The Canada lynx, listed as a threatened species by the federal government, may have one more thing to worry about. University of New Hampshire scientists on Monday announced they have discovered a previously undiagnosed parasite transmitted by ticks as well as a virus in the medium-sized cat known for its long ears. The virus is similar to the Epstein-Barr virus that causes mononucleosis in humans and is related to a virus that infects domestic cats.

Scientists with the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire have discovered a previously undiagnosed parasite and virus in the Canada Lynx. The parasite, transmitted by ticks, is a known to infect domestic dogs. The virus is similar to the Epstein-Barr virus that causes mononucleosis in humans and is related to a virus that infects domestic cats.

White pine needle damage is being accelerated by the region’s warmer, wetter springs and is affecting the growth and health of New England’s eastern white pines, according to research from the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire.

Contoocook resident Will Hastings, who will graduate this May with a master’s in biology, agricultural sciences, conducted research with New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station scientist Dr. Iago Hale. Learn about why he chose UNH for his graduate studies, what he researched, and what he's gained from his research experience.

White Pine Needle Damage, a complex of foliar diseases that is being accelerated by the region’s warmer, wetter springs, is slowing the growth and hampering the health of New England’s eastern white pines, according to new research from the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire.

White Pine Needle Damage, a complex of foliar diseases that is being accelerated by the region’s warmer, wetter springs, is slowing the growth and hampering the health of the region’s eastern white pines, according to new research from the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire.

“This new disease impacts one of New Hampshire’s most widespread and economically important tree species,” said Heidi Asbjornsen, associate professor of natural resources and the environment and researcher with the NH Agricultural Experiment Station. “Eastern white pine composes more than 500,000 acres of New Hampshire forest land. Of the estimated 30 billion board feet of saw timber, 31 percent is white pine.”

Rory Carroll, who will graduate in May 2019 with a PhD in wildlife and conservation biology, has conducted extensive research about the state’s bobcat population with New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station scientist Dr. Marian Litvaitis. Learn about why he chose UNH for his graduate studies, what he researched, and what he's gained from his research experience.

The University of New Hampshire Greenhouse Open House will be held at the Macfarlane Research Greenhouses on Friday and Saturday. The greenhouses will be open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days. The event is free and open to the public.

Jackie Marinoff’s dream of becoming a veterinarian has taken her far from the University of New Hampshire since she graduated in 2013 with her undergraduate degree in equine studies/pre-veterinary medicine. Recently she recently returned to campus for an intense, three-week pathology externship at the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (NHVDL). 

 New England’s warmer, snow-free winters may increase carbon dioxide losses in forests, where deciduous trees can’t take advantage of warm temperatures before their leaves emerge. However, farms cultivating grasses have a greater potential to start growing in the winter “dormant season,” perhaps partially offsetting the increasing winter carbon losses from forests, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire.

Come learn about home gardening, landscaping, current research, and other growing information at the University of New Hampshire Greenhouse Open House at the Macfarlane Research Greenhouses Friday, March 23, and Saturday, March 24, 2018. The greenhouses will be open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days. The event is free and open to the public.

Scientists sampled weed seedbanks and measured soil physical and chemical characteristics on 77 organic farms across the region. They found temperature-related variables such as latitude, longitude, and mean maximum and minimum temperature were the strongest and most consistent correlates with weed seedbank composition, the news release states.

This research was funded by the Northern New England Collaborative Research Funding Program, a partnership of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station. The three station directors initiated the program with a goal to catalyze coordinated research on high-priority needs for the Northern New England region in experiment station mission areas, of significant importance across the three states. A second objective was to incentivize faculty at the three institutions to explore opportunities for ongoing cross-institutional research synergies.

In recent years, unreliable snow cover and wild temperature swings have caused headaches for our winter recreation industry, and all those who love to ski, ice-fish, or snowmobile.  But the impacts go beyond disappointment: there are animal and forest health affects as well, including the beloved Sugar maple. 

Scientists from Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont have completed the first comprehensive assessment of weeds found on organic vegetable farms in Northern New England. The collaborative, three-state study is an important first step in providing a baseline for organic growers who could face challenges providing locally grown produce because of new, problematic weeds emerging due to environmental change.

“We are living in a period of rapid and to some extent unpredictable environmental change, brought about by a variety of natural and human-mediated factors, including climate change, production practices, technological advances, and others. The purpose of this project was to establish a baseline assessment of the weed problems facing organic vegetable growers in the Northern New England region as a basis for detecting and predicting the evolutionary emergence of new, problematic weeds,” said New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station researcher Dr. Tom Davis, professor of genetics at the University of New Hampshire.

New England’s warmer, snow-free winters may increase carbon dioxide losses in forests, where deciduous trees can’t take advantage of warm temperatures before their leaves emerge, according to University of New Hampshire researchers. 

“Changes in winter climate, such as warmer air temperatures and less snow cover, can influence plant and soils in the following growing season. A better understanding of how winter weather affects ecosystems will help us predict whether our ecosystems will exacerbate or mitigate climate change by taking up or removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.” -- Rebecca Sanders-DeMott

New studies say a decrease in snow days as the climate changes is taking an economic toll on states like New Hampshire—as well as an environmental one.

New England’s warmer, snow-free winters may increase carbon dioxide losses in forests, where deciduous trees can’t take advantage of warm temperatures before their leaves emerge. However, farms cultivating grasses have a greater potential to start growing in the winter “dormant season,” perhaps partially offsetting the increasing winter carbon losses from forests, according to new research from the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station.

Stem rust is one of the most feared agricultural diseases in the world, infecting wheat and other cereal crops. The fungal pathogen is capable of severe epidemics, thus presenting a threat to the global food supply. In New England, the disease is a concern in light of the region’s re-emerging small grain industry.

Scientists with the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire are trying to understand the potential risk of the disease spreading and, perhaps even more importantly, evolving greater virulence in the region. Long term, they also hope to contribute to a genetic solution that reduces global yield losses to the disease.

Stem rust is one of the most feared agricultural diseases in the world, infecting wheat and other cereal crops. The fungal pathogen is capable of severe epidemics, thus presenting a threat to the global food supply. In New England, the disease is a concern in light of the region’s re-emerging small grain industry.

NHAES researcher Dr. John Gunn says the polluting effects of burning wood are complex, and hinge on the kind and amount of material harvested, how it’s used, and what fuel it replaces. "If you're talking about, truly, residues from sawmills or the tops and limbs that were left over from harvest anyway, those have very good greenhouse gas emissions profiles compared to other scenarios where you're harvesting whole trees specifically for biomass energy uses, and those trees could have remained standing. That all matters in terms of the outcome, in terms of whether or not making energy from wood is better for the atmosphere than making energy from a fossil fuel.”