News: Texas Field Station Network

Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

UT News

Integrative Biology Professor Studies Critical Link between Plants and Pollinators

University of Texas at Austin integrative biology professor Shalene Jha studies critical link in the web of life: plants and pollinators.

A woman stands opens a drawer of preserved insects labeled "Texas Native Bees" while standing in front of a poster about polllinators

UT News

Invasive Grass in Texas Uses Chemical Warfare to Crowd Out Native Species

An invasive grass causing havoc in Texas and contributing to wildfires packs a one-two wallop against native plants. Guinea grass uses a combination of crowding...

Researchers in the field examine Guinea grass

Research

Urban Gardens Are Good for Ecosystems and Humans

Traditionally, it has been assumed that cultivating food leads to a loss of biodiversity and negative impacts on an ecosystem.

urban garden featuring plants and raised beds

Announcements

Newly Opened Patton Center for Marine Science Education Offers Opportunities to Explore

A newly renovated and reimagined space for exploring the science of marine life and ecosystems is now open to the public, free of charge, on...

Two young children play at an exhibit that shows underwater sea life on a screen

Features

After Fire Damages Stengl Lost Pines, Scientists Say Discovery Will Rise from the Ashes

More than two-thirds of the Stengl Lost Pines Biological Station (SLP), which was home to forests, savannah, and wildlife inhabitants, burned in a fire.

Firefighter at wheel of vehicle consults with colleagues outdoors

Podcast

Neutralizing Crazy Ants

Biologist Edward LeBrun is weaponizing a natural pathogen to use as a biocontrol for tawny crazy ants from South America that have become prevalent in...

Scientist walking through grass and brush with an orange bucket

Features

Living Laboratories: Field Stations Offer Opportunities for Real-World Science

A network of field stations helps scientists understand invasive species, climate change impacts and search for potential green fuels.

A bearded man in a blue shirt stands in a field of tall grass

UT News

Invading Hordes of Crazy Ants May Have Finally Met Their Kryptonite

UT Austin scientists have demonstrated how to use a naturally occurring fungus to crush local populations of invasive tawny crazy ants.

Ants swarm on a larger, dead insect

Research

Some Trees May Play an Outsized Role in the Fight on Global Warming

A new study shows that nitrogen-fixing trees could help forests remove more heat-trapping COS from the atmosphere than previously thought.

Sunlight peeks through the trees

Features

Unlikely Partners: Bees and Turtles

Honey bees and sea turtles may seem like strange bedfellows, but through two of the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve's (NERR) stewardship programs – Fennessey...

A sea turtle rests on a towel as it is handled by a person in protective gloves