Welcome to the Southwest Biological Science Center
Terrestrial Systems: Ecology, Biology, and Restoration
High-Flow Experiments on the Colorado River
SBSC Tribal Partnerships
Southwest Biological Science Center
Welcome to the Southwest Biological Science Center! We conduct quality, objective research on the terrestrial and aquatic systems of the Colorado Plateau, Colorado River and its tributaries, drylands across the larger Southwest US, and beyond.
Terrestrial Dryland Ecology (TDE)
Terrestrial Dryland Ecology (TDE)
The Terrestrial Dryland Ecology (TDE) Branch of the SBSC studies the biology, ecology,and processes of semi-arid and arid lands (known as drylands). TDE researchers study plant-soil-water relationships and the wildlife found in drylands.
GCMRC, River Ecosystem Science & Lake Powell Research
GCMRC, River Ecosystem Science & Lake Powell Research
The River Ecosystem Science (RES) Branch of the SBSC, which includes the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC), studies the biology, ecology, and processes of rivers in the western United States, with an emphasis on the Southwest.
Quick Links
Quick Links
- New Tools for Modern Land Management Decisions
- Research supporting native plant restoration across the Colorado Plateau & beyo…
- Restoration Assessment & Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS)
- SBSC Tribal Partnerships
- The Southwest Repeat Photography Collection
- Modeling the impacts of Glen Canyon Dam operations on downstream Colorado River…
- Colorado River Basin Science across the USGS
News
RAMPS Newsletter - Spring 2024
RAMPS Newsletter - Spring 2024
Biological Science Technician jobs open at the SBSC
Biological Science Technician jobs open at the SBSC
In a recently published study, FORT scientists and collaborators synthesize data from 26,729 post-burn vegetation plots to determine the effects of fire and climate on non-native plant invasion
In a recently published study, FORT scientists and collaborators synthesize data from 26,729 post-burn vegetation plots to determine the effects of fire and climate on non-native plant invasion
Publications
Resilience is not enough: Toward a more meaningful rangeland adaptation science
Rangeland ecosystems, and their managers, face the growing urgency of climate change impacts. Researchers are therefore seeking integrative social-ecological frameworks that can enhance adaptation by managers to these climate change dynamics through tighter linkages among multiple scientific disciplines and manager contexts. Social-ecological framings, including resilience and vulnerability, are p
Dryland soil recovery after disturbance across soil and climate gradients of the Colorado Plateau
Drylands impacted by energy development often require costly reclamation activities to reconstruct damaged soils and vegetation, yet little is known about the effectiveness of reclamation practices in promoting recovery of soil quality due to a lack of long-term and cross-site studies. Here, we examined paired on-pad and adjacent undisturbed off-pad soil properties over a 22-year chronosequence of
Biological soil crusts are more prevalent in warmer and drier environments within the Great Basin ecoregion: Implications for managing annual grass invasion
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) can thrive under environmental conditions that are stressful for vascular plants such as high temperatures and/or extremely low moisture availability. In these settings, and in the absence of disturbance, cover of biocrusts commonly exceeds cover of vascular plants. Arid landscapes are also typically slow to recover from disturbance and prone to altered vegetatio
Science
Rainbow Trout in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon
Rainbow trout are a desirable sport fish that have been introduced in many locations around the world, including the Colorado River. Although introductions of rainbow trout and other nonnative fishes provide recreational fishing opportunities, they can also pose threats to native fish populations. The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program has tasked scientists and managers with identifying...
USGS Colorado River Basin Science
The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, a branch of the Southwest Biological Science Center, conducts scientific assessments of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, focused primarily on Lake Powell and the river ecosystem downstream of Glen Canyon Dam. On this page, we'd like to share related interactive tools and projects by other USGS Centers that cover science across the upper and lower...
Modeling the impacts of Glen Canyon Dam operations on downstream Colorado River resources
USGS Southwest Biological Science Center's Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center leadership and PIs prepared a cooperator publication and a presentation that report on modeling results to evaluate potential effects of reservoir management on various resources in Lake Powell and Grand Canyon.