FORT economists and social scientists investigate the complex relationship between nature and humans
Research includes studies of outdoor recreation, wildfire risk assessments, and economic impacts of invasive grasses.
Research includes studies of outdoor recreation, wildfire risk assessments, and economic impacts of invasive grasses.
FORT scientists produce tools and research for better management of invasive species
FORT invasive species research spans a wide range of taxonomic groups and landscapes, from python invaders in the Everglades to annual grasses that exacerbate wildland fire risk in the western United states.
FORT invasive species research spans a wide range of taxonomic groups and landscapes, from python invaders in the Everglades to annual grasses that exacerbate wildland fire risk in the western United states.
FORT researchers improve methods for effective monitoring and management of wild horses and burros.
FORT researchers produce cutting-edge science and resource mapping to inform energy development in southwestern Wyoming
FORT scientists investigate infectious diseases like chronic wasting disease, plague, and white-nose syndrome to support the management of wildlife populations
FORT Laboratories and Facilities like the Molecular Ecology Lab provide essential capabilities to support the Department of Interior
FORT researchers conduct world-class science on the effects and consequences of drought across the western United States
Fort Collins Science Center
Welcome to the Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) located in Fort Collins, Colorado, just east of the Rocky Mountains. At FORT we develop and disseminate research-based information and tools needed to understand the nation’s biological resources in support of effective decision making.
North American Bat Monitoring Program
North American Bat Monitoring Program
The North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) is an international, interagency program designed to monitor bat distributions and abundances on public and private lands, and provide trend data at the state, provincial, tribal, regional, and range-wide scales.
Burmese Pythons Invade the Everglades
Burmese Pythons Invade the Everglades
The Florida Everglades encompass a vast subtropical ecosystem. Billions of dollars have been committed to the long-term restoration of this ecosystem, but burgeoning populations of introduced and invasive reptiles threaten prospects for restoration.
News
USGS and partners publish a structured science synthesis (SSS) about the effects of nonmotorized recreation on ungulates
USGS and partners publish a structured science synthesis (SSS) about the effects of nonmotorized recreation on ungulates
U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy, 2025–35—A Review and Look Forward
U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy, 2025–35—A Review and Look Forward
Scientists with the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) coauthor new, more comprehensive method for estimating bat species distributions and trends over time
Scientists with the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) coauthor new, more comprehensive method for estimating bat species distributions and trends over time
Publications
Coelomic foreign bodies in wild-caught Python spp. in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, Florida, USA Coelomic foreign bodies in wild-caught Python spp. in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, Florida, USA
Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) and African rock pythons (Python sebae) have established invasive populations in southern Florida, severely disrupting local ecosystems. We analysed necropsy data from 2,179 pythons captured between 2006 and 2022, revealing nine cases of coelomic foreign bodies, primarily consisting of bird beaks, which presumably entered the coelom following...
Molecular evolution of TRPC4 regulatory sequences supports a role in mammalian thermoregulatory adaptation Molecular evolution of TRPC4 regulatory sequences supports a role in mammalian thermoregulatory adaptation
BackgroundProteins encoded by the canonical transient receptor potential (Trpc) gene family form transmembrane channels involved in diverse signal-transduction pathways. Trpc4 has been shown necessary for the induction of nonshivering thermogenesis (NST) in mice, a key component of which is thermogenic brown adipose tissue (BAT). In bats, Trpc4 exhibited diversifying selection within...
Adapting visitor use management under a changing climate across the U.S. National Park System Adapting visitor use management under a changing climate across the U.S. National Park System
Research shows that climate change is already affecting both resources and visitors in U.S. National Parks. We sought to better understand if and how park staff across the National Park Service are adapting to climatic changes that affect visitor use, as well as barriers and challenges to adaptation and information needs. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 63 staff...
Science
USGS Science Syntheses for Public Lands Management
Scientific information is fundamental to understanding how proposed actions on public lands may impact the environment. Development of new science is occurring at rates that can make it challenging for biologists, resource managers, decision makers, private landowners, and other stakeholders to ensure they are using up-to-date, high-quality science information to inform their decisions. Further...
Research to support conservation of America’s national mammal, the bison
Once numbering in the tens of millions, plains bison ( Bison bison bison) were nearly driven to extinction with only a few hundred individuals remaining by the late 19th century. Plains bison have since recovered to approximately 20,000 animals managed in conservation herds throughout North America, yet substantial challenges to their recovery remain. The Department of the Interior (DOI) stewards...
Feasibility of Remote Sensing Data Sets for Evaluation of Next Generation Fire Behavior Models
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are working with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) to advance efforts to deploy next generation fire behavior models through a research-to-operations transition to enable land managers to use advanced modeling tools for real-time decision making. As part of this effort, USGS is leading an...
