Southwest Biological Science Center
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The Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) conducts quality, objective research on the lands and aquatic systems of the Southwest. This research can assist those who manage, conserve, and rehabilitate the arid regions of the nation. Click on SCIENCE in the sidebar to the left to explore SBSC science in more detail.
Terrestrial Dryland Ecology Branch
The Terrestrial Dryland Ecology (TDE) Branch of the SBSC studies the biology, ecology,and processes of semi-arid and arid lands (known as drylands). TDE researchers study plant-soil-water relationships and the wildlife found in drylands.
TDE ScienceRiver Ecosystem Science Branch & GCMRC
The River Ecosystem Science (RES) Branch of the SBSC, which includes the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC), studies the biology, ecology, and processes of rivers in the western United States, with an emphasis on the Southwest.
GCMRC & RES ScienceSBSC Quick Links
Learn more about what we do by using the links below.
Grand Canyon Monitoring & Research Center (GCMRC)
Restoration Assessment & Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS)
SBSC Outreach & Education Products
A Field Guide to Biological Soil Crusts of Western U.S. Drylands (PDF)
SBSC ScienceNews
RAMPS NEWSLETTER - Winter 2021 Edition
Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS)
A Program of the Southwest Biological Science Center & Ecosystems Mission Area
To subscribe to our newsletter, please visit: https://listserv.usgs.gov/mailman/listinfo/ramps
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Friday's Findings - December 4 2020
The Smart Energy Webtool: Providing Relevant and Accessible Information to Support Energy Development and Management
Date: December 4, 2020 from 2-2:30 p.m. eastern time
Speaker: Mike Duniway, Research Ecologist/Soil Scientist, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center
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New Outstanding in the Field Podcast
The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area brings you Outstanding in the Field, an original podcast series that tells stories about our science, our adventures, and our efforts to better understand fish and wildlife and the ecosystems that support them. In this episode we are talking about beaches in a place that most...
Publications
Future regulated flows of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon foretell decreased areal extent of sediment and increases in riparian vegetation
Sediment transfer, or connectivity, by aeolian processes between channel-proximal and upland deposits in river valleys is important for the maintenance of river corridor biophysical characteristics. In regulated river systems, dams control the magnitude and duration of discharge. Alterations to the flow regime driven by dams that increase the...
Kasprak, Alan; Sankey, Joel B.; Butterfield, Bradley J. Field evaluation of a compact, polarizing topo‐bathymetric lidar across a range of river conditions
This paper summarizes field trials to evaluate the performance of a prototype compact topo‐bathymetric lidar sensor for surveying rivers. The sensor uses a novel polarization technique to distinguish between laser returns from the water surface and streambed and its size and weight permit deployment from a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) or a...
Kinzel, Paul J.; Legleiter, Carl J.; Grams, Paul Muted responses to chronic experimental nitrogen deposition on the Colorado Plateau
Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition is significantly altering both community structure and ecosystem processes in terrestrial ecosystems across the globe. However, our understanding of the consequences of N deposition in dryland systems remains relatively poor, despite evidence that drylands may be particularly vulnerable to increasing N inputs...
Phillips, Michala Lee; Winkler, Daniel E.; Reibold, Robin H.; Osborne, Brooke Bossert; Reed, Sasha