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College of Life Sciences Plant and Wildlife Sciences
Wildlife & Wildlands Conservation
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Research

Research

Not all learning takes place in the classroom! Our professors use cutting-edge technologies to tackle natural resource challenges. Reach out to the faculty and learn more about their research programs and mentored learning opportunities.

Engaging field research opportunities that actively solve wildlife and wildland challenges.

Plant & Wildlife Sciences News

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Intellect

BYU research: Mega wildfires can actually be a good thing

Sharman Gill
By Sharman Gill
November 04, 2025 04:25 PM
BYU professor Sam St. Clair is the principal investigator on the first study to show positive impacts of megafires (fires greater than 100,000 acres) across different forest types. Megafires can help some forest communities thrive — especially in areas where chronic browsing by elk, deer, and livestock has hindered tree regeneration, a widespread issue that often leads to forest regeneration failure.
2 Min Read
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Intellect

Improving future crop varieties: New BYU research in Nature decodes oat genetics

Sharman Gill
By Sharman Gill
October 29, 2025 10:12 AM
BYU plant and wildlife professors Rick Jellen and Jeff Maughan, together with an international consortium of researchers, have taken a major step toward unraveling the complexity of the oat genome. Their new research — published today in Nature and Nature Communications — ushers in a new era for oat genetics and breeding.
3 Min Read
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Intellect

Wildflowers not wildfires: How BYU and Provo City are helping to restore Rock Canyon Trailhead

By Melissa Jenson
July 10, 2025 08:00 AM
At Rock Canyon Trailhead in Provo, Utah, BYU researchers are fighting fires with flowers. By replacing a problematic weed called cheatgrass with wildflowers, students and faculty are working to protect and restore one of Provo’s most popular hiking spots.
1 Min Read
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