Category: Fralin

Native trees adapt to the climate and environmental conditions of their area to survive. Researchers in the College of Natural Resources and Environment in collaboration with the American Chestnut Foundation confirmed this by examining the genome of American chestnut trees sampled throughout the Appalachian Mountain range and grouping the samples according to their specific environmental region.

Insects are masters of transportation and get around by flying, crawling, swimming, burrowing, and even gliding. Now, ants have been observed using a new method of getting around: hitchhiking.

The Board of Visitors’ Academic, Research, and Student Affairs Committee heard a presentation this month on two transdisciplinary research projects funded through the university’s Destination Area 2.0 grants.

Invasive alien species are all around us. They come in the form of plants, animals, or microorganisms that are introduced, intentionally or unintentionally, into areas where they are not native.

All are introduced invasive species that are reshaping ecosystems, disrupting economies, and causing disease, costing an estimated $1.3 trillion globally each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Invasive Species Information Center.

Four transdisciplinary Virginia Tech teams attempting to solve some of the world’s stickiest and most urgent challenges are getting a boost this spring from Destination Area 2.0 grants.