With a $650,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a team of forest ecologists and social scientists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will conduct research aimed at helping owners of small- to medium-sized forest tracts manage their woodlands for ecosystem services they deem desirable.
In addition to providing food, fuel and fiber, forests clean the air, filter water supplies, control floods and erosion, sustain biodiversity, store carbon and provide opportunities for recreation, education and cultural enrichment. Humans rely on forests for economic and cultural well-being, noted project leader Margot Kaye, professor and interim head of the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management.
