Images

A Swainson's hawk perched on top of a utility pole in southwest Idaho on a bright, sunny day.

A prairie falcon perched on a utility pole in Colorado holding its prey, a Eurasian collared dove, in its talons.

A field of three-tip sagebrush at sunset in Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in southern Idaho.

A red-tailed hawk perched on a power pole in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in southern Idaho.

A ferruginous hawk perched on a power transmission structure in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in southern Idaho.

A fruiting spiney hopsage (Gravia spinosa) plant in a sagebrush steppe landscape in the Owyhee Mountains of Idaho. Project ROAM (Rapid and Other Methods for Assessment and Monitoring) plots are sampled across a variety of rangeland ecosystems. 

This site south of Rock Springs in Wyoming represents an intact sagebrush ecosystem. It has not been burned or invaded by exotic annual grasses. Undisturbed sagebrush steppe has bare ground between shrubs which helps to limit the spread of wildfire. When cheatgrass invades fires can grow larger.

Paddle cactus and calochortus lily in a meadow full of native needle and thread grass in Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in southern Idaho.

Lake Abert, Oregon is one of the 20 terminal lakes identified by USGS partners as priority ecosystems for study by the Saline Lakes Ecosystems IWAA.

The Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Waterbird Movement Project began tagging American Avocets in March 2023 to track their movements across the landscape. Tracking data from these birds will help scientists better understand why these birds choose to use the terminal lake and wetland habitats they do in the Great Basin.

American Avocet are a bird that relies heavily on the Saline Lakes ecosystem during their spring migration periods. Over 50% of these birds exist here. Part of their use includes using the terminal lakes there to breed. 

A quadcopter drone rests on the orange landing pad, ready to fly over Rapid and Other Methods for Assessment and Monitoring (ROAM) plots to collect data that will be used to generate cover and density estimates.

A large quadcopter drone rests on the tailgate of a truck waiting to fly with hyperspectral imagery to estimate vegetation cover. 

A meadow in City of Rocks National Reserve full of native shrubs and grasses, as well as penstemon (purple), paintbrush (orange), and hooker's balsam (yellow). This healthy meadow ecosystem is bordered by pinyon pine trees.

A field crew team member hiking to a monitoring plot at the site of the Martin Fire in northern Nevada

Smallmouth Bass are good indicators of methylmercury exposure to humans and wildlife because they are a common, popular sport fish and eat a variety of food during their lifetime. Juvenile Smallmouth Bass – smaller than 150mm in length - eat zooplankton, or microscopic animals.

Scientists driving towards a sampling point within the area burned by the Martin Fire near Elko, Nevada. The team is collecting data on plant cover and collecting soil samples for a collaborative project with the Bureau of Land Management's Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation program.

Eared grebes in a courtship behavior in the Great Salt Lake. They are one of many migratory birds in the Great Basin that rely on terminal lakes and wetlands in the area to stop rest and feed. 

Photograph of Summer Lake Wildlife Area, an important stopping spot for migratory birds on their spring and fall migration flights. 

Cheatgrass growing in a high-density plot covered in black gravel. Black gravel warms the soil surface. The colors on the toothpicks indicate the genotype of cheatgrass planted. Researchers selected a variety of genotypes—plants of the same species that are genetically distinct—that are found locally.

An x-ray image taken during an examination to determine the cause of death of a bald eagle found along power lines near Jordan Valley, Oregon. The eagle was determined to have died from gunshot, shotgun pellets are visible as bright white speckles.