Office of Sustainability

Auburn University features three concentrations for the Organismal Biology Major: Conservation Biology; Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior; and Integrative Biology. Housed in the College of Science and Mathematics, the Organismal Biology degree focuses on the preservation and conservation of diverse biota from a species level to a community level. Many students become involved in the AU Society for Conservation Biology in order to network with their peers and develop professional goals. Students also complete an immersive internship and participate in various undergraduate research opportunities, particularly with the Organization for Tropical Studies and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

The Wildlife Ecology and Management degree program in the College of Forestry Wildlife and Environment provides a broad biological education that is specifically designed to meet the needs of students interested in careers involving wildlife ecology, management, and conservation. Students are exposed to field experiences through outdoor labs and work opportunities and are trained to address issues involving free-ranging wildlife populations. People with wildlife science backgrounds are needed to work in overseeing our natural resources, managing habitats for rare or endangered species, supervising game species for sustainable harvest, and ensuring everyone observes sustainable practices that keep our natural resources available for all to enjoy.

The Kreher Preserve and Nature Center’s (KPNC) mission is to “promote a sense of stewardship toward nature through quality environmental education, recreation, and outreach programs with Auburn University and its community partners.” Through various programs, camps, and educational sessions, the KPNC helps to educate the general public and upcoming leaders to appreciate the value of native species in an ecosystem. Comprised of 120 acres, the center provides an amphitheater, interactive check points, and a community garden. The KPNC welcomed a record-breaking number of visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than a 30 percent increase during summer 2020, many of them first time visitors.

The Donald E. Davis Arboretum is a 13.5-acre botanic garden facility supported by the College of Sciences and Mathematics. It provides visitors with a place to enjoy a natural setting and experience the native plants and habitats of Alabama. The Arboretum functions as a plant museum and has at its core a living collection of scientifically ordered plants with provenance documentation. It functions as an outdoor classroom for university classes, local schools, and community groups. The primary purposes of the Arboretum are conservation, education, and research. The Arboretum also uniquely works to protect the campus’ natural resource areas, which fulfills AU’s sustainability objectives.

Housed in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, the Tree Physiological Ecology Lab studies how stimuli affect tree populations and examines heatwaves and climate impacts on such ecosystems. The lab has the objective to “inform predictions of species and ecosystem responses to environmental change”, “inform sustainable management of grassland and forest ecosystems,” and “provide data for improving our quantitative and predictive understanding of physiological responses to environmental change, and their representation in process-based models.” The use of glasshouse studies and large chambers helps to measure ecosystem resiliency in the face of the modern climate crisis.

The “Old Rotation,” managed by the College of Agriculture, is the oldest continuous cotton experiment in the world. The “Old Rotation” was one of the first experiments to demonstrate and document the value of rotating cotton with other crops and including nitrogen-restoring legumes in the system. Information from this test provided evidence that rotation with legumes could sustain and actually improve yields of cotton and corn in Alabama soils. This experiment has supported research on productivity, soil and environmental quality, and sustainable agriculture. This experiment demonstrates that sustainability has been a fundamental element of Auburn University’s teaching, research, and outreach from the beginning.