Tag: biodiversity

This water hyacinth is considered an invasive aquatic plant in Florida. petals are light lavender with lush green leaves.

Want to avoid planting invasives in your yard? Check this UF/IFAS website first

by Lourdes Mederos
February 24, 2026

Highlights Ever wonder whether the plants you choose for your yard, especially non-native ones, might harm Florida’s natural areas? The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) offers a free website ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Agriculture, Archive, Biodiversity, Conservation, Detection, Floridians, Invasion Science, Invasion Science Institute, Invasive Plants, Invasive Species, ISI, Luke Flory, Master Gardener Volunteer, Natural Areas, News, Non-native Plants, Ports, Ports Of Entry, Risk, Safeguard Ecosystems, Seokmin Kim, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Assessment Of Non-Native Plants In Florida's Natural Areas, Wildlife

The Halloween Pennant: A Festive Dragonfly and Five Plants to Attract More Like It

by Bonnie Wells
October 30, 2025

When you think of Halloween, you might picture bats swooping through the twilight or the rustle of leaves beneath a moonlit sky as an owl perches high in the trees, ready to take flight.  But there’s another winged creature that fits the ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Biodiversity, Dragonflies, Entomology, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Natural Resources
iNat_on_phone_with_snake_in_background_credit_blog banner

Science by the millions: How everyday people are revolutionizing global biodiversity research with tech

by Lourdes Mederos
July 28, 2025

A frog croaks from a walking trail. A hiker snaps a photo and uploads it to iNaturalist. That single act — one person, one amphibian and one click — feeds into a growing global dataset that scientists now use to map shifting species ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Agencies, Agricultural Technology Firms, Aquatic Invasives, Biodiversity, BioScience, Brittany Mason, Citizen Science, Conservation, Corey Callaghan, Dataset, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Fungi, Global Ecology, High-resolution Maps, Inaturalist, INaturalist App, Invasive, Lourdes Mederos, Map Shifting, Modeling, News, Observations, Organisms, Photo, Plants, Research Grade, Scientists, Species Ranges, Study, Technology, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, University Of Florida Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation
An image of Komarnica Canyon in Montenegro, looking down into the canyon.

Exploring Soil and Biodiversity in Montenegro’s Komarnica Canyon

by Mike Loizzo
July 24, 2025

Since earning his M.S. degree in 2023 from the UF/IFAS Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences, Anthony Halcyon continues to deepen his understanding of diverse ecological settings. Recently, he joined an international research ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Anthony Halcyon, Biodiversity, EMANR, Environmental Management In Agriculture And Natural Resources, Komarnica Canyon, Soil Health, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Water Science
A forest in Sweetwater Florida By Yunpeng Liu

UF/IFAS study: Non-native trees quietly invading our U.S. forests, causing decline in native trees

by Lourdes Mederos
April 23, 2025

A new University of Florida study tracking more than 5 million trees over nearly three decades reveals a troubling trend for the future of forests in the United States – the loss of native trees. According to findings, published in ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Biodiversity, Biological Invasions, Forest, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasion Science Research Institute, ISRI, Lourdes Mederos, Native, Native Trees, News, Non Native, Non-native Trees, PNAS, Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences, Research, Species Richness, Tree Biomass, Tree Plots, Trees, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Forest Inventory And Analysis, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, USDA
triptych photo of three different varieties of hyperaccumulator flowers growing in Dr. Kim's lab

Phytomining: Growing a U.S. Solution to the Nickel Supply Crisis

by Eva Sailly
April 16, 2025

Dr. Jeongim Kim, associate professor and head of the Biochemical Genetics Lab for the Horticultural Sciences Department, is leading a new project providing an alternative solution to the United States’ growing demand for nickel, a pressing ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Horticulture, Invasive Species, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: ARPA-E, Biochemical Genetics, Biodiversity, Dr. Jeongim Kim, Horticultural Sciences, Hyperaccumulator, Nickel, Nickel Farming, Phytomining, Plant Breeding, Student, Teaching, The Department Of Energy
Sendero peatonal del parque Welleby con árboles y bancas a lo largo de un estanque en el condado de Broward.

Are we losing our wildlife to benches and ballparks? UF/IFAS research shows how smart designs can avoid it

by Lourdes Mederos
April 10, 2025

Across the United States, more than 440 national parks and 7,400 urban parks offer a variety of recreational green spaces for people and pets. Yet, the United States Forest Service warns that urbanization, including park development, ... READ MORE

Category: , Community Volunteers, Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Biodiversity, Birds, Carbon, Citizen Science, Community Involvement, Corey Callaghan, Ecology, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Green Spaces, Greenspace Management, Habitats, Health, Heat Islands, Human Activities, Inaturalist, Insects, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Lawns, Mammals, Nature, News, Parks, Planners, Plants, Pollinators, Recreation, Recreations, Smart Park, UF-IFAS, United States Forest Service, University Of Florida, Urban Green Spaces, Urban Parks, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation

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