The Southwest Biological Science Center:
Providing Unbiased Actionable Science & Information to Support Natural Resource Management Needs of the U.S. & Department of the Interior Priorities
Providing Unbiased Actionable Science & Information to Support Natural Resource Management Needs of the U.S. & Department of the Interior Priorities
SBSC Science Informs Invasive Species Management
From efforts to deter smallmouth bass, predict insect invasions, and combat non-native plants — our science gives managers tools that lead to real on-the-ground results.
From efforts to deter smallmouth bass, predict insect invasions, and combat non-native plants — our science gives managers tools that lead to real on-the-ground results.
Southwest Energy Exploration
SBSC provides expertise and data to land managers to improve ecosystem services during and after energy development.
SBSC provides expertise and data to land managers to improve ecosystem services during and after energy development.
Securing the Nation's Need for Native Seed
A new progress report showcases how partnership and federal investment have advanced the National Seed Strategy, a tool for restoring healthy ecosystems.
A new progress report showcases how partnership and federal investment have advanced the National Seed Strategy, a tool for restoring healthy ecosystems.
SBSC Tribal Partnerships
Tribal partnerships are important to USGS. Here, we highlight how SBSC's science supports these relationships as part of our mission and Federal Trust Responsibility.
Tribal partnerships are important to USGS. Here, we highlight how SBSC's science supports these relationships as part of our mission and Federal Trust Responsibility.
Southwest Biological Science Center
The SBSC provides sound science, specialized expertise, and objective and timely tools to Federal and State agencies and the public to inform land management decision-making, and support thriving landscapes for the Southwest’s abundant natural resources and vast public lands. This research assists those who manage, conserve, and rehabilitate rivers and arid regions of the nation.
Dryland Ecology and Management Support - the Terrestrial Drylands Ecology (TDE) branch of SBSC
Dryland Ecology and Management Support - the Terrestrial Drylands Ecology (TDE) branch of SBSC
SBSC conducts research in terrestrial drylands to deliver information that aids land & wildlife management to promote productive ecosystems. Our work provides tools used to mitigate impacts of drought, wildfire, and invasive species, as well as science that supports Department of the Interior economic and cultural activities including recreation and ranching.
Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center & Lake Powell research - the River Ecosystems branch of the SBSC
Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center & Lake Powell research - the River Ecosystems branch of the SBSC
The SBSC Rivers branch, which includes the Grand Canyon Monitoring & Research Center, studies the biology, ecology, and processes of rivers, primarily in the SW. We provide the public and decision makers with relevant scientific information about the status and trends of natural, cultural, and recreational resources of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, and Lake Powell.
Quick Links
Quick Links
- Learn how SBSC supports DOI priorities
- GCMRC science informs hydropower and invasive species management
- SBSC initiatives support ecosystems & economies on the Colorado Plateau
- Restoration Assessment & Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS)
- Outstanding in the Field podcasts
- Colorado River Basin science across the USGS and beyond
- Our Staff Directory
News
New backcountry alert system warns Grand Canyon visitors about flash floods in areas without cellular signal
New backcountry alert system warns Grand Canyon visitors about flash floods in areas without cellular signal
Ecological Thresholds, Abiotic Stress, and Climate Change: A Conceptual Framework
Ecological Thresholds, Abiotic Stress, and Climate Change: A Conceptual Framework
The Changing Range: USGS initiatives support resilient ecosystems and economies on the Colorado Plateau
The Changing Range: USGS initiatives support resilient ecosystems and economies on the Colorado Plateau
Publications
Soil moisture partitioning between under canopy and interspace environments in shrublands of the northern Chihuahuan Desert Soil moisture partitioning between under canopy and interspace environments in shrublands of the northern Chihuahuan Desert
Soil moisture is a key link between hydrologic and ecologic processes in desert shrublands. Understanding how soil moisture is spatially distributed in desert shrublands provides valuable insights into how shrubs use and impact limiting water resources, and how shrublands may respond to future meteorological and climate change. Our goals were to determine how soil moisture is partitioned...
Precipitation pulse dynamics are not ubiquitous: A global meta-analysis of plant and ecosystem carbon- and water-related pulse responses Precipitation pulse dynamics are not ubiquitous: A global meta-analysis of plant and ecosystem carbon- and water-related pulse responses
Ecosystem responses to precipitation pulses (“pulse responses”) exert a large control over global carbon, water, and energy cycles. However, it is unclear how the timing and magnitude of pulse responses will vary across ecosystems as precipitation regimes shift under accelerating climate change. To address this issue, this study evaluates how plants and ecosystems respond to...
Grand Canyon River Alert System—Implementing an emergency alert system for wilderness recreation Grand Canyon River Alert System—Implementing an emergency alert system for wilderness recreation
The Grand Canyon River Alert System (GCRAS) provides government-issued emergency alerts to wilderness recreationalists in the Grand Canyon, who are often outside the bounds of cellular signal reception. GCRAS is a collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey (Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center), National Weather Service, Coconino County Emergency Management, and National...
Science
SBSC: Providing Unbiased Actionable Science & Information to Support Natural Resource Management Needs of the U.S. & Department of the Interior Priorities
The U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) is uniquely positioned in the Colorado River Basin to provide sound information, specialized expertise, and innovative tools to support the management and sustained use of natural resources on public and Tribal lands in the Southwest U.S.
USGS Science Syntheses for Public Lands Management
Scientific information is fundamental to understanding how proposed actions on public lands may impact the environment. Development of new science is occurring at rates that can make it challenging for biologists, resource managers, decision makers, private landowners, and other stakeholders to ensure they are using up-to-date, high-quality science information to inform their decisions. Further...
WebDART: A Cutting-edge Web Tool that Evaluates Land Condition
WebDART is an online ecological assessment tool available to a wide audience that incorporates Landsat satellite remote sensing imagery, topography, geology, soil conditions, and rangeland geospatial and vegetation mapping to compare altered terrain with an unspoiled area that has similar characteristics in the same region. The tool gives resource managers, landowners, companies, and other...