| | Students in an applied ecology class assist in planting woody plant species that may flourish in Louisiana’s coastal areas and serve as a food source for migratory songbirds. (Photo by Maud M. Walsh) |
| | | Allison Gamble, William Leonards and Sophie Levy measure elevations at Holly Beach. (Photo by Maud M. Walsh) |
| | | Graduate student LaShunda Anderson conducts greenhouse studies to investigate fern uptake of arsenic. (Photo by Maud M. Walsh) |
| | | | | |
Maud M. Walsh A growing awareness of the importance of coastal wetlands to Louisiana’s economy and environment has attracted students with a variety of interests and backgrounds into undergraduate and graduate programs that have traditionally focused on production agriculture. The devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita created a new demand for scientists who can apply their knowledge of plants and soils to assessment and restoration of wetlands damaged by erosion and contamination.
Undergraduate students in the School of Plant, Environmental & Soil Sciences have the opportunity to enroll in classes that focus on topics and skills related to coastal wetlands, such as wetland soils and plants, land use planning, coastal zone management and geographic information systems.
Students may work with faculty members to design and conduct their own research projects related to coastal wetlands. For example, a recent project by Environmental Management Systems major Blaine Petite examined the impact of oil production brines on soil quality in a coastal area using soil testing and GIS. Funding for undergraduate projects is available from a number of sources, including the LSU College of Agriculture, the Louisiana Sea Grant Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, and the Coastal Restoration and Enhancement through Science and Technology program.
Coastal wetlands protection and restoration projects require an interdisciplinary approach and therefore provide opportunities for graduate student research in many traditional agricultural disciplines, including forestry, soil science and plant breeding. The Forested Wetlands Research Lab in the School of Renewable Natural Resources examines cypress- tupelo environments using remote sensing. The coastal plants program in the School of Plant, Environmental & Soil Sciences combines crop breeding approaches with molecular genetic techniques to develop plants that can effectively and economically restore coastal dunes and wetlands.
Current graduate projects include micropropagation of sea oats for coastal dune plantings and optimization of planting smooth cordgrass on terraces constructed for coastal restoration. Graduate students in the Soils and Environmental Program in the School of Plant, Environmental & Soil Sciences are involved in research related to the assessment and mitigation of contamination that threatens coastal wetlands. A recent Ph.D. project focused on the feasibility of using plants to extract arsenic from contaminated soil.
The preservation and restoration of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands is critical for Louisiana’s future. The LSU AgCenter and the College of Agriculture are preparing undergraduate and graduate students to contribute to this effort.
Maud M. Walsh, Associate Professor, School of Plant, Environmental & Soil Sciences, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, La.
(This article was published in the spring 2007 issue of Louisiana Agriculture.) |