Resource management decisions need to be informed by up-to-date, quality science and data. However there is sometimes an overwhelming number of scientific publications for managers to consider in their decisions. This project provides concise summaries of recent, peer-reviewed science and data products about different resources and topics of management concern, integrated into a searchable tool.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) acknowledged in 2015 that it is critical to use science-informed decision making at every level and in every program (Kitchell et al. 2015). Large bodies of science exist on many topics that are priorities for BLM, including management of sage-grouse habitat and control of invasive species. However, large volumes of scientific publications, restricted access, and limited staff capacity or time can hinder managers’ ability to find and evaluate this science and determine how best to use the various findings in their decisions. Therefore, the USGS and BLM are collaborating to provide land managers and planners with references to guide management decisions based on high priority issues.
There is a large focus on the sagebrush biome across the western US, which is an imperiled landscape that is shrinking due to the interaction between annual invasive grasses and uncharacteristic wildfires. Two wildlife species that have been of concern include the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis). Three invasive annual grass species (cheatgrass [Bromus tectorum], medusahead [Taeniatherum caput-medusae], and Ventenata spp.) continue to spread across western sagebrush rangelands and can double the risk of wildfire while converting native sagebrush into nonnative invasive grasslands. Understanding current and future threat of invasive annual grasses in the sagebrush ecosystem is a critical need for resource and wildfire management, planning, and conservation design for this imperiled ecosystem. This information can be integrated into state and regional efforts to inform cost-effective decisions about invasive plant management and removal and to protect native ecosystems, community livelihoods, and resources of concern.
Project objectives
The objectives of this project are to facilitate the integration of science into decision-making on western lands through working with BLM and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to develop annotated bibliographies available on a searchable online platform.
Approach
We have developed a standardized process for completing annotated bibliographies, which includes:
- Conducting a comprehensive literature search across multiple databases,
- Developing objective, unbiased summaries for a management audience,
- Peer reviewing and publishing the full annotated bibliography, and
- Providing mangers with a searchable online tool that can be filtered by management topics.
Anticipated benefits
The products and online platform, developed based on a similar tool for greater sage-grouse, will provide a comprehensive, searchable collection of concisely summarized science on multiple topics in a single location, facilitating the use of that science by western land managers. We have published annotated bibliographies for the greater sage-grouse, ventenata spp., pygmy rabbits (in review), medusahead (in progress). Future bibliographies include a focus on cheatgrass and Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus)
Identifying priority science needs for strengthening the science foundation for decision-making in the Bureau of Land Management
Exploring the Utility of Short Science Syntheses for Use in NEPA Analyses in the Bureau of Land Management
Developing a toolkit for coproducing actionable science with the Bureau of Land Management
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on pygmy rabbits published from 1990 to 2020
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on Ventenata dubia published from 2010 to 2020
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on greater sage-grouse published from 2015 to 2019
Greater sage-grouse science (2015–17)—Synthesis and potential management implications
- Overview
Resource management decisions need to be informed by up-to-date, quality science and data. However there is sometimes an overwhelming number of scientific publications for managers to consider in their decisions. This project provides concise summaries of recent, peer-reviewed science and data products about different resources and topics of management concern, integrated into a searchable tool.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) acknowledged in 2015 that it is critical to use science-informed decision making at every level and in every program (Kitchell et al. 2015). Large bodies of science exist on many topics that are priorities for BLM, including management of sage-grouse habitat and control of invasive species. However, large volumes of scientific publications, restricted access, and limited staff capacity or time can hinder managers’ ability to find and evaluate this science and determine how best to use the various findings in their decisions. Therefore, the USGS and BLM are collaborating to provide land managers and planners with references to guide management decisions based on high priority issues.
There is a large focus on the sagebrush biome across the western US, which is an imperiled landscape that is shrinking due to the interaction between annual invasive grasses and uncharacteristic wildfires. Two wildlife species that have been of concern include the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis). Three invasive annual grass species (cheatgrass [Bromus tectorum], medusahead [Taeniatherum caput-medusae], and Ventenata spp.) continue to spread across western sagebrush rangelands and can double the risk of wildfire while converting native sagebrush into nonnative invasive grasslands. Understanding current and future threat of invasive annual grasses in the sagebrush ecosystem is a critical need for resource and wildfire management, planning, and conservation design for this imperiled ecosystem. This information can be integrated into state and regional efforts to inform cost-effective decisions about invasive plant management and removal and to protect native ecosystems, community livelihoods, and resources of concern.
Project objectives
The objectives of this project are to facilitate the integration of science into decision-making on western lands through working with BLM and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to develop annotated bibliographies available on a searchable online platform.
Approach
We have developed a standardized process for completing annotated bibliographies, which includes:
- Conducting a comprehensive literature search across multiple databases,
- Developing objective, unbiased summaries for a management audience,
- Peer reviewing and publishing the full annotated bibliography, and
- Providing mangers with a searchable online tool that can be filtered by management topics.
Anticipated benefits
The products and online platform, developed based on a similar tool for greater sage-grouse, will provide a comprehensive, searchable collection of concisely summarized science on multiple topics in a single location, facilitating the use of that science by western land managers. We have published annotated bibliographies for the greater sage-grouse, ventenata spp., pygmy rabbits (in review), medusahead (in progress). Future bibliographies include a focus on cheatgrass and Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus)
- Science
Identifying priority science needs for strengthening the science foundation for decision-making in the Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is committed to using science-informed decision-making for the public lands and resources that it manages. Uses on these lands are varied, and decisions are complex. USGS and BLM are working together to identify specific needs for data, science, methods, and mitigation actions that can strengthen the science foundation for BLM planning and management decisions.Exploring the Utility of Short Science Syntheses for Use in NEPA Analyses in the Bureau of Land Management
Use of scientific information is fundamental to understanding how proposed actions on public lands may impact the environment. However agencies often have limited time to compile and synthesize existing science on a topic. We are working with the Bureau of Land Management to explore the utility of short science syntheses for facilitating use of the best available science in public lands decisions.Developing a toolkit for coproducing actionable science with the Bureau of Land Management
Coproduction is an approach to conducting science that focuses on scientists and resource managers working closely together to produce actionable products that are used to inform natural resource management decisions. This project will develop a toolkit to facilitate coproduction between the Bureau of Land Management and the USGS. - Publications
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on pygmy rabbits published from 1990 to 2020
Integrating recent scientific knowledge into management decisions supports effective natural resource management and can lead to better resource outcomes. However, finding and accessing scientific knowledge can be time consuming and costly. To assist in this process, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is creating a series of annotated bibliographies on topics of management concern for western landsAnnotated bibliography of scientific research on Ventenata dubia published from 2010 to 2020
Integrating recent science into management decisions supports effective natural resource management and can lead to better resource outcomes. However, finding and accessing science information can be time consuming and costly. To assist in this process, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is creating a series of annotated bibliographies on topics of management concern for western lands. Previously pAnnotated bibliography of scientific research on greater sage-grouse published from 2015 to 2019
The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter GRSG) has been a focus of scientific investigation and management action for the past two decades. The 2015 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing determination of “not warranted” was in part due to a large-scale collaborative effort to develop strategies to conserve GRSG populations and their habitat and to reduce threats to both. NewGreater sage-grouse science (2015–17)—Synthesis and potential management implications
Executive SummaryThe greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter called “sage-grouse”), a species that requires sagebrush (Artemisia spp.), has experienced range-wide declines in its distribution and abundance. These declines have prompted substantial research and management investments to improve the understanding of sage-grouse and its habitats and reverse declines in distribution