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Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

The Western Ecological Research Center (WERC) is a USGS Ecosystems Mission Area operation serving primarily California and Nevada. WERC scientists work closely with Federal, State, academic, and other collaborators to address a diverse array of high-profile topics. Topics include research on effects of wildfire, sea level rise, drought, energy development and more on federal Trust species.

News

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Amphibians have one more thing to worry about—mercury—large USGS study shows

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3 Cool Ways USGS is Studying Bats in National Parks

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Annual Southern Sea Otter Census Temporarily Modified

Publications

Linking meso-scale spatial variation in methylmercury production to bioaccumulation in tidal marsh food webs

Differences in sediment biogeochemistry among tidal marsh features with different hydrological and geomorphological characteristics, including marsh interiors, marsh edges, first-order channels, and third-order channels, can result in spatial variation in MeHg production and availability. To better understand the link between MeHg production in sediments and bioaccumulation in primary and secondar
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Laurie Anne Hall, Isa Woo, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, John Y. Takekawa, David P. Krabbenhoft, Donald Yee, Letitia Grenier, Susan E. W. De La Cruz

Snag dynamics and surface fuel loads in the Sierra Nevada: Predicting the impact of the 2012–2016 drought

Forest die-backs linked to extreme droughts are expected to increase as the climate dries and warms. An example is the 2012-2016 hotter drought in California that induced widespread tree mortality in the Sierra Nevada, California. The sudden increase in snags (i.e., standing dead trees) raised immediate concerns about their impact on wildfire hazard and longer-term questions about their impact on
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Hudson Northrop, Jodi N. Axelson, Adrian Das, Nathan L. Stephenson, Emilio Vilanova, Scott L. Stephens, John J. Battles

Georectified polygon database of ground-mounted large-scale solar photovoltaic sites in the United States

Over 4,400 large-scale solar photovoltaic (LSPV) facilities operate in the United States as of December 2021, representing more than 60 gigawatts of electric energy capacity. Of these, over 3,900 are ground-mounted LSPV facilities with capacities of 1 MWdc or more. Ground mounted LSPV installations continue increasing, with more than 400 projects appearing online in 2021 alone; however, a comprehe
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Sydny K. Fujita, Zachary H. Ancona, Louisa Kramer, Mary Straka, Tandie E. Gautreau, Dana Robson, Christopher P. Garrity, Ben Hoen, James E. Diffendorfer

Science

Understanding Population Trends for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse to Inform Adaptive Management

In partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, scientists from USGS Fort Collins Science Center and Western Ecological Research Center are applying a hierarchical monitoring framework to Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) to evaluate population trends and inform adaptive management.
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Understanding Population Trends for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse to Inform Adaptive Management

In partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, scientists from USGS Fort Collins Science Center and Western Ecological Research Center are applying a hierarchical monitoring framework to Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) to evaluate population trends and inform adaptive management.
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Using simulation models to project and evaluate post-fire success in restoring sage-grouse habitat over large landscapes

Wildfires are increasingly destroying wildlife habitat in sagebrush (Artemisia species) ecosystems, and managers need approaches to scope the pace and degree to which post-fire restoration actions can re-create habitat in dynamic landscapes. Sagebrush recovery takes a long time, and it can be difficult to anticipate restoration outcomes over large, diverse landscapes that have experienced decades...
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Using simulation models to project and evaluate post-fire success in restoring sage-grouse habitat over large landscapes

Wildfires are increasingly destroying wildlife habitat in sagebrush (Artemisia species) ecosystems, and managers need approaches to scope the pace and degree to which post-fire restoration actions can re-create habitat in dynamic landscapes. Sagebrush recovery takes a long time, and it can be difficult to anticipate restoration outcomes over large, diverse landscapes that have experienced decades...
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Simulating the influence of sagebrush restoration on post-fire sage-grouse population recovery

Increased wildfire-induced loss of sagebrush in North American shrublands are outpacing natural recovery and leading to substantial habitat loss for sagebrush-obligate species like sage-grouse. Transplanting sagebrush (Artemisia species) is a possible strategy for revegetating burned areas, but little is known about sage-grouse or other wildlife responses to restoration strategies.
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Simulating the influence of sagebrush restoration on post-fire sage-grouse population recovery

Increased wildfire-induced loss of sagebrush in North American shrublands are outpacing natural recovery and leading to substantial habitat loss for sagebrush-obligate species like sage-grouse. Transplanting sagebrush (Artemisia species) is a possible strategy for revegetating burned areas, but little is known about sage-grouse or other wildlife responses to restoration strategies.
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