Tag: biodiversity
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The True Value of Nature in the Ohio River Basin
This Earth Day, the Earth Economics team has published a study coauthored with the Ohio River Basin Alliance (ORBA) on the economic value that the Ohio River Basin provides, with staggering results: at least $50 billion in annual benefits- and that’s not all. The Ohio River Basin is approximately 69 million acres of land across…
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Finding homes for future fowl: Ducks Unlimited student heads into the lowcountry to assess waterfowl habitat
Our partners at the University of Georgia Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems and conservation nonprofit Ducks Unlimited have been collaborating for years, but one of their biggest projects is the Natural Infrastructure Graduate Fellowship: Master’s students in a variety of fields are funded by Ducks Unlimited to work towards a better future for wetlands. One…
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December & January Partner Podcast Roundup: Green Solutions at Multiple Scales
Resilient Futures Podcast University of Georgia Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems How big does an urban garden need to be to support pollinators and other important insects? What kinds of plants lead to the most biodiverse space? How should homeowners manage their gardens to support the natural world? Get the full garden scoop with PhD…
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Nature at Work: Salt Marshes and Sparrows
Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by tides. These ecosystems occur along temperate shorelines worldwide. Tidal inundation occurs every twelve hours, flooding the habitat with higher tides around the new and full moons every two weeks. These intertidal habitats are an essential space for healthy wildlife communities, including some species that…
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Nature at Work: Ecosystem Engineers (Part 2): Aquatic Architects
Coral Reefs: This Ecosystem – It’s Alive! Did you know corals are actually tiny animals, and these giant reef structures are made up of millions of exoskeletons, with mouths and stomachs? Now you do. Corals use calcium and carbonate ions from seawater to build these exoskeletons, building reefs that can go on for miles (such…
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Nature at Work: Ecosystem Engineers (Part 1): Terrestrial Technicians
We appreciate wildlife for plenty of reasons, but it’s rare that we take a moment to admire their natural technical abilities. These animals may never have taken a statistics class or used CAD software, but they use their own special skillsets to shape their habitats–earning them a place in the special category of species called…
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Levee setbacks have a lot of potential co-benefits. How can we maximize them?
In a new paper published this month in WIREs Water, a team including partners from the University of Georgia Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems and US Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineering With Nature® program review the myriad of benefits that have been associated with an increasingly popular nature-based solution: levee setbacks. A levee is an…
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Nature At Work: Are these cicadas magicians or mathematicians?
Depending on where you live, you might have noticed a new winged critter popping up… everywhere. Don’t worry! Despite their giant, buzzing wings, unending eerie song, and those bright red eyes, cicadas aren’t here to do any harm. And this year, they’re actually a natural event you won’t want to miss. These cicadas are known…
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New report: Embracing biodiversity in coastal infrastructure
A research team from the US Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center (USACE ERDC) and the University of Georgia’s Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (UGA IRIS) recently published a new technical report titled “Embracing Biodiversity on Engineered Coastal Infrastructure through Structured Decision-Making and Engineering With Nature®. Abstract: Extreme weather variation, natural disasters,…
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Researchers from UGA and EWN present at Missouri River Natural Resources Committee Conference
Affiliate researchers from the University of Georgia Charles van Rees and Matt Chambers attended the Missouri River Natural Resources Committee 2024 Conference in Nebraska City, Nebraska. They were joined by EWN Practice Lead Dave Crane and University of South Dakota professor Mark Dixon. The group led a 4-part plenary around their NASA-funded project that will leverage satellite imagery, artificial intelligence and…