredients of compost and ho...
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer
Many woodland landowners are interested in improving their properties for one of Indiana's most abundant game animals, white-tailed deer. This publication outlines different options landowners have to enhance white-taile...
This four-page fact sheet in the Invasive Plant Series provides information on identifying and controlling this fast-growing vine within the buckwheat family. The publication, produced in partnership with Southern Indian...
Monitoring White-tailed Deer and Their Impact on Indiana Woodlands
Wherever deer exist, they will be impacting the ecosystem through browsing. But at what level is that impact considered harmful? Many ecologists consider deer impact harmful when deer begin to reduce plant diversity in a...
More than just a puddle: Understanding the pond ecosystem for better management
Ponds and small lakes are complex ecosystems. This publication discusses the living and non-living components of ponds, as well as interactions between these components. Landowners can use this information to better info...
Nature of Teaching Unit 6: Take-a-Hike
This unit provides introductory lesson plans that allow students to explore nature and understand the health benefits of being outside. Activities encompass 2 of the 3 signature programs of The Nature of Teaching (Wil...
Pesticides and Spill Management
Discusses what to do when there is a pesticide spill. Tells who you must call and who you may need to call. Gives phone numbers for these people. Provides a list of emergency people and gives room to put their phone nu...
Phosphorus removal structures are a new best management practice for reducing surface water eutrophication by filtering dissolved phosphorus (DP) before it reaches a water body. This document briefly describes how, why, ...
Promote Conservation Through an Effective Campaign
Using two previously developed campaigns as examples, this publication walks you through four steps to help you create an effective campaign to change people's behavior. One campaign takes a comprehensiv...
Ranavirus: Emerging Threat to Amphibians
Amphibians are integral to our ecosystem as predators, as a food resource, and as ecological indicators for water pollution and habitat quality. And currently, amphibians face increasing disease challenges, especially f...
Small Community Wastewater Cluster Systems
This publication focuses on alternative methods of handling wastewater for small communities and small groups of homes. It examines pretreatment and soil absorption rather that conventional large-diameter gravity sewers...
Soundscape Recorder (Android App)
Soundscape ecology is a new field of research that investigates how sound in the environment can be used to assess ecosystem health and human connection to nature and the environment in general. With this app, you can...
Soundscape ecology is a new field of research that investigates how sound in the environment can be used to assess ecosystem health and human connection to nature and the environment in general. With this app, you can...
Status of Reforested Mine Sites in S.W. Indiana
Current Indiana coal mine reclamation regulations require the maintenance of at least 450 living trees and shrubs per acre, as determined in the last year of a five-year responsibility period. This publication discusses ...
Study Guide for the National FFA Environmental and Natural Resources CDE Identification Practicum
This PDF publication was created to help students study for the identification practicum section of the National FFA Environmental and Natural Resources Career Development Event. The 51-page, full-color document can be p...
Trees in the landscape are highly prized and provide many benefits to you and your home. However, those shallow roots that appear on the surface of our lawns can create real headaches, especially when trying to grow l...
Sustainable Aquaculture: What does it mean to you?
Aquaculture is a rapidly growing industry in the United States. This publication describes what sustainable aquaculture is, a sampling of aquaculture species are produced in the Midwest, health benefits associated with e...
The Great Clearcut Controversy
Supplementary Material for FNR-549-W -- 23 MB zip file - NOTE: file will download immediately
In this inquiry-based teaching unit, st...
The Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment: Indiana Forestry and Wildlife
Many of Indiana's forests, especially in the southern part of the state, have been dominated by oak and hickory trees for thousands of years. In recent decades forest researchers and managers in the east-central United S...
The Nature of Teaching: Coloration Exploration
This 22-page PDF is a unit in the Nature of Teaching series. A lesson and classroom activities for teachers of students through grade five help students understand how animals change colors to survive in their environmen...
The Nature of Teaching: Discovering the Watershed
This 23-page PDF is a unit in the Nature of Teaching series. A lesson and classroom activities for teachers and students through grade five introduce students to watersheds and why they are important to a healthy ecosyst...
The Nature of Teaching: Disease Ecology
This unit, part of the Nature of Teaching series, introduces students to basic principles of disease ecology, including the diversity of parasites, how diseases are modeled, and how parasites and hosts interact. ...
The Nature of Teaching: Unit 5, Ashes to Ashes: We All Grow Up
This 23-page PDF is teaching Unit 5 in the Nature of Teaching series. Two lessons and classroom activities for teachers of students kindergarten through grade five describe how an ecosystem is constantly changing and wha...
This publication briefly describes the scientific method and peer review. It is part of a Climate Change series of publications.
Format: PDF
Pages: 2
Lan...
The Scientific Process of Conservation Biology: Analyze, Design, Debate
Conservation biology is considered by some to be a "crisis discipline." Decisions within the field must often be made quickly, sometimes without enough time to gather all of the data one would ideally have, and they c...
Transforming Drainage: Potential Benefits of Drainage Water Recycling - a case study from Indiana
This publication, part of the Transforming Drainage series, shows how drainage water recycling can improve water quality and crop production. A 10-foot-deep reservoir representing 6% of an Indiana field area met irrigati...
This Nature of Teaching lesson plan teaches students how transportation of food and food waste affects the environment. Students will expand their vocabulary, broaden their geography and have fun working on their math sk...
Well-maintained trees provide many benefits including increased property values, improved air quality and curb appeal. Trees are living organisms making them vulnerable to pests and environmental extremes resulting in he...
Tree Installation: Process and Practices
Choosing and planting a tree should be a well-informed and planned decision. Proper selection and planting of urban trees can provide years of enjoyment for you and future generations as well as increased property val...
Tree Planting Part 1: Choosing a Tree
Choosing and planting a tree should be a well-informed and planned decision. Proper selection and planting of urban trees can provide years of enjoyment for you and future generations as well as increased property value,...
Tree Planting Part 2: Planting Your Tree
Trees and all forestlands are major assets to our cities, towns, and communities. Urban trees, in particular, provide aesthetic, functional, and environmental benefits to improve the quality of life. A well-planted an...
Pruning has been called "one of the best, worst maintenance practices" performed on trees. The process creates wounds, which have a major impact on plant processes. Improper cutting on a tree causes severe damage or even...
Pruning has been called "one of the best, worst maintenance practices," especially when performed on urban trees. The process creates wounds, which have a major impact on plant processes. Improper cutting on a tree cause...
Understanding White-tailed Deer and Their Impact on Indiana Woodlands
Deer are an essential part of our ecosystems, but the phenomenon of too many deer should be of concern to forest landowners and the public in general. Deer are a "keystone" species, meaning their browsing can impact fore...
Urban Agriculture - Demographics of Indiana's Urban Agriculturalists
This publication summarizes the demographic information of urban agriculturalists in Indiana. The data is part of an urban agriculture needs assessment conducted by Purdue Extension....
The conversion of the natural landscape into a town or city is known as urbanization. The once-natural landscape that had vegetation such as grasses, shrubs, trees, and permeable soils is converted into a landscape of...
This publication briefly describes potential effects of climate change on the Midwest the signs of climate change visible today. This is part of a Climate Change series of publications...
This publication discusses what ground water is, its use and quality. Illustrations are included showing the Hydrologic Cycle and sources of ground water contamination, the distribution of average annual precipitation ...
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners: Autumn Olive
Autumn-olive is an invasive plant that is originally from Asia, but has been introduced into the United States for erosion control, and wildlife food and cover.
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Woodland Stewardship for Landowners: Common Buckthorn
Native to Eurasia, common buckthorn was introduced into the United States as an ornamental plant, but has since invaded our woodlands as an invasive plant. Common buckthorn is becoming more common in Indiana.
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners: Japanese Barberry
Japanese barberry is an invasive plant that is originally from Japan, but has been introduced into the United States as an ornamental plant.
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Woodland Stewardship for Landowners: Privet
A variety of privets have been introduced into the United States from China, Europe and North Africa. Privet has been used as an ornamental plant, particularly as a hedgerow plant, but has since became an invasive specie...