Southwest Biological Science Center
News
Secret, Pristine Grassland Provide Scientists Precious Insight Into How Undisturbed Ecosystems Function
Southwest Biological Science Center and National Park Service personnel were featured in a KSL TV story about a hidden, pristine grassland in Canyonlands National Park that is used for scientific study.
RESEARCH BRIEF: Cost- benefit analysis of vegetation removal + seeding
Weighing costs relative to outcomes: woody and invasive plant removal followed by seeding in shrublands and woodlands.
New study by RAMPS researchers examines how the costs of vegetation treatments related to outcomes.
RAMPS Newsletter - Spring 2020 Edition
This season's edition of the Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest Newsletter contains recent program highlights including research updates from our RestoreNet experiment, recently awarded funding, field updates and more.
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Small-Scale Water Deficits After Wildfires Create Long-Lasting Ecological Impacts
Moisture deficit affects ecological processes and land management interventions, such as restoration of native vegetation.
USGS Press Release: Plant age drives mortality, reproductive success and population dynamics
A USGS press release was published today highlighting a paper describing possible limitations of big sagebrush restoration in the American West after wildfires.
Why Sagebrush Re-establishment After Fire is so Difficult
Big sagebrush ecosystems are particularly sensitive to wildfires and life history information on big sagebrush is scarce and vital for restoration success.
SBSC Research on Barred and Spotted Owls Covered by Ecological Society of America
The Ecological Society of America put out a press release on a paper that investigated the relative importance of barred owl competition and habitat on northern spotted owls in an effort to assist managers. The lead author of the paper is Charles Yackulic of the USGS Southwest Biological Science Center.
GCMRC Updates
The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center currently has 11 active science projects as a part of its Triennial Work Plan (FY2018-2020) for work conducted as the science provider to the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program. New developments, recent publications and other current activities will be listed here. Check here to find out the latest information from the Center.
Vegetation Recovery on Abandoned Oil and Gas Well Sites is Variable on Colorado Plateau
Recovery of vegetation on plugged and abandoned oil and gas well sites on the Colorado Plateau is influenced by time, moisture, nonnative plants and the type of plant community that was originally in place before well sites were constructed, according to a recently published study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Where Have All the Turtles Gone, and Why Should We Care?
A recently published paper on the global status of turtles and their ecological roles generated quite a bit of media interest.
Large-scale Review of Amphibian Species and Community Response to Climate Change
Amphibian species and community richness has been declining in North America and climate change may play a role in these declines. Global climate change has led to a range shift of many wildlife species and thus understanding how these changes in species distribution can be used to predict amphibian community responses that may improve conservation efforts.
Future Temperature and Soil Moisture May Alter Location of Agricultural Regions
Future high temperature extremes and soil moisture conditions may cause some regions to become more suitable for rainfed, or non-irrigated, agriculture, while causing other areas to lose suitable farmland, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study.