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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

A Farmer's Field of Dreams? BYU-built smart tech maps moisture levels, will adjust watering automatically

By Abigail Degn
November 19, 2025 08:10 AM
The team of BYU engineers placed 86 Bluetooth devices throughout a 50-hectare field near Elberta, Utah, to measure water levels across every inch of the field. Placing this many sensors in a commercial field is unprecedented and allows researchers to see unique patterns that have never before been captured.
2 Min Read
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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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