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 natural resources in support of effective decision making.
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.
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.
Science in Support of Resource Management
Science in Support of Resource Management
The pages below highlight current science in support of the research priorities of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s resource management bureaus as well as other Federal and State agencies, Native American Tribes, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations.
News
Tree rings provide an important multi-century context for the current wildfire crisis
Tree rings provide an important multi-century context for the current wildfire crisis
April Science You Can Use newsletter features wildfire risk mitigation research from USGS and collaborators
April Science You Can Use newsletter features wildfire risk mitigation research from USGS and collaborators
Amphibian Week with USGS: Science for Healthy Habitats
Amphibian Week with USGS: Science for Healthy Habitats
Publications
Practical guidance for engaging end-users and experts in developing scientific tools Practical guidance for engaging end-users and experts in developing scientific tools
This report provides actionable guidance for scientists developing scientific tools that inform on-the-ground decision making. Scientific tools, in the context of this report, are technology or protocols that help practitioners collect and analyze their own data, and information products and web tools that practitioners could use to inform decisions. Engaging end-users and fellow experts...
Variability and consistency in wildfire susceptibility: Insights from a national compilation Variability and consistency in wildfire susceptibility: Insights from a national compilation
Background Wildfire risk in the United States is rising and remains a land management priority. The quantitative wildfire risk assessment (QWRA) framework integrates fuels, topography, weather and values at risk to estimate the potential change in value from wildfire. Within this, response functions (RFs) represent how values respond to fire intensity. These are often based on expert...
Modeling chronic wasting disease transmission risk in mule deer related to habitat characteristics Modeling chronic wasting disease transmission risk in mule deer related to habitat characteristics
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease of cervids that spreads to uninfected individuals through direct transmission (contact with infected individuals), vertical transmission (from mother to offspring), or indirect transmission (exposure to contaminated environments). The risk of indirect transmission is unevenly distributed on the landscape, and risk levels are expected to be
Science
Using Artificial Intelligence to Estimate Traffic to Improve Planning and Access to Colorado’s Public Lands
This project applies data-driven, machine‑learning methods to estimate average annual daily traffic on roads that connect people to Colorado’s public lands, where traffic data are sparse or nonexistent. Expanding on successful applications in Wyoming, the approach uses socioeconomic, land-use, roadway, and accessibility data to uniquely model traffic patterns from 2015 to 2025. These predictions...
Web application development to support decision making and deliver actionable science
FORT web applications support management decisions in the Department of the Interior (DOI) related to management of public lands, invasive species, outdoor recreation, and fish and wildlife health. These applications are developed in partnership with resource managers from Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments, industry, and nongovernmental organizations, empowering local and rural...
Shrubland, Alpine and Grassland Ecology (SAGE) Wildlife Research Group
The SAGE Wildlife Research Group consists of a large team of research scientists with an interest in conservation and management of wildlife and their ecosystems. Broadly, research involves understanding animal-habitat relationships, with an emphasis on conservation ecology and population demography, and a focus on shrubland, alpine, and grassland ecosystems. We are addressing the effects of...
