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Discover CALS

See how our current work and research is bringing new thinking and new solutions to some of today's biggest challenges.

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Discover Cals

Biology:Biodiversity

Biodiversity powers the planet

From the food, clothing and medicine available to us, to the vibrant lakes, forests and beaches we cherish, biodiversity enriches our lives. Explore how CALS researchers are studying the variety of life to feed more people, create healthier and more resilient communities and protect the environments we call home.

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What does biodiversity mean to you?

Play What does biodiversity mean to you?
Play Ed Mabaya on biodiversity 3

How can food security protect biodiversity?

a woman with white hair and red glasses in front of a white and red wall
Play Hale Tufan talks about biodiversity

How can biodiversity contribute to empowering women?

What is moonshot thinking?

Just as complex problems can't be solved by maintaining the status quo, landing on the moon required a focused, transdisciplinary effort. We are tackling real-world challenges, even those that seem impossible, through bold ideas, cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovative technologies.

Learn more about moonshots

News

Scott Morris with plants in a greenhouse

News

18-year study: deer inhibit trees, raise plant diversity
At high densities, white-tailed deer inhibit growth of trees but increase the overall diversity of smaller plant and weed species, according to a long-term study published Dec. 23 in PLOS One. Twenty years ago, Cornell researchers established...
  • Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
Himani Singh Khati/Provided Citizens in India participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count.

News

‘Share the joy’: Great Backyard Bird Count begins Feb. 13

The four-day event, co-sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is expected to attract nearly 1 million participants this year, providing a global snapshot just before migration.

  • Lab of Ornithology
  • Biodiversity
Jonathan Chai in a green house with datura and squash flowers

Field Note

Jonathan Chai ’24: Exploring plants, insects and floral microclimates
Jonathan Chai ‘24 worked for two years as an undergraduate research assistant in the lab of Robert Raguso , professor of neurobiology and behavior. Raguso’s lab made the first discovery that insects are attracted to plants as much by humidity as...
  • Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Agriculture
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Study biodiversity at Cornell CALS

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Collaborate

Anurag Agrawal portrait
Anurag Agrawal

Professor

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Anurag Agrawal
Daniel Anstett headshot
Daniel Anstett

Assistant Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Biology Section

Daniel Anstett
  • dna38 [at] cornell.edu
Landscape genomics
Rapid evolution to climate change
Herbivory and plant defenses
a smiling man in a gray shirt in front of a green tree and grass
John Benning

Assistant Professor

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

John Benning
  • jb2838 [at] cornell.edu
Daniel Buckley
Dan Buckley

Soil and Crop Sciences Section Head and Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Soil and Crop Sciences Section

Professor

Microbiology

Dan Buckley
Plant & soil microbiomes
Soil health
Soil C & N cycling
Courtney Davis, Assistant Professor, Natural Resources and the Environment
Courtney Davis
She/Her/Hers

Assistant Professor

Natural Resources and the Environment Section

Courtney Davis
  • cld74 [at] cornell.edu
Person in a green sweater standing outside
Erik Enbody

Assistant Professor

Computational Biology

Erik Enbody
  • enbody [at] cornell.edu
Mario Herrero
Mario Herrero

Professor; Cornell Atkinson Scholar; Nancy and Peter Meinig Family Investigator in the Life Sciences

Global Development Section

Mario Herrero
  • mario.herrero [at] cornell.edu
Climate mitigation and adaption
Agri-food and livestock systems
Sustainability and environmental analyses
headshot of Melissa Guzman
Laura Melissa Guzman

Assistant Professor

Department of Entomology

Laura Melissa Guzman
  • lmg343 [at] cornell.edu
Meredith Holgerson
Meredith Holgerson

Assistant Professor

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Meredith Holgerson
  • meredith.holgerson [at] cornell.edu
andre kessler
Andre Kessler

Associate Professor

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Andre Kessler
Ed Mabaya headshot
Ed Mabaya

Research Professor

Global Development Section

Director, Humphrey Fellowship Program

Global Development Section

Director, Graduate Field of Global Development

Global Development Section

Ed Mabaya
Applied Economics and Policy
Food and Agricultural Economics
International and Development Economics and Policy
Hannah Marx headshot
Hannah Marx

Assistant Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Biology Section

Hannah Marx
  • hem73 [at] cornell.edu
Biodiversity & Biogeography
Alpine flora
Herbarium and museum science
Chelsea D. Specht
Chelsea Specht

Barbara McClintock Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Biology Section

Chelsea Specht
Plant diversity
Comparative genomics
Evolutionary biology
Hale Ann Tufan headshot
Hale Ann Tufan

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Breeding and Genetics Section

Hale Ann Tufan
Gender equality & social inclusion
Inclusive crop improvement and seed systems
Agricultural research for development
Xiangtao Xu
Xiangtao Xu

Assistant Professor

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Xiangtao Xu
  • xx286 [at] cornell.edu

Get Involved

Image at top of page: In work led by Professor Rebecca Nelson, researchers manually sort maize kernels to detect fungal contamination—laying the groundwork for scaling up with low-cost spectral sorting technology that reduces toxic exposure, preserves edible grain and supports biodiversity in resilient local food systems. Photo by Sasha Israel.