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Explore the Fort Collins Science Center Research Portfolio

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FORT researchers produce cutting edge tools for monitoring and conserving sage-grouse

Learn more about all of our sage-grouse research projects

FORT economists and social scientists investigate the complex relationship between nature and humans

Research includes studies of visitor impacts on parks, wildfire risk assessments, and economic impacts of invasive grasses.

Learn more about social and economic analysis research at FORT

FORT scientists produce tools and research for better management of invasive species

From pythons in the Everglades, to annual grasses invading the western United States, FORT invasive species research spans a wide range of taxonomic groups and landscapes.

Learn more about our Invasive Species research

FORT researchers improve methods for monitoring, management, and conservation of wildlife.

Learn more about FORT's work in wildlife management and conservation.

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.

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North American Bat Monitoring Program

Little Brown Bat and Indiana Bats

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. 

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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.

Invasives Species

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Research Ecologist Jill Baron coauthors study finding no effect of road proximity on nitrogen deposition in a complex, mountainous terrain

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FORT Research Economist Aaron Enriquez to present research on salmon economics in a meeting at the University of Alaska Anchorage

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FORT scientists develop density-habitat relationships and density distribution maps to guide management of 11 songbird species in the Intermountain West

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Publications

Proximity to roads does not modify inorganic nitrogen deposition in a topographically complex, high traffic, subalpine forest

Vehicles are an important source for N deposition that may negatively impact roadside ecosystems. While elevated roadside N deposition has been found in many locations, it is not yet known if vehicle emissions cause measurable increases of N deposition in complex, mountainous terrain adjacent to roads. To address this, this study investigated the effect of vehicle N emissions on throughfall (throu
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Katherine S. Rocci, M. Francesca Catrufo, Jill Baron
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Data mining reveals tissue-specific expression and host lineage-associated forms of Apis mellifera filamentous virus

Apis mellifera filamentous virus (AmFV) is a large double-stranded DNA virus of uncertain phylogenetic position that infects honey bees (Apis mellifera). Little is known about AmFV evolution or molecular aspects of infection. Accurate annotation of open-reading frames (ORFs) is challenged by weak homology to other known viruses. This study was undertaken to evaluate ORFs (including coding-frame co
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Robert S. Cornman
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Living on the edge: Predicting songbird response to management and environmental changes across an ecotone

Effective wildlife management requires robust information regarding population status, habitat requirements, and likely responses to changing resource conditions. Single-species management may inadequately conserve communities and result in undesired effects to non-target species. Thus, management can benefit from understanding habitat relationships for multiple species. Pinyon pine and juniper (P
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Nicholas J. Van Lanen, Adrian P. Monroe, Cameron L. Aldridge
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center
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Science

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Drill rig in the distance off a dirt road in a semi-aid system.

Southwest Energy Exploration, Development, and Reclamation (SWEDR)

Approximately 35% of the US and approximately 82% of DOI lands are “drylands” found throughout the western US. These lands contain oil, gas, oil shale, shale oil, and tar sand deposits and the exploration for and extraction of these resources has resulted in hundreds of thousands of operating and abandoned wells across the West. These arid and semi-arid lands have unique soil and plant communities...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Western Geographic Science Center
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Southwest Energy Exploration, Development, and Reclamation (SWEDR)

Approximately 35% of the US and approximately 82% of DOI lands are “drylands” found throughout the western US. These lands contain oil, gas, oil shale, shale oil, and tar sand deposits and the exploration for and extraction of these resources has resulted in hundreds of thousands of operating and abandoned wells across the West. These arid and semi-arid lands have unique soil and plant communities...
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A mule deer buck stands in grey, icy shrubs, grey rocks in the background

Modeling chronic wasting disease prevalence through time to investigate mechanisms of spread in deer and elk in Wyoming

Diseases are challenging to manage in wild ungulate populations, particularly when there are many ways the disease can spread. Wildlife management agencies often need to take action to control disease spread, but it is unclear which actions are most effective in constraining disease because the importance of different spread mechanisms is not fully understood. This project will aid state wildlife...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
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Modeling chronic wasting disease prevalence through time to investigate mechanisms of spread in deer and elk in Wyoming

Diseases are challenging to manage in wild ungulate populations, particularly when there are many ways the disease can spread. Wildlife management agencies often need to take action to control disease spread, but it is unclear which actions are most effective in constraining disease because the importance of different spread mechanisms is not fully understood. This project will aid state wildlife...
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photo of dirt road cutting through sagebrush habitat, blue partly cloudy skies above

Gunnison Sage-grouse Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET)

In partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and other partners, scientists from USGS Fort Collins Science Center are working to create a suite of prioritization scenarios that will inform adaptive management for Gunnison sage-grouse.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center, Wildland Fire Science
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Gunnison Sage-grouse Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET)

In partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and other partners, scientists from USGS Fort Collins Science Center are working to create a suite of prioritization scenarios that will inform adaptive management for Gunnison sage-grouse.
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Multimedia

close-up of cheatgrass stalk in a field of cheatgrass
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Cheatgrass
photo of burned landscape, with dead trees and yellow grass
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Burned landscape
Photograph of a green, hilly landscape with mountains in the background
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Green Landscape
Photo of a table with USGS blanket, USGS pamphlets, and a series of objects. Chair, flags, and window in background.
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Table at Tribal Engagement Serise
four people sit in chairs in front of a screen, two flags next to the screen and podium on stage. Off stage, a dozen people sit in classroom seats watching the people on stage.
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USGS scientists participate in a panel as part of the Tribal Engagement Series
Photo of hilly sagebrush shrubland with small, fenced area, small stream, partly cloudy sky
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WLCI Field Site in Carbon County, WY
photo of a stream flowing through grass and shrubland. High, muddy banks around the stream.
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Muddy Creek Reach
Small mounds of mud in grasses lining a creek.
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Burrowing rodents leave casts along Littlefield Creek
Multiple people stand in circle in grassy area, hills in background, cloudy skies
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WLCI Tour at Littlefield Creek
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