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Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs, is a topic that continues to be in the news and yet  many of us know relatively little about this topic. We want to know what we’re eating, and we want to know how this topic is impacting the environment. Knowing more equips us to make the best decisions for ourselves and generations to come. That’s why The Science of GMOs website was created, to help break down the information and address some of the most important questions and concerns that many have. You can always count on this site to address this complicated and evolving issue with neutral, scientifically sound information.

Submit a question by visiting The Science of GMOs website: https://ag.purdue.edu/GMOs.

Resources:
GMO Issues Facing Indiana Farmers in 2001, The Education Store
Grain Quality Issues Related to Genetically Modified Crops, The Education Store
Field Crops: Corn Insect Control Recommendations – 2015, The Education Store
Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar, The Education Store

Purdue Agriculture

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Choosing and planting a tree should be a well-informed and planned decision. Proper selection and planting can provide years of enjoyment for you and future generations as well as increased property value, improved environmental quality, and economic benefits. On the other hand, an inappropriate tree for your site or location can be a continual challenge and maintenance problem, or even a potential hazard, especially when there are utilities or other infrastructure nearby. This informative video will describe everything needed to know about choosing the right tree.

Resources:
Financial and Tax Aspect of Tree Planting, The Education Store
Tree Risk Management, The Education Store
Designing Hardwood Tree Plantings for Wildlife, The Education Store
Importance of Hardwood Tree Planting, The Education Store
Planning the Tree Planting Operation, The Education Store

Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources

 

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It’s a tough neighborhood for trees in the built environment. It is an ecosystem unlike any other, because it is dynamic, fragmented, high-pressure, and constantly under siege. There are continual extremes and challenges in this “un-natural” area as opposed to the environment in a more natural woodland. It’s a place where trees die young, without proper selection, planting, and care. Successful tree selection requires us to think backwards—beginning with the end in mind— to get the right tree in the right place…in the right way. This publication, Tree Selection for the “Un-natural” Environment, takes a look at some important components of the decision-making process for tree selection. There is both a publication and a video resource on this topic, both of which can be found below.

The video can be watched here:
Planting Your Tree Part 1: Choosing Your Tree

Resources:
Tree Selection for the “Un-natural” Environment, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Tree Installation: Process and Practices, The Education Store
Construction and Trees: Guidelines for Protection, The Education Store
Diseases in Hardwood Tree Plantings, The Education Store

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The eastern hellbender is an endangered salamander found in the Blue River in southern Indiana. It requires cool, clean rivers and streams with high water quality in order to thrive. Water quality in the Blue River is affected by many factors. One relatively unknown contributor to poor water quality is pollution entering sinkholes. Many landowners have sinkholes on their properties and treat them like outdoor waste sites without knowing that these sinkholes have a direct link to our water supplies. In this video, Purdue biologists interview a local cave expert and a local conservationist about how sinkholes are connected to our rivers, streams, and water supplies and how we can help protect them.

Resources:
Improving Water Quality by Protecting Sinkholes on Your Property, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
A Landowner’s Guide to Sustainable Forestry: Part 5: Forests and Water, The Education Store
Improving Water Quality Around Your Farm, The Education Store, YouTube
Animal Agriculture’s Effect on Water Quality: Pastures and Feedlots, The Education Store
Improving Water Quality At Your Livestock Operation, The Education Store, YouTube

Nick Burgmeier, Research Biologist & Extension Wildlife Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Dr. Rod Williams, Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Forest farming in North America is becoming a popular practice that provides short-term income for owners of new forest plantations while their trees reach maturity. This income diversification is particularly relevant for many of the Indiana hardwood plantations planted in the last decade, but will not fulfill their economic potential until 60–70 years from establishment. This free download publication titled Costs and Returns of Producing Wild-Simulated Ginseng in Established Tree Plantations, FNR-530-W, is the second in a two-part series aimed at analyzing economic opportunities in forest farming for Indiana forest plantation owners. The first study explores growing hops along the tree line of newly established forest stands, while this second study investigates producing American ginseng in older (20- to 30-year-old) forest plantations.

Resources:
Costs and Returns of Producing Wild-Simulated Ginseng in Established Tree Plantations, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Energy Requirements for Various Tillage-Planting Systems, The Education Store
Home Gardner’s Guide, The Education Store
Planting Forest Trees and Shrubs in Indiana, The Education Store

Kim Ha, Research Assistant
Purdue Agricultural Economics

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Human changes to the environment, like urbanization and climate change, have caused and will cause many wildlife extinctions. Efforts to conserve species occur all over the world, but not all species are seen as equal. In the animal conservation world, charismatic species play the lead roles in a show, while lesser-known or less-attractive species act as stage crew: we all know they are present, but we’re largely uncertain of what they do or how they play into the whole picture. As a result, we tend to see less conservation funding for these species.

Charismatic species are often large, fluffy, or cute: polar bears, narwhals, pandas, and koalas are excellent examples. They dominate news stories, children’s books, and most forms of media. In contrast, non-charismatic species are more difficult for humans to relate with: mussels, mice, and small fish fall into this category.

Societal bias towards charismatic species starts young: if you ask any child what their favorite animal is, chances are high that the species will be either cute and cuddly like a rabbits and foxes, or big and fearsome like bears or sharks. Chances are low that it will be a something slimy, small, or otherwise unattractive like a fish, reptile or bug.

Why is funding so low, or non-existing, for the not so furry, not so cute endangered species?
According to a study in the U.K., adults are more likely to donate money to causes represented by photos of charismatic species than non-charismatic species. This bias appeal results in the majority of research and conservation funding being dedicated to a small group of about 80 well-known, charismatic species. These species have what Dr. Hugh Possingham of the National Environmental Research Program (NERP) refers to as “donor appeal”. The remaining, non-charismatic species, tend to fall by the wayside, receive less funding and research interest. As a result, they tend to go extinct at higher rates. As Dr. Possingham says, “…if you’re an obscure animal or plant in a remote place, you have next to no hope of getting conservation resources.”

Results showing that the public are not excited to conserve non-charismatic wildlife is not surprising to Belyna Bentlage, a Purdue University outreach specialist, who specializes in research and outreach related to mussels. “People like to protect species that they feel they can relate to, that they can imagine owning as pets, like bear cubs or playful monkeys. It’s difficult to feel a connection to a hellbender or mussel. These animals don’t move as much, aren’t very interactive, and are not very cute. People just can’t relate to them in the same way as more charismatic species,” says Bentlage.

The lack of relate-ability of non-charismatics can spell disaster for many species. Belyna says, “When people don’t feel connected to a species, they won’t give money to fund research or protect the species. Lawmakers aren’t interested because the public isn’t interested, so it’s left up to researchers. So little is known about the ecological role of many of these species, that it’s difficult for researchers to justify why they should be studied. With the competitive funding climate in research, less charismatic species loose out.”

With a tight funding climate, uninterested lawmakers, and a fickle, how can we protect these threatened non-charismatic species?
One solution might just be in making non-charismatic species charismatic. Outreach coordinators like Belyna Bentlage are working cooperatively with biologists to change the way humans perceive of slimy, spiny, gross or otherwise unattractive species.

The project Belyna works on, with Purdue FNR Professor Linda Prokopy and Associate Professor Rod Williams gives super-hero personalities to non-charismatic mussels. Each mussel species has a special power that reflects something about its innate characteristics, like the snuffbox and clubshell mussel images shared in this blog.

“Making these animals more relatable and fun allows both children and adults to better understand their importance. People consciously pick their favorites, compare the drawings, and then get excited when they see these species in the wild. It creates a public that is really interested in protecting the species,” Bentlage explained.

Erin Kenison, a PhD student at Purdue University, has helped use similar tactics to promote conservation of hellbenders. The poorly named species is actually a giant salamander that used to inhabit all Indiana rivers, but is now restricted to the Blue River giant salamander that used to inhabit all Indiana rivers, but is now restricted to the Blue River.

The large, green, slimy creature is aptly nicknamed “old lasagna sides” because of its flappy skin that bunches at its sides. The Help the Hellbender project uses costumes, cartoons, coloring pages and games to generate public attention for the species.

“Historically, its been believed that hellbenders had evil powers and could even cause the death of babies,” says Kenison. “Making the hellbender more relatable dismantles a lot of these beliefs, making it more likely that river-users won’t try to harm them.”

Are we willing to learn more about the non-charismatic species and help with conservation efforts?
While there are many challenges for the conservation of non-charismatic species, Belyna Bentlage also says that the public’s lack of familiarity with these species may be a strength. “When people don’t know much, they are often willing to learn and adapt their actions. They are not as set in their ways, so it’s more likely that we can introduce new behaviors to protect a species. Overall, people generally want to help threatened species, not hurt them.”

Non- charismatic wildlife, as slimy or spiny or unattractive as they may be, are an important part of the natural ecosystem. Next time you see a mussel, hellbender, or similar creature, take a photo, but leave it be. These species need your help and support to survive, even if their beauty is mainly on the inside.

If you would like to find out how you can help or learn more about these endangered species, see the resources listed below:
Help the Hellbender
DNR: Nature Preserves: Endangered Threatened & Rare Species, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)

Zoe Glas, Graduate Research Assistant
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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An article published on June 8^th, 2016 by the University of Cambridge noted that a new record-holder for the tallest tree in the tropics is the same species as a tree used in the extremely popular game Minecraft. The trees in Minecraft proceed to follow standard growth patterns from saplings to mature trees. Care has been taken by game designers to adjust leaf color and the colors of the surrounding foliage to depict a certain setting. There are even provisions for dying or fallen trees which in the game are often covered in mushrooms and vines. Some of these decomposing trees will actually resprout and begin growth again as saplings. Trees available for planting are grouped into Acacia (Acacia spp.), Birch (Betula spp.), Oak (Quercus spp.) and Dark Oak (Q. spp), Jungle (no specific species), and Spruce (Picea spp.) species and can each be found and grown in a unique biome environment. Several of these tree species (i.e. Acacia, Oak) are also researched here at Purdue.

In the game, a Yellow meranti (Shorea faguetiana or Shorea acuminatissima); also known as the Philippine mahogany, is one of the selections available for use. This species is native to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand but is severely threatened by habitat loss and destruction. Yellow meranti can grow upwards of 200 ft tall and greater than 6 ft in diameter. The wood from the tree is lightweight, durable, and has been used for everything from light furniture to crates. The wood more often than not also contains figure which makes it a valuable commodity in the veneer industry as well.

The spotlight has been put on Minecraft after the recent discovery of a 294 ft tall Yellow meranti tree growing in the Maliau Basin Conservation Area in Malaysia. This area is one of the few regions on earth where pristine rainforest ecosystems are being actively monitored and protected. This tree is actually growing on a downhill slope thus its actual height has been recorded as 299 ft. This tree is slightly taller than the previous record and makes it the “unofficial” tallest tree in the Tropics.

The use of actual tree species that require maintenance in a game that has player numbers in the millions to help inform the young and old alike about the value of trees and some of the different species is genius.

More than 12 million people play Minecraft on the PC, 9 million people play on Xbox, and 6 million people play it on the iPad, iPod, or Android. More than 20,000 people buy the game daily, 3.2 million people log on and play it each day (on all of the versions), and 5 people per second buy the game. Thus, nearly 28 million people own the game and more than 1 million are logged in at any given time day or night. All of these individuals are being taught about trees and how to maintain them without even realizing how much they have learned. With news of a movie version of Minecraft being scripted, untold numbers of movie goers will likely buy the game beforehand and learn even more about trees.

The Malaysian government is extremely proud of the potential world record discovery within their forests and seek to highlight the importance of maintaining the biodiversity within the country. Their collaboration with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Cambridge University, the Sabah Forestry Department, the South-East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership and the NERC Airborne Remote Sensing Facility has been extremely fortuitous. Future plans are to protect and restore a huge tract of heavily logged forest east of where this Yellow meranti tree was found.

For more information on Malaysia’s potentially record-breaking tree, check out Cambridge University’s article Minecraft tree “probably” the tallest tree in the Tropics.

Resources:
Minecraft tree “probably” the tallest tree in the Tropics Research Article- Cambridge University
Tree – Foliage colors – Minecraft Wiki
Sale Stats – Minecraft
Getting Started With Minecraft – Minecraft101
Yellow Meranti – The Wood Database

Dr. Shaneka Lawson, USDA Forest Service/HTIRC Research Plant Physiologist/Adjunct Assistant Professor
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

 

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Question: We want to plant five fastigiata (upright blue spruce) in an area with heavily compacted soil with large percentage of clay content in the soil. The soil essentially feels and handles like play dough. Water cannot drain down in the soil because of the high clay content. Ewes were planted but they are dying since they are sitting in clay soil with water standing around the roots. A swimming pool was built nearby three years ago and the equipment used was rolled over this area numerous times to remove soil for the pool area, and the clay soil is heavily compacted and won’t allow water to drain.

We are thinking we will dig out the soil maybe five feet deep, 10 feet wide, and 20 feet deep and replace it with good compost top soil mix. We are not sure if we need a T drain or not. We want to plant five of the upright blue spruce in this area.

 Do you have an arborist you can suggest to come out and look at our situation?

Answer: This is a typical issue with soils in our area being composed of primarily clay which leads to heavy, poorly drained soils. The fact that there has been a great deal of construction damage worsens the problem even further. Traffic of this magnitude can render landscape sites virtually useless for any type of sustainable tree planting without mitigation. Your ideas of creating an adjusted planting space may not correct the problem completely, but may help alleviate the damage and improve planting conditions.

I am not certain that digging up and replacing the soil would be of much value, long term. I have had success with site improvements, but it isn’t guaranteed. It may provide temporary improvements to get the trees established, however, once they mature and outgrow your “prepared planting space”, the troubles could begin. Once the roots try to expand into the compacted, native soils, most likely they would be redirected back into the pit, minimizing good root spread for health and stability. Additionally, you would be creating a “bathtub effect” with poor drainage in your excavated pit.

It may be possible to remove and replace the soils in that excavated area with lateral drainage at the bottom of the planting area to remove the water and prevent prolonged exposure to wetness on the root system. Perforated tiles draining outside of the planting area may work. Create a single, central line with a herringbone lateral system that goes past the dimensions of the pit. Use good topsoil with no amendments to the new planting area. One other consideration would be roots clogging the drainage system if not set deep enough. Again, this is a stretch for mitigation, but may be successful with proper preparation.

I would suggest contacting a company with an ISA certified arborist who can assist you with the process. Use Trees Are Good’s Arborist Search to help locate an arborist in your area. Also, try reviewing the publications on construction damage for some corrective and preventative treatments for the future.

Resources:
Collecting Soil Samples for Testing, The Education Store
Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Indiana State Department of Agriculture
Certified Soil Testing Laboratories, Purdue Department of Agronomy/Extension
Arborist Search – Trees Are Good
Tree Installation: Process and Practices – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Mechanical Damage to Trees: Mowing and Maintenance Equipment – The Education Store
Why Is My Tree Dying? – The Education Store
Tree Risk Management – The Education Store

Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Question: I have noticed that a lot of very mature (> 80 ft) sycamore trees look ill. They don’t seem to have as many leaves, or as large as they usually get and some have already turned brown and died. There are at least 2 in my 5 acres of woods and have noticed the same with other sycamores while driving from Mooresville to Indianapolis. Is there a certain blight/canker/pest that is damaging sycamores this year?

Answer: I have also noticed that many sycamores appear relatively bare and may have brown or wilted leaves on the stems and littering the ground around the trees. The culprit is sycamore anthracnose, a fungal disease that causes damage and death of leaves as well as stem cankers. Sycamore anthracnose symptoms can be severe when we have cool, moist spring weather at the time of bud-break and leaf emergence, but healthy trees generally recover and put on new leaf area once the environmental conditions that favor the disease change to the warmer, drier conditions of late spring and summer.

Normally, the best management practices for sycamore anthracnose are patience and maintaining good tree health. The disease cycle is dependent on cool, moist spring weather, so it will run its course by late spring or summer when the average temperatures rise. Trees that are repeatedly defoliated could be reduced in vigor and be more susceptible to other problems, so steps to promote good tree health can be used as a preventative measure.

Resources:
Purdue Plant Doctor – Purdue Extension
Fertilizing Woody Plants – The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Anthracnose of Shade Trees or Wind Injury: Look Alike Symptoms Can be Perplexing, Purdue Plant & Pest Diagnostic Laboratory
Sycamore – The Education Store
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube playlist
Woodland Management Moment, Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Paddling and fishing are great ways to enjoy our rivers and streams. However, these seemingly harmless activities can actually be harmful to the eastern hellbender and other aquatic wildlife if the proper precautions are not followed.

In this video, Purdue videographer Aaron Doenges speaks with Tom Waters and Ranger Bob Sawtelle, two professionals around Indiana’s Blue River, to learn more about safe ways to paddle and fish. By following a few simple tips, paddlers and anglers can still enjoy these aquatic activities without harming the local wildlife.

If we all do our part to help the hellbender, this at-risk species can survive and grow. Anglers and paddlers aren’t the only people that can help. Farmers can also check out the video Improving Water Quality Around Your Farm to learn healthy farming practices to improve water quality for the hellbender and other aquatic wildlife, and landowners are encouraged to check out Improving Water Quality At Your Livestock Operation to learn about how to manage livestock without polluting nearby rivers and streams.

To stay current with the latest news and research on the eastern hellbender, please visit the Help the Hellbender website.

Resources:
How Anglers and Paddlers Can Help the Hellbender – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Improving Water Quality Around Your Farm – The Education Store
Improving Water Quality At Your Livestock Operation – The Education Store
Eastern Hellbender ID Video – The Education Store
Help the Hellbender – Purdue Extension

Rod Williams, Associate Head of Extension and Associate Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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