USGS - science for a changing world

Science Topics

Maps, Imagery, and Publications Hazards Newsroom Education Jobs Partnerships Library About USGS Podcasts/RSS
You are here: Regions
Help
Biogeographic regions
Geographic regions characterized chiefly by the dominant forms of plant life and the prevailing climate. [Adapted from American Heritage Dic. of the English Language, 4th ed.]
Alexandria Digital Library Feature Type Thesaurus
Subtopics:
Deserts (10 items)
Forests (7 items)
Grasslands (11 items)
Habitats (2 items)
Shrublands (2 items)
Tundras (3 items)
Wetlands (39 items)
Related topics:
Results 1 - 66 of 68 listed alphabetically [list by similarity]
PDF Amphibian monitoring in the Atchafalaya Basin [More info]
They're abundant in this area, but hard to count reliably. We outline a procedure for estimating the population sizes so that we can determine whether they're increasing or dwindling. We must both listen for their calls and visually confirm them.
An overview of coastal land loss with emphasis on the southeastern United States [More info]
Comprehensive background information on coastal land loss, discussing the influence of waves and storms, the intrinsic characteristics of the shoreline materials, and the role of human activities.
Atchafalaya & Mississippi River Deltas study: a tale of two deltas [More info]
Project of the Gulf of Mexico Integrated Science program that evaluates the transport and sedimentation of contaminates through the Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River delta to the near-shore Gulf of Mexico. Includes aerial photographs.
PDF Avian conservation in the Prairie Pothole Region, Northern Great Plains-Understanding the links between climate, ecosystem processes, wetland management, and bird communities [More info]
Small wetlands in this large area have hosted migratory birds for a long time, but with changes in agricultural practice and regional climate those habitats may not remain hospitable to the wild populations.
Biological and ecotoxicological characteristics of terrestrial vertebrates residing in estuaries [More info]
Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) program is designed to assess and monitor the effects of environmental contaminants on biological resources with links to detailed information on specific species.
Biological resource status and trends: Desert ecosystems [More info]
Information concerning status and trends of biological resources, focusing on desert ecosystems
Biological resource status and trends: Forest ecosystems [More info]
Information concerning status and trends of biological resources, focusing on Forest ecosystems
Biological resource status and trends: Grassland ecosystems [More info]
Information concerning status and trends of biological resources, focusing on Grassland ecosystems
Biological soil crusts [More info]
Explains biological soil crusts, organism-produced soil formations commonly found in semiarid and arid environments, with special reference to their biological composition, physical characteristics, and ecological significance.
PDF Biological soil crusts: webs of life in the desert [More info]
Fact sheet on the need to protect biological soil crusts in the desert. These crusts are most of the soil surface in deserts not covered by green plants and are inhabited by cyanobacterium (blue-green algae) and other organisms useful to the ecosystem.
PDF Burrowing owls winter in south Texas [More info]
Experimental use of artificial burrows in south Texas to help in conservation of the migratory burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) that breed in dry grasslands using animal burrows.
Changing Arctic ecosystems-Research to understand and project changes in marine and terrestrial ecosystems of the Arctic [More info]
Three themes of ongoing research: forecasting polar bear and walrus population response to changing marine ecosystems; measuring wildlife population changes in the Arctic coastal plain, and wildlife communities in the boreal-Arctic transition zone.
Characterization of macroalgal epiphytes on Thalassia testudinum in Tampa Bay, Florida [More info]
Identification of epiphytes (plants obtaining moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and usually living on another plant) on seaweed in Tampa Bay, Florida. Abstract of symposium presentation with photos.
Classification of natural ponds and lakes in the glaciated prairie region [More info]
Presents a wetland classification system that reflects seasonal, regional, and local variations in the environment.
Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States [More info]
Detailed publication on the classification system for an inventory of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States used to describe ecological taxa and arrange them in a system useful to resource managers.
Coastal Prairie Research Program, National Wetlands Research Center [More info]
Coverage of the Coastal Prairie Ecology Research (CPER) Team, National Wetlands Research Center, providing scientific information to aid the conservation, management, and restoration of ecosystems in the greater coastal prairie region.
Contributions of the Conservation Reserve Program to populations of breeding birds in North Dakota [More info]
Assessment of the importance of the Conservation Reserve Program in preventing the decline of grassland breeding birds by preserving grassland habitats in North Dakota. Published as Wilson Bulletin v. 107 no. 4, pp. 709-718 (1995).
Digital representation of tree species range maps from "Atlas of United States trees" by Elbert L. Little, Jr. (and other publications) [More info]
Maps of the ranges of tree species in North America compiled by Elbert Little and others were digitized for use in USGS vegetation and climate modeling studies. Can be downloaded as ArcView shapefiles and in PDF graphic files.
Duckdata: a bibliographic data base of North American waterfowl (Anatidae) and their wetland habitat [More info]
Comprehensive bibliography on the ecology, conservation, and management of North American waterfowl and their wetland habitats. Facilitates searching or downloading as *.zip files and use with ProCite utility.
Earthshots, satellite images of environmental change [More info]
Satellite images of geographic areas of interest, cities, deserts, glaciers, geologic features, disaster areas, water bodies, and wildlife linked with articles, maps, and other images such as AVHRR, photographs, and special project images.
Ecosystems of South Florida [More info]
An overview with brief descriptions and photographs of some of South Florida's unique ecosystems.
Effects of Building a Sand Barrier Berm to Mitigate the Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Louisiana Marshes [More info]
An assessment of the potential protective effects on coastal marshes in Louisiana of building barrier berms seaward of the existing barrier islands and inlets to help block or reduce the onshore spread of oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Effects of management practices on grassland birds [More info]
Links to grassland bird species with detailed descriptions and bibliographic database in *.zip files to download in ProCite 5, Rich Text Format or ASCII formats.
PDF Estuaries of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem: Laboratories of Long-term Change [More info]
Explains how we reconstruct past environmental conditions, especially salinity, to help guide ecosystem restoration efforts in this area.
EverView Data Viewer [More info]
Software and data to help people model the likely response of populations of organisms to various strategies that might be employed to remedy the effects of damaged ecosystems.
Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) for support of biological and ecological assessments [More info]
Integrated network of real-time water-level monitoring, ground-elevation modeling, and water-surface modeling that provides scientists and managers with current on-line water-depth information for the entire freshwater portion of the Greater Everglades.
PDF Examination of brine contamination risk to aquatic resources from petroleum development in the Williston Basin [More info]
Wetlands and oil wells shouldn't mix, but in some areas they do. This explains what problems may arise and how we study the effects of highly salty water produced by oil wells when it leaks into nearby wetlands and streams.
Fire ecology research [More info]
Study of wildland fire history and fire ecology such as plants in the Sierra Nevada forests, California shrublands, the Mojave, and Sonoran deserts to develop management techniques that will reduce hazards.
PDF Floristic Quality Index: An assessment tool for restoration projects and monitoring sites in coastal Louisiana [More info]
Explains how we assessed the quality of a wetland as indicated by its plant species composition and abundance for marsh and swamp sites, to summarize the effectiveness of restoration projects in Louisiana.
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center: Fact Sheets [More info]
Access to Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center fact sheets on fish, fish diseases, aquatic resources, and other projects and activities.
Forest and rangeland birds of the United States: natural history and habitat use [More info]
Catalog of bird species common to forest and rangeland habitats in the U.S. with natural histories including taxonomic information, range, and habitat descriptions to assist land managers in resource management. Text available as a *.zip file.
Galveston Bay Wetland Inventory Project [More info]
Links to reports, partners, principal investigators, maps, aerial photos, and contacts for the Galveston Bay Wetland Inventory Project.
Geology of Death Valley National Park [More info]
Site has links to Death Valley's geologic history, rocks and minerals, geologic time, geologic maps.
Geology of Mojave National Preserve [More info]
Site has links to Mohave National Preserve: geologic field trips, geologic history, plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, geologic time, geologic maps, and glossary.
Gulf of Mexico Estuaries Integrated Science Strategy [More info]
A white paper describing a plan for USGS research in Gulf of Mexico estuaries, developed in 2001 using Tampa Bay as an example with links to program strategy and design.
Gulf of Mexico Integrated Science [More info]
Website of the Gulf of Mexico Integrated Science program to understand the framework and processes of the Gulf of Mexico using Tampa Bay as a pilot study. Links to publications, digital library, water chemistry maps, epiphytes, and field trips.
Hurricane Katrina photographs August 30, 2005 [More info]
Photographic survey of the impacts of Hurricane Katrina on the barrier islands, barrier shoreline, and the Mississippi River Delta along the Louisiana coastline. Primary focus is on the ecosystems such as fish, rookeries, and seagrass beds.
PDF Integrated monitoring of ecological conditions in wetland-upland landscapes [More info]
Landscapes of interwoven wetlands and uplands offer a rich set of ecosystem goods and services. Changes in climate and land use can affect the value of those services. We study these areas to understand how they may be changing.
International Polar Year 2007-2008 [More info]
Scientific studies on the polar regions will receive greater attention during 2007-2008 as a result of USGS participation in the International Polar Year, coordinated in the US by the National Research Council, NSF, and NASA.
PDF Inventory and protection of salt marshes from risks of sea-level rise at Acadia National Park, Maine [More info]
Will salt marshes survive if sea level rises quickly? The answer depends on whether the areas surrounding them can allow salt marsh fauna and flora to migrate there. Local topography, both natural and manmade, is the main factor limiting this migration.
Managing habitat for grassland birds: a guide for Wisconsin [More info]
Guide to identification, selection, and management of grassland habitats in Wisconsin to conserve the populations of grassland birds. Includes glossary, references, bird lists, graphs, and maps.
PDF Mapping grasslands suitable for cellulosic biofuels in the Greater Platte River Basin, United States [More info]
Study to identify grasslands that may be suitable for cellulosic feedstock production. Producing ethanol from non-cropland areas such as grassland will minimize the effects of biofuel developments on global food supplies.
PDF Mapping perennial vegetation cover in the Mojave Desert [More info]
Field data and satellite images allow us to make a calibrated model of percent vegetation cover, which we can use to inform scientific investigations and land management efforts.
North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP) [More info]
The North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP) is a long-term monitoring program designed to track the status and trends of frog and toad populations with links to data access, protocol, and how to volunteer as an observer.
Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center [More info]
Geographical isolation of the Hawaiian Islands has resulted in the evolution of endemic species unique in the world. Research at the Center aims at preventing the further extinction of these species. Links to projects, publications and other data.
Polar Bear research at the Alaska Science Center [More info]
Ecological studies of polar bears including population dynamics, dependence on sea ice, and tracking methods.
Recoverability and vulnerability of desert ecosystems [More info]
Research results (publications, photographs, maps) on ecological processes within the Mojave Desert Ecosystem to provide land managers with scientific understanding and tools needed to conserve and restore threatened desert landscapes.
PDF SAGEMAP: a web-based spatial dataset for sage grouse and sagebrush steppe management in the Intermountain West [More info]
Links to fact sheet describing the database of spatial information on sage grouse and sagebrush habitats.
Savanna restoration bibliography [More info]
A searchable, living bibliography on the subject of savannas and their restoration.
PDF Shoreline surveys of oil-impacted marsh in southern Louisiana, July to August 2010 [More info]
Locations of survey points, a photographic record of each site, field observations of vegetation cover and descriptions of oil coverage in the water and on plants, including measurements of the distance of oil penetration from the shoreline.
South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) [More info]
Portal of the South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) system providing multiple links to projects, products, information, and data for research, decision-making, and resource management of the South Florida ecosystem restoration effort.
South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) projects by topic [More info]
Links to explore South Florida and the Everglades ecosystem projects arranged by topic and subtopic, including proposals, project summaries, scopes of work, work plans, publications, and contacts.
South Florida Restoration Science Forum [More info]
Discussions and posters about agriculture, ecology, hydrology, ecosystems, and resource management efforts in south Florida.
South Florida Virtual Tour [More info]
A pictorial overview for general audiences of key landscapes and ecosystems in South Florida; includes extensive references and links to past and current research activities relating to the South Florida ecosystem restoration effort.
Tampa Bay Estuary Interactive Mapping System (IMS) [More info]
Interactive Mapping Service (IMS) is an Internet based Geographic Information System designed to provide users with online mapping capability of habitats, land use and land cover, and seagrass for areas of Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay Study [More info]
Overview of interdisciplinary research on the Tampa Bay estuary of the Gulf of Mexico with links to digital library, interactive mapping, reports, posters, water chemistry maps, meetings and conferences, scientist directory, and field trips.
Tampa Bay estuary digital library [More info]
Database entry page to search keywords and product type (document, map, data, metadata, photos, video, animation, aerial photo) for information on the Tampa Bay estuary and related research studies.
The Marine Realms Information Bank family of digital libraries: Access to free online information for coastal and marine science [More info]
An introduction to three related USGS digital libraries: the general-purpose Marine Realms Information Bank (MRIB); the regionally focused Monterey Bay Science (MBS) Digital Library; and the topically focused Coastal Change Hazards (CCH) Digital Library.
The South Florida environment-- a region under stress [More info]
This report serves as an environmental review and framework for developing USGS programs in the south Florida ecosystem, especially the Everglades and its watershed, and stresses the critical role of water in natural and human environment.
The heat is on: Desert tortoises and survival (video) [More info]
30-minute video (and transcript) about desert tortoises, their habitats, and USGS efforts to aid their recovery.
Tides and inflows in the mangroves of the Everglades (TIME) [More info]
Links for the Tides and Inflows in the Mangroves of the Everglades (TIME) project on the effects of freshwater and tidal flows on the Everglades mangroves. With links to software & manuals, time data, photos, animations, and bibliography.
PDF USGS research on Florida's isolated freshwater wetlands [More info]
Explains the geologic and hydrologic setting of freshwater wetlands and shows how USGS scientists study these areas.
PDF Unearthing Secrets of the Forest [More info]
Understanding how carbon and nutrients cycle in forests (forest biogeochemistry) is crucial for evaluating productivity, composition, diversity and change in forests.
Waste disposal and contaminant migration in the arid Southwest: Amargosa Desert Research Site, Nevada [More info]
Links to studies at the Amargosa Desert Research Site by the USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program studying the subsurface migration and fate of contaminants in arid environments. Links to news, remediation, photos, bibliography and techniques.
PDF Wetland fire remote sensing research -- The Greater Everglades example [More info]
The U.S. Geological Survey uses remote sensing to improve fire-management databases in the Everglades, gain insights into post-fire land-cover dynamics, and develop spatial and temporal fire-scar data for habitat and hydrologic modeling.
Wetland restoration bibliography [More info]
This bibliography is intended to provide scientists, managers, educational institutions (or students), and policy-makers with online access to current information on wetland restoration.
Result pages: 1 2 NextAll
Alphabetical Index of Topics a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

Take Pride in America logo USA.gov logo U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.usgs.gov/science//science/science.php?term=112&type=feature&order=alpha&b=0&n=66
Page Contact Information: Ask USGS