Biodiversity, Conservation & Ecosystems

With an unparalleled network of environmental monitoring stations, research field sites and cyber infrastructure, UArizona pioneers fundamental and use-inspired ecosystem science to help save species and conserve the lands, forests and wildlife of the western U.S. and beyond.

Our research

Mount Graham red squirrel population grows after a wildfire devastated critical habitat

The population of Mount Graham red squirrels in Arizona has reached triple digits for the first time since a wildfire pushed the subspecies close to extinction three years ago, state wildlife officials said Monday.

Homes complicate Arizona wildfire response

Development in Arizona's wildlands is making fires more expensive, and in some cases, more difficult to prevent.

Bighorn Fire marks familiar cycle of renewal amid new chapter of bigger burns

Fire is a natural process, but it will take decades for some areas to recover or regrow habitat that burned this year.

3 big wildfire questions, answered

The great blazes burning the West are like colossal campfires.

Just Add Water: Biodiversity Resurgence in Effluent-Fed Desert Riverbeds

Dragonflies, mayflies and caddisflies may be small, but their appearance could signal a big comeback for the beleaguered rivers of the American Southwest.

Will Putting Honey Bees on Public Lands Threaten Native Bees?

As suitable sites become scarce, commercial beekeepers are increasingly moving their hives to U.S. public lands. But scientists warn that the millions of introduced honey bees pose a risk to native species, outcompeting them for pollen and altering fragile plant communities.

 

Selecting plants for your Tucson garden

Fall is coming, and with it comes the best season for planting in your garden. This is a great time to evaluate your garden space and decide what you want to plant. Whether it’s trees, shrubs, perennials, or annual wildflowers, you probably want to pick out some new plants for your garden.

Carson Zoom Event

Carson Scholars Recap Summer Activities and Look Forward to the Fall

The environmental scholars and artists who make up the 2020 cohort of the Carson Scholars Program mean to change the world—even as the world has changed around them. The 12 scholars, from disciplines as diverse as creative writing to engineering, continue to pursue both their own projects and the training the program gives them in science communication.

Do Big Tadpoles Turn into Big Frogs? It's Complicated, Study Finds

University of Arizona researchers studied the evolution of the body sizes of frogs and their tadpoles. They found that the two life stages do not evolve completely independently of each other as previously thought.