Current Competitive Grant

Building social networks to capture synergies in wood-based energy production and invasive pest mitigation

Project ID: XP2011-07

This 2-year grant for $76,536 was awarded in 2011.

Location: Statewide

This project seeks to develop comprehensive strategies for addressing the overwhelming costs associated with managing the spread of emerald ash borer in Iowa, which threatens the valuable ecological and social benefits that trees add to the Iowa landscape. The project will build effective partnerships and business networks towards supporting sustainable land management activities and economic opportunities that capture value in low-quality woody material, and specifically emerald ash borer-infested wood. Investigators also will design, deliver and evaluate a collaborative tool while leading the development of the "action" component of Iowa's Emerald Ash Borer Readiness Plan.

Jesse Randall

Jesse Randall's interests include, plant-ungulate interactions, native and exotic forest invasive plants, preservation/maintenance/restorationof rare and/or unique flora and fauna (such as in oak savannas), and identifying new silvicultural guidelines when faced with exotic pests and pathogens. Tricia Knoot is a research associate in the ISU Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management. Her interests include improvement of environmental decision-making through communication of scientific insights to diverse stakeholders, facilitating stakeholder discussions that take alternative pathways to sustainability, and synthesizing knowledge of the interaction between human and natural systems. John Tyndall is an assistant professor in natural resource ecology and management at Iowa State University. He has broad interests that include environmental and natural resource economics, policy and sociology within forestry and agriculture. He has completed research in the sociology and economics of biomass-based energy systems and natural resource and environmental quality management, especially in rural and urban interfaces.

Co-Investigator(s):

This competitive grant project is part of the Leopold Center's Cross-Cutting Initiative.

The Leopold Center was established by the 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act as a research and education center at Iowa State University to develop sustainable agricultural practices that are both profitable and conserve natural resources. Iowa State does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Vietnam Era Veteran. Any persons having inquiries concerning this may contact the Director of Affirmative Action, 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

This page was found at http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/grants/xp2011-07 on 01/20/2013