The URI college of the environment and life sciences (CELS) is the home of rhode island's agricultural experiment station (AES) and cooperative extension (extension)

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of Rhode Island $237,358 under the Cooperative Forestry Research program (CFDA 10.202) on October 1, 2025.

The award funds McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research conducted through the College of the Environment and Life Sciences, which houses Rhode Island's Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension. The University will provide new understanding of soil and microbial processes influencing soil carbon storage capacity in forest soils at different stages of successional development, with findings intended to support the development of accurate forest carbon inventories that combine tree carbon data with soil carbon measurements. These comprehensive inventories will assist land resource managers in Rhode Island and throughout Southern New England in developing carbon management plans in collaboration with local and state policy makers. The University will also produce wildlife modeling maps documenting species movement, habitat use, and community structure to inform conservation, human-wildlife interactions, and land-use planning across multiple spatial scales and levels of biological organization.

The period of performance runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. Work is performed in Kingston, Rhode Island. The University of Rhode Island operates as a child entity of the State of Rhode Island.

URI's land grant programs address a wide range of national issues, with an emphasis on the needs of our state. Our mcintire stennis programs focus on forest soil health, water quality, and wildlife management. Outcomes/deliverables mcintire stennis cooperative forestry research: provide new understanding of the soil and microbial processes that influence soil carbon storage capacity in forest soils that are at different stages of successional development. This information will be valuable in developing accurate forest carbon inventories that, in addition to carbon inventories in trees, also includes new soil carbon data. More comprehensive forest carbon inventories are expected to assist land resource managers in rhode island and throughout southern new england in developing carbon management plans in collaboration with local and state policy makers.; produce wildlife modeling maps to document species movement, habitat use, and community structure to inform conservation, human-wildlife interactions, and land-use planning across multiple spatial scales and levels of biological organization