Featured Research Activities

National studies highlight an urgent need for further research concerning rapid climate change, renewable energy resources, adequate water resources, environmental quality, ecosystem dynamics, and prediction and mitigation of natural disasters. The IU Center for Research in Environmental Sciences (CRES) seeks to encourage and foster an environment of collaborative investigations across disciplines to address these complex issues and prepare the next generation of scientists. This page features on a revolving basis some of the collaborative efforts currently taking place among Indiana University faculty and research associates.

Dynamics of Reforestation in Coupled Social-Ecological Systems: Modeling Land-Use Decision Making and Policy Impacts Reforestation is an increasingly important component of global change. The "reforestation potential" point has implications for the degree to which areas experiencing net reforestation can offset the negative environmental impacts of areas that are experiencing net deforestation in other parts of the world.   [read more]

Toxicological Genomics and Daphnia Daphnia, the water flea, is one of the most widely used organisms in environmental toxicology. Pioneering the use of genomic biomarkers for the study of pollutants and human health, the IU Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics (CGB) has led in the study of Daphnia genomics.   [read more]

Microbial Ecology of Sustainable Biofuel Production A key challenge in sustainable biofuel production is developing adequate yields of biofuel crops while maintaining a neutral or negative carbon balance. IU Department of Biology faculty members Reynolds, Bever, and Clay have accepted the challenge.   [read more]