Randy Kolka
Northern Research Station
My favorite experiences are working with students on research. Research topics range from the importance of putting native prairie strips in crop areas to studying the effect of climate change on wetlands in northern Minnesota, Indonesia, and Peru. Also, one of the topics I study is mercury cycling. Mercury is a pollutant that can affect our nervous system, brain functioning, and reproduction. In one study, we looked at the effect of forest fires on mercury. We found that the amount of mercury deposited during and after a fire was a lot, about 40 percent of what is deposited annually from rain and snow. Wildfires and prescribed fires can be good for our environment, but they can also be sources of mercury in the food chain.
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Featured from Natural Inquirer
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The research in this monograph looks at the use of prairie strips, which are strips of native prairie plants that are planted between sections of agricultural crops. Scientists wanted to...Cream of the Crop: Assessing the Environmental Benefits of Prairie Strips
The research in this monograph looks at the use of prairie strips, which are strips of native prairie plants that are planted between sections of agricultural crops. Scientists wanted to...
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USDA Forest Service: Randy Kolka
Learn more about Randy Kolka's research at his Forest Service profile page.Visit Profile
