| Department of
Forestry Iowa State University - College of Agriculture ISU Forestry Department
phone 515-294-1458 click here to view CAMPUS MAP: Bessey Hall |
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- Research - Forestry in Iowa and the Midwest cannot be practiced in the same way that it is practiced in the major forested regions of the United States. In those regions, forests are the major plant community in the landscape. In Iowa and the Midwest, the predominant land use is production agriculture, with small areas of forests, woodlots, wetlands and prairies. Because the practice of forestry is different here, the research needs differ as well. The research mission of the Department of Forestry at Iowa State University is to maintain a research program that expands the role of forestry in agricultural, natural, and urban settings within the state, the region, the nation, and the world. To accomplish this, the major research focus in the department is the integration of woody and perennial plants into the agricultural landscape to improve its sustainability while providing alternative products for Midwestern landowners. In short, the department is striving to strengthen its reputation as one of the national leaders in agroforestry research. A second, and emerging research focus in the department is that of urban and community forestry. Early work in this area has had an emphasis on urban trees and their management in Iowa and surrounding states in the Midwest. The ISU Biocompsites Research Group is involved in research that's finding ways to more effectively utilize agricultural residues, and recyclable materials that might otherwise be landfilled. These resources have the potential to be processed for the manufacture of composite products in a sustainable and economically competitive manner. Our goal is to aid in environmental conservation and add value to farm crop residues. |
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| Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture Main Web Page |
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