Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science

The Department is an interdisciplinary unit that brings together biological and physical scientists to address a wide range of pressing environmental challenges that confront our society –- at local, regional and global levels.

The Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs to educate, inspire and prepare the next generation of scientists. NRES faculty are engaged in cutting-edge research in the following areas:

AIR
Our interest spans a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from the characterization of pollutant emissions from combustion sources to the understanding of atmospheric photochemical processes to the quantification of human exposure to air pollution.
WATER
Bringing field and remote sensing observations, as well as modeling, to bear on the most pressing questions in the fields of water quality, lake clarity, stream and creek ecosystems and mountain ecohydrology.
SOILS
Focus ranges from soil hydrologic conditions, to the evaluation of current and past environmental conditions, to the characterization of physiochemical processes in Nevada and surrounding state’s soils.
PLANTS
Our interest spans a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from mountain meadows and sierran forest, to riparian communities along our creeks and streams, to the vast open space of the Great Basin rangelands.
WILDLIFE
The scope of interest includes interaction between wildlife and land uses, avian ecology, forestry-wildlife relationships, endangered species management, reproductive ecology, nutrition and foraging ecology, predator-prey interactions, and population dynamics.

In the News

desert tortois

Impact of climate change on the Desert Tortoise

Dester Tortoise is the subject of a study to see how climate change affects its adaptability to a changing climate and to help with management practices.

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glenn miller lab

Glenn Miller retiring after 40 years

Foundation professor spends career on eclectic, seemingly random collection of research Glenn Miller studied roadside plant biofuel, cleaning up mining waste and protecting water sources

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pet food samples

How much mercury is in your petfood?

After mercury was found in pet food in a 2016 research project, a new team is taking a closer look to quantify the concentration level of methylmercury, the toxic mercury compound that can have negative health impacts.

Read more about Project