Welcome to the Southwest Biological Science Center
Welcome to the Southwest Biological Science Center
Terrestrial Systems: Ecology, Biology, and Restoration
Terrestrial Systems: Ecology, Biology, and Restoration
High-Flow Experiments on the Colorado River
High-Flow Experiments on the Colorado River
SBSC Tribal Partnerships
SBSC Tribal Partnerships
Southwest Biological Science Center
Welcome to the Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC)! We conduct quality, objective research on the terrestrial and aquatic systems of the Colorado Plateau, Colorado River and its tributaries, drylands across the larger Southwest US, and beyond.
News
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A decade of research reveals best practices to control highly invasive nonnative buffelgrass in the desert Southwest
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RESEARCH BRIEF: Lessons from five years of RestoreNet
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SBSC’s Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center Adds Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Dish to Historic Grand Canyon Sediment Gaging Station
Publications
The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina; hereinafter NSO) was listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in 1990 and population declines have continued since that listing. Given the species’ protected status, any proposed activities on Federal lands that might impact NSO require consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and part of that consultation often includes
Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) as putative vectors of zoonotic Onchocerca lupi (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) in northern Arizona and New Mexico, southwestern United States
Onchocerca lupi (Rodonaja, 1967) is an understudied, vector-borne, filarioid nematode that causes ocular onchocercosis in dogs, cats, coyotes, wolves, and is also capable of infecting humans. Onchocercosis in dogs has been reported with increasing incidence worldwide. However, despite the growing number of reports describing canine O. lupi cases as well as zoonotic infections globally, the disease
Colorado River Basin
The Colorado River is often referred to as “the lifeblood of the west.” The basin supplies municipal water to nearly 40 million people and irrigates approximately 22,000 km2 of agricultural lands. Twenty-two major rivers converge with the Colorado after it begins its descent from the Rocky Mountains and winds through the plateaus of Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, onto the deserts of southwestern Ari
Science
Regional Assessment of Drought Impacts on Soils (RADIS)
Soils are the foundation of terrestrial ecosystems. They provide critical services including supplying a substrate and the nutrients necessary for plant growth, retaining moisture from precipitation, filtering contaminants from percolating waters, and acting as a sink of carbon. Healthy soils are key to sustaining both human and ecosystem health. However, global- and regional-scale disturbances...
Population Dynamics of Threatened Humpback Chub in Grand Canyon
The federally-listed threatened humpback chub is a native fish of the Colorado River. Despite the environmental changes to the river following the construction of Glen Canyon Dam, humpback chub persists alongside nonnative species, including rainbow trout. The pre-dam Colorado River experienced seasonal variation in temperature and discharge. Seasonal flooding resulted in sediments carried...
Community Science in Grand Canyon
Aquatic insects are important components of riverine foodwebs as they are prey for fish, birds, bats, lizards, and spiders. The closure of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963 fundamentally altered the hydrology, water temperature, and turbidity of the Colorado River through Grand Canyon. These changes, along with competition with invasive species and limited food availability have led to the decline and...