Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Below are images associated with SBSC's science and staff. Images appear according to the year they were taken. To search, type a keyword or select a year from the dropdown menu. Or, click through the pages using the arrows at the bottom of the page.
A female southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida) basks in the sun, Mojave River, CA. Photo taken by Shellie Puffer, 2017, SBSC, USGS.
A female southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida) basks in the sun, Mojave River, CA. Photo taken by Shellie Puffer, 2017, SBSC, USGS.
Field crew install a Restoration Field Trial Network garden in the rangelands of Northern Arizona.
Field crew install a Restoration Field Trial Network garden in the rangelands of Northern Arizona.
Repeat photographs, like this one from river mile 130 below Lees Ferry, capture changes in riparian plant communities along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon over time. Notice the increase in vegetation along the river bank. The historic photo on the left was taken by E.C. LaRue in 1923. The photo on the right was taken by Alan H. Fairley.
Repeat photographs, like this one from river mile 130 below Lees Ferry, capture changes in riparian plant communities along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon over time. Notice the increase in vegetation along the river bank. The historic photo on the left was taken by E.C. LaRue in 1923. The photo on the right was taken by Alan H. Fairley.
Across the desert Southwest, ground void of plant material is prone to soil erosoin and dust storms. In this fallowed agricultural field, we see that a spring breeze can carry away fertile top soil and create air quality concerns.
Across the desert Southwest, ground void of plant material is prone to soil erosoin and dust storms. In this fallowed agricultural field, we see that a spring breeze can carry away fertile top soil and create air quality concerns.
Oil pad near Vernal, Utah
Biocrusts on the Colorado Plateau, canyonlands, Utah. Image courtesy of Erika Geiger, USGS, 2017.
Biocrusts on the Colorado Plateau, canyonlands, Utah. Image courtesy of Erika Geiger, USGS, 2017.
Biocrusts with moss species. Photo taken by SBSC in Utah, during surveys, 2017, courtesy of Erika Geiger.
Biocrusts with moss species. Photo taken by SBSC in Utah, during surveys, 2017, courtesy of Erika Geiger.
An extremely rare Mojave River western pond turtle was recently observed by USGS scientists and staff from The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in the Mojave Desert. Turtles of this population have rarely been seen since the late 1990s.
An extremely rare Mojave River western pond turtle was recently observed by USGS scientists and staff from The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in the Mojave Desert. Turtles of this population have rarely been seen since the late 1990s.
Southwest Biological Science center research ecologist Daniel Winkler photographs the top of a saguaro using the "world's largest selfie stick" to collect phenology data for a study that examined saguaro flowering patterns.
Southwest Biological Science center research ecologist Daniel Winkler photographs the top of a saguaro using the "world's largest selfie stick" to collect phenology data for a study that examined saguaro flowering patterns.
Sampling invertebrates on “Casino Row” at Laughlin, Nevada, just downstream of Davis Dam on the Colorado River, September 7, 2015.
Sampling invertebrates on “Casino Row” at Laughlin, Nevada, just downstream of Davis Dam on the Colorado River, September 7, 2015.
Person taking data in a healthy dryland grassland with dark biocrusts between bunchgrasses and cacti in Utah.
Person taking data in a healthy dryland grassland with dark biocrusts between bunchgrasses and cacti in Utah.
A river trip on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon camping on a sandbar beach. Photo by Scott VanderKooi, USGS. Public domain.
A river trip on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon camping on a sandbar beach. Photo by Scott VanderKooi, USGS. Public domain.
Sticky trap for emergent aquatic insects (close-up) showing captured insects. Photo by Eric Kortenhoeven, USGS.
Sticky trap for emergent aquatic insects (close-up) showing captured insects. Photo by Eric Kortenhoeven, USGS.
Sticky trap for insects Located on the banks of the Colorado River, at the confluence of the Little Colorado River and the Colorado River in AZ.
Sticky trap for insects Located on the banks of the Colorado River, at the confluence of the Little Colorado River and the Colorado River in AZ.
Similar aged saguaros can often be found in groups where nurse trees once stood. Nurse debris remains in place for years after the nurse died. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
Similar aged saguaros can often be found in groups where nurse trees once stood. Nurse debris remains in place for years after the nurse died. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
View from Canyonlands Research Center.
USGS scientist Jayne Belnap examines instrumentation to measure photosynthetic rates of biocrusts.
USGS scientist Jayne Belnap examines instrumentation to measure photosynthetic rates of biocrusts.
Many human activities can be unintentionally harmful to biological crusts. The biocrusts are no match for the compressional stress caused by footprints of livestock or people or tracks from vehicles.
Many human activities can be unintentionally harmful to biological crusts. The biocrusts are no match for the compressional stress caused by footprints of livestock or people or tracks from vehicles.
On the Colorado Plateau, mature biocrusts are bumpy and dark-colored due to the presence of lichens, mosses, and high densities of cyanobacteria and other organisms. These organisms perform critical functions, such as fertilizing soils and increasing soil stability, therefore reducing dust.
On the Colorado Plateau, mature biocrusts are bumpy and dark-colored due to the presence of lichens, mosses, and high densities of cyanobacteria and other organisms. These organisms perform critical functions, such as fertilizing soils and increasing soil stability, therefore reducing dust.
On the Colorado Plateau, mature biocrusts are bumpy and dark-colored due to the presence of lichens, mosses, and high densities of cyanobacteria and other organisms. Disturbed biocrusts are lighter in color, looking more like the underlying sand than undisturbed ones, and are less capable of stabilizing soils or providing soil fertility.
On the Colorado Plateau, mature biocrusts are bumpy and dark-colored due to the presence of lichens, mosses, and high densities of cyanobacteria and other organisms. Disturbed biocrusts are lighter in color, looking more like the underlying sand than undisturbed ones, and are less capable of stabilizing soils or providing soil fertility.
Biocrusts provide soil stability and prevent erosion. Soil is the foundation where plants live; if soil is not stable, native plants can have difficulty growing.
Biocrusts provide soil stability and prevent erosion. Soil is the foundation where plants live; if soil is not stable, native plants can have difficulty growing.