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Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Scientists from the Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center capitalize on their diverse expertise to answer scientific questions shaped by the environments of the western United States. We collaborate with each other and with partners to provide rigorous, objective, and timely information and guidance to support management, conservation, and restoration of the Nation's natural resources.

News

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA February 2025 Seminar

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA February 2025 Seminar

Post-fire recovery of sagebrush-steppe is better explained by elevation than resistance and resilience indicators

Post-fire recovery of sagebrush-steppe is better explained by elevation than resistance and resilience indicators

Local adaptation is related to temperature variation in two stream frog species

Local adaptation is related to temperature variation in two stream frog species

Publications

Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) abundance in a National Conservation Area in Idaho has increased since the 1970s–1990s

The Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA), in southwestern Idaho, USA supports a large population of breeding Prairie Falcons (Falco mexicanus). Abundance of Prairie Falcons in the NCA was previously monitored in 1976–1978 and 1990–1994. That research indicated maximum counts for each period in 1976 and 1992 and a possible population decline across that...
Authors
Steven Alsup, James R. Belthoff, Karen Steenhof, Michael N. Kochert, Todd E. Katzner

Post-fire recovery of sagebrush-steppe communities is better explained by elevation than climate-derived indicators of resistance and resilience

More landscapes require restoration than can feasibly be treated, and so decision-support tools to prioritize areas for treatment are needed. Moreover, restoration is complicated by the threat of biological invasion in disturbed areas, and so indicators of ecosystem resistance to invasion and resilience to disturbance (hereafter R&R) are important candidate criteria for prioritizing...
Authors
Cara Applestein, Matthew Germino

Population genomics reveals local adaptation related to temperature variation in two stream frog species: Implications for vulnerability to climate warming

Identifying populations at highest risk from climate change is a critical component of conservation efforts. However, vulnerability assessments are usually applied at the species level, even though intraspecific variation in exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity play a crucial role in determining vulnerability. Genomic data can inform intraspecific vulnerability by identifying...
Authors
Brenna R. Forester, Amanda S. Cicchino, Alisha A. Shah, Austin B. Mudd, Eric C. Anderson, Jessen V. Bredeson, Andrew J. Crawford, Jason B. Dunham, Cameron K. Ghalambor, Erin L. Landguth, Brent W. Murray, Daniel Rokhsar, W. Chris Funk

Science

Predicting Burn Risk to Land Management Investments

Land management treatments in sagebrush steppe are an important opportunity to break the annual-grass fire cycle, provided they offer long-lasting resistance to annual-grass invasion and do not burn. However, for areas seeded as part of the Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) program-- one of the largest programs for land management treatments-- about 1/4 have at least partially...
link

Predicting Burn Risk to Land Management Investments

Land management treatments in sagebrush steppe are an important opportunity to break the annual-grass fire cycle, provided they offer long-lasting resistance to annual-grass invasion and do not burn. However, for areas seeded as part of the Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) program-- one of the largest programs for land management treatments-- about 1/4 have at least partially...
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Conservation Efforts Database

The Conservation Efforts Database (CED) is a secure online data repository that collects, stores, and retrieves spatially explicit, spatially obscure, and non-spatial information on species and habitat conservation and management actions. The CED is designed to allow data collection from all interested partners including federal, state, local, non-government organizations, universities, private...
link

Conservation Efforts Database

The Conservation Efforts Database (CED) is a secure online data repository that collects, stores, and retrieves spatially explicit, spatially obscure, and non-spatial information on species and habitat conservation and management actions. The CED is designed to allow data collection from all interested partners including federal, state, local, non-government organizations, universities, private...
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National Fuels Treatment and Post-fire Treatment Effectiveness Assessment Strategies

Managing wildland fuels and post-fire environments are key strategies to reduce the risk and negative impacts of wildfire, and can even promote beneficial effects of wildfire. Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey are reviewing, summarizing, and analyzing what is currently known about fuel treatment and post-fire treatment effectiveness in the United States. Monitoring and evaluating the...
link

National Fuels Treatment and Post-fire Treatment Effectiveness Assessment Strategies

Managing wildland fuels and post-fire environments are key strategies to reduce the risk and negative impacts of wildfire, and can even promote beneficial effects of wildfire. Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey are reviewing, summarizing, and analyzing what is currently known about fuel treatment and post-fire treatment effectiveness in the United States. Monitoring and evaluating the...
Learn More
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