Although open to a wide-variety of research projects that require open spaces, core research activities at Washington University's Tyson Research Center and surrounding natural areas focuses on integrating basic scientific approaches with applied problems that result from the ever increasing footprint of human activities on the planet. Our primary research focus is on ecosystem degradation, restoration, and sustainability as part of Washington University's International Center for Advanced Renewable Energy and Sustainability (I-CARES).
Under the auspices of I-CARES, sustainability research at Tyson focuses on a variety of interrelated problems in environmental science. Large-scale multi-investigator projects focus on the maintenance and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the context of habitat loss and mitigation, alteration of disturbance regimes, invasive species, and global climate change. Examples of specific research foci include:
Other research projects at Tyson include studies on other aspects of environmental biology (evolution, population genetics), sustainable architecture and energy, archaeology, geology, hydrology, crop production and biotechnology, and biomass production for biofuels. For more information on how to get involved in the ongoing research at Tyson or to propose your own research project, contact Kevin Smith (kgs[at]wustl.edu), Associate Director.
