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Wetland Ecosystem Services: How wetlands can benefit Iowans.

May 14, 2020

wetland with yellow flowers in foregroundKay Stefanik, Assistant Director, Iowa Nutrient Research Center, discusses the ecological services wetlands provide in the Iowa agricultural landscape, in a blog post for the Iowa Learning Farms/Conservation Learning Group.  

New ‘Marsh Madness’ trailer will deliver sights, sounds and science of wetlands to audiences across Iowa

June 7, 2021

A new trailer named “Marsh Madness” combines sight, sound and science to engage Iowa audiences about the values of the state’s wetland ecosystems. The artfully designed trailer features scenes of wetlands and their plant and animal communities and recorded sounds of wetland fauna. Adding to the immersive educational experience are three-dimensional interactive models demonstraing the unique landscape placement and hydrology of three wetland types typical in the state. The trailer was developed by Iowa Learning Farms team and the Iowa Nutrient Research Center. 

Soil study shows why nitrous oxide emissions should factor into climate change mitigation

November 11, 2021

A newly published study found that poorly drained agricultural soils emit enough of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide that the resulting climate change effects could far exceed the benefits of using the same soils as a means of sequestering carbon.The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was authored by Steven Hall, associate professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology; Nathaniel Lawrence, ISU graduate student in ecology, evolution and organismal biology; Carlos Tenesaca, research scientist in ecology, evolution and organismal biology; and Andy VanLoocke, associate professor of agronomy. Funders for the work included the Iowa Nutrient Research Center. 

There is a need for more wetlands in Iowa

June 24, 2020

"Farm News" interview with Iowa Nutrient Research Center Assistant Director Kay Stefanik about the importance of wetlands and the roles they play in Iowa's landscape. Article (June 19, 2020) by Kriss Nelson.