UN SDG 15 logo"

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

UN Sustainable Development Goal 15 life on land

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

Featured Efforts

Zahra Ali, a Ph.D. student studying in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA) in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), discusses plans for a Bridgeport waterfront project in the landscape architecture studio space in the Wilfred B. Young Building (YNG). Oct. 3, 2025. (Jason Sheldon/UConn Photo)

Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA)

The Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA) is a "collaborative community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to UConn's land-grant mission of education, research, and extension." PSLA undergraduate and graduate programs include engaging coursework and hands-on, experiential learning opportunities that prepare students to make meaningful contributions to addressing global challenges. Research focus areas include climate and biodiversity, landscape visualization and representation, soil science, design activism and social justice, and many more.

 

About PSLA

View of the EEB Biodiversity Education & Research Greenhouses  from the School of Pharmacy/Biology Building on Sept. 2, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)

Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EEB)

The Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EEB) Department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) specializes in the study of biodiversity, evolution, and conservation. Using "modern statistical, molecular/genomic, and visualization tools," EEB students and faculty study the mechanisms and maintenance of biodiversity, interactions between and among species, and the relationships between organisms and their environments. EEB research takes place in the field and in the lab, spanning a range of topics such as habitat loss, invasive species, phylogenetics and systematics, adaptations, and more.

About EEB

Blue and purple flowers sit in the flowerbed in front of the UConn gateway sign along Route 195 on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a sustainable approach to managing pests that helps protect crops, landscapes, and the environment. UConn Extension's IPM program provides workshops and trainings, online resources, and pest alerts to educate Connecticut farmers, land managers, residents, and other public entities on various topics, including the safe use of organic/synthetic pesticides, pesticide alternatives, pollinator protection, and more. Program areas include a range of applications, such as vegetable crops, greenhouse crops, turf and landscape, and invasive species.

About IPM at UConn

A yellow attention sign noting the presence of an invasive plant, Japanese knotweed.

Invasive Plant Certificate Course

The UConn Extension online Invasive Plant Certificate course prepares participants to manage invasive plant species using "effective, science-based procedures." The course is fully online and asynchronous, allowing students to learn at their own pace. Topics include invasive plant ecology, how to identify invasive plants, management strategies for terrestrial and aquatic invasive plants, and proper pesticide use and regulations in Connecticut.

 

About the course

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Click the boxes below to learn more about UConn's contributions to each of the SDGs.