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
March 5, 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
Two people tending to a lush garden with a variety of plants.

How many plants are in your yard? UF study finds high plant diversity in residential landscapes

by Brad Buck
December 18, 2025

When you look at your yard, you probably see a few plants such as grass, shrubs and trees. But you might not notice all the species. New University of Florida research shows far more plant species in urban landscapes than meet the eye, and ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Lawn, UF/IFAS
Tags: Basil Iannone, Biodiversity, College Of Agricultural And Life Sciences, Ecosystems, Kacey Russo, Landscape Ecology, Plants, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Urban Landscapes, Yards

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

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

by Lourdes Mederos
April 23, 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
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 23, 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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