blog posts

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  Boom of record breaking bass over?

  Jun 15, 2012 8:00 am

  INHS Conservation Geneticist Dave Philipp studied bass for 20 years, finding that genetics plays a role in which fish are caught. Fish that are more aggressive, thus more likely to bite a hook, pass that trait on to their offspring. As those aggressive fish are caught and removed from the population, the remaining fish are genetically harder to catch. This is one of the theories suggested to explain the mystery of why the Pennsylvania Largemouth Bass State Record has stood for nearly 30 years.

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  Brian D. Anderson retires from PRI

  Jul 10, 2017 12:15 pm

  On July 8 Prairie Research Institute staff and supporters gathered to bid a fond farewell to Brian D. Anderson, who retired from PRI at the end of June after serving as director of the Illinois Natural History Survey and interim director of PRI.

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  Bringing yesterday's plants to digital life

  Jul 31, 2019 11:00 am
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  Brown marmorated stink bug in Illinois

  May 2, 2011 8:00 am

  The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is a new invasive species being found in Illinois that is getting a lot of media attention. INHS Entomologist Chris Dietrich discussed the bugs in the Geneva Republican, stating that with no natural predators, these bugs can become a nuisance species. He adds that, “They’re actually considered a delicacy in some parts of Mexico.” Illinois Cooperative Agriculture Pest Survey Entomologist, Kelly Estes was interviewed about the bugs on WGLT - Bloomington NPR affiliate and WILL 580. This species has been confirmed in Cook, Kane, Champaign and McLean counties but scientists are still determining the extent of its spread. She asks that if you think you have this (or other pest species) send her a photo or the actual specimen for positive identification. She can be contacted at invasives@inhs.illinois.edu.

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  Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs are on the Move This Fall

  Sep 30, 2016 8:00 am

  An invasive stink bug species has been found in five newly invaded Illinois counties this year, according to Kelly Estes, Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) coordinator in the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

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  Bullfrogs insensitive to road salt

  Nov 6, 2013 8:00 am

  INHS post doctoral researcher Tanya Hawley Matlaga, INHS Herpetologist Chris Phillips, and INHS Ecotoxicologist David Soucek report that bullfrogs are less sensitive to elevated chloride concentrations than some other amphibian species. The study was designed to mimic the level of salt found in roadside ponds following de-icing events. The study found that bullfrog tadpoles did not experience reduced survival, growth, or ability to evade predation in elevated chloride concentrations, and thus, their populations are not expected to be impacted by road salt. While this is good news for bullfrogs, it's an additional stress for other species inhabiting ponds with these voracious predators.

• Bumblebee populations declining

  Feb 22, 2008 8:00 am

  The bumblebee crisis was discussed in a February 21, 2008 post to the North Carolina State University Insect Museum blog. The article discusses what factors are contributing to the bumblebee's decline and mentions research done by Solter labs. Lee Solter is an Associate Scientist and Insect Pathology Research Leader with the Illinois Natural History Survey.

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  Bumper crop of mosquitoes, but not West-Nile Virus, yet

  Jun 7, 2011 8:00 am

  According to INHS Medical Entomology Director Ephantus Juma Muturi, despite the large number of mosquitoes out now, the level of West-Nile Virus is still very low. The optimal breeding environment for West-Nile Virus bearing mosquitoes is dry, warmer weather, when the larvae are not washed away by heavy rains.

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  Butterflies of Illinois field guide is now available from University of Illinois Press

  May 14, 2019 2:15 pm
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  Buying a home in Illinois? You'll need PRI for that.

  Feb 6, 2020 1:00 pm

  For every Illinois home sold, the Prairie Research Institute provides data needed for banks, title companies, insurance companies, and consumers to make informed decisions about home ownership. 

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  Cahokia's rise parallels onset of corn agriculture

  May 14, 2020 8:45 am

  Corn cultivation spread from Mesoamerica to what is now the American Southwest by about 4000 B.C., but how and when the crop made it to other parts of North America is still a subject of debate. In a new study, scientists report that corn was not grown in the ancient metropolis of Cahokia until sometime between A.D. 900 and 1000, a relatively late date that corresponds to the start of the city’s rapid expansion.

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  Camera-trap study captures Sumatran tigers, clouded leopards, other rare beasts

  Feb 24, 2020 2:00 pm

  Scientists deployed motion-sensitive camera traps across a 50-square-mile swath of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in southern Sumatra and, over the course of eight years, recorded the haunts and habits of dozens of species, including the Sumatran tiger and other rare and endangered wildlife. Their observations offer insight into how abundant these species are and show how smaller creatures avoid being eaten by tigers and other carnivores.

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  Camera-trap study provides photographic evidence of pumas' ecological impact

  Jan 23, 2023 10:45 am

  A camera-trap study of two ecosystems – one with pumas and one without – adds to scientists’ understanding of the many ways apex predators influence the abundance, diversity and habits of other animals, including smaller carnivores. The study followed multiple members of the order Carnivora, looking at how the largest carnivore in each locale influenced the behavior and presence of other animals in the same vicinity.

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  Camera trap study reveals the hidden lives of island carnivores

  Dec 21, 2018 11:30 am
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  Carbon capture and storage project with ADM concludes

  May 19, 2021 2:15 pm

  On May 19, 2021, ADM and the University of Illinois announced the successful completion of the Illinois Basin - Decatur Project, a carbon capture and storage project designed to evaluate and test the technology at commercial scale.

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  Carbon capture collaborations lead clean energy drive

  Jun 30, 2020 8:00 am

  The Prairie Research Institute — is leading a drive to implement CO2 removal strategies, an essential step to a clean-energy future. 

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  Carp play a role in disseminating plant seeds in the Illinois River

  Feb 28, 2018 10:15 am
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  Case study on flooding highlights usefulness of topographical tool

  Jun 18, 2020 10:45 am

  After a downpour in early June, Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) hydrographer Ryan Meekma compared images from the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), which outlines low-lying areas in Illinois that could flood, with actual flooding at a gun range in Champaign, Illinois, to study the tool’s effectiveness.

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  Casting a net for conservation

  Mar 22, 2017 8:00 am

  Go Behind the Scenes with graduate research assistant Benjamin Williams as he catches ducks and records data along the Wabash River.

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  Cat disease Toxoplasmosis found in muskrats and minks

  Jan 28, 2015 8:00 am

  INHS Graduate student Adam Ahlers led a study on the prevalence of Toxoplasmosis, a disease spread by cats. The researchers found antibodies for Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, in 18 of 30 muskrats and 20 of 26 minks tested for the disease in central Illinois.

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  Cats pass disease to wildlife, even in remote areas

  May 13, 2011 1:00 pm

  INHS Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiologist Nohra Mateus-Pinilla and graduate students Shannon Fredebaugh recently published a study that found that even in remote parts of a natural area, cats spread disease to wildlife. Their study, Allerton Park in Monticello, does not have bobcats which strongly suggests feral house cats are responsible for spreading the feline dependent Toxoplasma gondii parasite.  Infection by the parasite causes neurological problems and possible death in humans and other animals. "If one infected cat defecates there, any area can become infected," Fredebaugh said. "It just takes one cat to bring disease to an area."

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  Cave microbe produces compound that inhibits the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome

  Jul 21, 2015 1:00 pm

  A new study from INHS Mycologist Andrew Miller and grad student Daniel Raudabaugh has found that the yeast Candida albicans produces a compound: trans, trans-farnesol, that inhibits growth of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats.

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  Celebrated squirrel’s legacy lives on for visitors

  Apr 18, 2023 3:00 pm

  Pinto Bean, the beloved piebald squirrel that lived and died on the University of Illinois campus, is back. The squirrel’s taxidermied remains are now on display at the Forbes Natural History Building lobby, where visitors can see its rare gray and white coloration that attracted fans and followers at the university.

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  Center for Digital Agriculture, Prairie Research Institute partner to support joint agriculture research

  May 5, 2025 10:00 am

  The Center for Digital Agriculture and the Prairie Research Institute have partnered to offer seed funding for joint research projects.

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  Central Illinois weather station is upgraded to track air pollution particles

  Jan 17, 2018 2:00 pm

  After 23 years of data collection on atmospheric conditions at the Bondville Environmental and Atmospheric Research Site, a team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration worked with scientists at the Prairie Research Institute to move the monitoring system to a new temperature-controlled building.

• Champaign County confirms West Nile in samples

  Sep 10, 2010 1:00 pm

  Richard Lampman, an INHS entomologist, was interviewed by the Daily Illini about West Nile's appearance in Champaign County. Lampman said that this summer's hot, dry weather was perfect for the spread of mosquitoes.

• Champaign Couunty mosquito sample tests positive for West Nile Virus

  Jul 15, 2009 11:00 am

  Mosquito samples taken during the month of June have tested positive for the West Nile Virus (WNV). The samples were collected and processed by the Illinois Natural History Survey's medical entomology program, headed by Dr. Barry Alto. Interestingly, this is the first positive sample for WNV since October 2007. Since surveillance started this year in May, positive samples for WNV has been found in eight other counties throughout Illinois, including: Adams, Bureau, Cook, DuPage, Knox, LaSalle, Madison and St. Clair counties. The News-Gazette ran an article about the WNV sample in the July 8, 2009 edition. The article was titled, "Champaign mosquito sample tests positive for West Nile."

• Chance of a White Christmas in Illinois

  Dec 15, 2014 3:45 pm

  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but will it be white?  A white Christmas is defined as at least an inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day. It should come as no surprise that the highest odds are in northern Illinois, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

• Chances of a White Christmas in Illinois This year

  Dec 14, 2012 7:30 pm

  What are the chances of a white Christmas in Illinois this year?  Historically, the highest odds are in northern Illinois, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey.

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  Changing methods for road salt application may ease environmental effects

  Feb 8, 2017 4:30 pm

  Salt crystals on roads and parking lots shimmer in the muted sunlight of an Illinois winter day. Once washed away into rivers and streams, salt contaminates the local environment, according to groundwater geochemist Walt Kelly with the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute (PRI).

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  Chasing bumble bees on a patch of prairie

  Jul 21, 2020 8:00 am

  Illinois Natural History Survey insect collection manager Tommy McElrath conducts surveillance for bees at the prairie near the University's Trelease Woods. Only 11 of the 18 bumblee bee species historically collected in Illinois have been seen in the last 15 years. Of those remaining here, three are endangered or threatened.

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  Check in with INHS online before heading out to hunt or fish

  Apr 30, 2021 8:30 am

  Whether it’s for hunting or fishing, the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) collects data and provides information and education to support hunters and anglers in exploring Illinois and its many biological resources.

• Chinese researchers visit INHS field station

  Aug 18, 2009 2:00 pm

  Dr. John Chick, Director of INHS' Great Rivers Field Station, spent the first part of August with Yangtze River researchers. Chick first met the researchers while visiting China last year. The Chinese researchers were particularly interested in learning about the methodology and techniques used in the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program on the Upper Mississippi River. A long-term goal of these exchanges is to have comparable monitoring programs set up on large rivers around the globe, which would provide an excellent opportunity to advance both the scientific understanding and management of large rivers.
  
  In addition, both Chinese and American researchers at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center were interested in learning about Asian carp habitat. The Asian carp is native China, but invasive in the United States. To read more about this exchange, please read the August 7th article in the Belleville News-Democrat entitled, "Chinese Scientists Studying in Area."

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  Chinmoy Baroi recognized as Canada Global Executive

  Feb 6, 2025 11:15 am

  Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) researcher Dr. Chinmoy Baroi has been recognized as one of Canada’s Global Executives (CGE) by the Trade Commissioner Service at Global Affairs Canada in Chicago on behalf of the Government of Canada. ISTC is a unit of the Prairie Research Institute (PRI) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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  Chronic wasting disease: hunters' perceptions and attitudes

  Aug 1, 2022 9:45 am

  For Outdoor Illinois Journal, INHS scientists describe what their surveys have revealed about deer hunters'perceptions and attitudes toward the management of chronic wasting disease in Illinois' deer population.

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  Chronic wasting disease in Illinois: resources and disease dynamics

  Sep 13, 2017 5:30 pm

  Protecting the deer herd from chronic wasting disease has economical value to the State of Illinois, recreational value to deer hunters, and a health value for CWD-susceptible animals. Currently, there is no treatment or vaccination against CWD. Management based on removal of infected deer in areas where disease is present is the only known strategy to control the spread of CWD.

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  Citizen scientist mussel survey finds 14 species

  Oct 1, 2012 8:00 am

  INHS Field Biologist Sarah Bales accompanied a group to survey mussels at Lake of the Woods. The group of citizen scientists found 314 individual mussels of 14 native and one introduced species. According to Bales, only one species that was previously found there was not found by this group, and that species is rare. She also said that the range of sizes found indicates the mussels are reproducing and that the habitat had not been degraded significantly.

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  'Citizen scientists' help track foxes, coyotes in urban areas

  Jun 4, 2019 12:45 pm

  As foxes and coyotes adapt to urban landscapes, the potential for encounters with humans necessarily goes up. A team of scientists is taking advantage of this fact to enlist the eyeballs and fingertips of humans – getting them to report online what they see in their own neighborhoods and parks.

• Citizen scientists invited to participate in bioblitz

  May 25, 2015 8:00 am

  INHS scientists will be participating in a Bioblitz organized by The Wetlands Initiative (TWI) at Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge at Hennepin and Hopper Lakes in Putnam County on June 13-14. Citizen scientists are invited to help document all of the flora, fauna, and fungi of the area over the course of 24 hours.

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  Climate studies focus on a new priority: urban areas

  Jul 15, 2021 1:15 pm

  Climate change affects cities, and cities affect the climate. Urban areas are hotspots for heat waves, flooding, and air pollution that ultimately affect human health and welfare. Scientists at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) study the relationship between cities and climate to determine ways to make cities more resilient to these challenges.

• Climatologist compares rainfall from Hurricane Harvey with Chicago storms

  Sep 25, 2017 2:15 pm

  What would happen if the rain from Hurricane Harvey that fell in Houston, Texas, hit Chicago? The result would be unlike any rainstorm that Chicago has ever seen, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel.

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  Climatologist: Vegetation plays a role in developing flash droughts

  Apr 22, 2021 1:30 pm

  Farmland vegetation and grasses can affect both the frequency and extent of flash droughts, say scientists at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), who hope to better understand the phenomenon and improve early warnings.

• Cold, dry December ends a warm year in Illinois

  Jan 4, 2017 4:30 pm

  The statewide average temperature for December was 28.6 degrees, 1.3 degrees below normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

• Coldest July on Record for Illinois

  Aug 3, 2009 11:15 am

  Based on preliminary data for Illinois, the statewide average temperature for July was 70.4 degrees, 5.3 degrees below normal. This ranks as the coldest July in the statewide records and a degree colder than the previous record set in 1924 (71.5 degrees), according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu).

• Cold February Wraps Up Cold Winter

  Mar 3, 2010 1:45 am

  Based on preliminary data in Illinois, the statewide average temperature for February was 25.1 degrees, 5.1 degrees below normal. Snowfall for February was above normal. Amounts ranged from 6 inches in southern Illinois to over 18 inches in the Quad Cities and Chicago areas, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey 

• Cold January for Illinois

  Feb 3, 2014 4:15 pm

  January 2014 was the eighth coldest January on record for Illinois. The statewide average temperature was 18.2 degrees, 8.1 degrees below the 1981-2010 average of 26.3 degrees, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

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  Cold November brings an end to meteorological autumn

  Dec 2, 2019 3:45 pm

  November temperatures were well below the long-term average across the state, breaking hundreds of local daily records. The preliminary statewide November average temperature was 35.6 degrees, about 7 degrees below our 30-year normal and tied for the ninth coldest on record.

• Cold, Snowy March for Illinois

  Apr 2, 2015 3:00 pm

  The statewide average temperature for March was 38.2 degrees, 3.1 degrees below average, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

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  Coming back strong: Illinois Bald Eagle populations on the rise

  Feb 7, 2012 8:00 am

  Bald Eagle populations in Illinois are on the rise. In 1980, Bald Eagles were found breeding only in extreme Southern Illinois, but in surveys during 2008, nesting pairs were found in 67 Illinois counties. Part of the increase is attributed to the ban of DDT in 1972, but according to INHS Ornithologist Mike Ward, that was just the beginning. Environmental regulations have led to cleaner waterways (enabling eagles to more easily catch fish) and eagles have become more comfortable around humans. Being able to be near people gives them a lot more places to breed in Illinois, Ward said.

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  Coming soon: new hotline, website, and maps on private wells

  Nov 27, 2023 11:15 am

  A new hotline, website, and other resources will soon be available through the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) for private well and septic system owners and the water professionals that serve them.