Ecosystems Science at USGS
USGS Landscape Science Strategy
Science informing decision making on public lands and across all of our Nation’s landscapes.
Science informing decision making on public lands and across all of our Nation’s landscapes.
USGS Wildland Fire Science
USGS science helps understand the causes, consequences, and benefits of wildfire and helps prevent and manage larger, catastrophic events.
USGS science helps understand the causes, consequences, and benefits of wildfire and helps prevent and manage larger, catastrophic events.
Ecosystems Mission Area
The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area provides science to help America achieve sustainable management and conservation of biological resources in wild and urban spaces, and places in between.
News
A New Framework to Improve Communication and Collaboration in U.S. Fire Management
A New Framework to Improve Communication and Collaboration in U.S. Fire Management
Fish Size: An Important Factor for Using Miniature Implanted Temperature Recording Tags Responsibly
Fish Size: An Important Factor for Using Miniature Implanted Temperature Recording Tags Responsibly
Microclimates Research Leads to Discovery of New Species of Silverfish in Alabama Caves
Microclimates Research Leads to Discovery of New Species of Silverfish in Alabama Caves
Publications
Restoration of common loon (Gavia immer) in Minnesota—2023 annual report
The Deepwater Horizon mobile drilling platform exploded on April 20, 2010. The resulting massive oil spill injured natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico, including wintering common loons (Gavia immer). We report on activities completed under the “Restoration of Common Loons in Minnesota” project in calendar year 2023, which was funded by the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group. In 2022, a su
Delineating draft inventory analysis units for National Scenic and Historic Trails inventory, assessment, and monitoring programs
As of 2024, there are 32 National Scenic and Historic Trails (NSHTs) in the system administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The BLM administers, manages, and protects 19 of these trails as part of its system of national conservation lands. Various laws, regulations, and policies require that the BLM conduct and m
Multi-decadal vegetation transformations of a New Mexico ponderosa pine landscape after severe fires and aerial seeding
Wildfires and climate change are having transformative effects on vegetation composition and structure, and post-fire management may have long-lasting impacts on ecosystem reorganization. Post-fire aerial seeding treatments are commonly used to reduce runoff and soil erosion, but little is known about how seeding treatments affect native vegetation recovery over long periods of time, particularly
Science
Linking post-fire sagebrush restoration and sage-grouse habitat recovery
Many revegetation projects are intended to benefit focal wildlife species. Yet, few scope the ability of revegetation efforts to yield habitat. To investigate the ability of alternative sagebrush planting strategies to recover habitat conditions for wildlife like sage-grouse, USGS and Colorado State University scientists developed a spatial vegetation-habitat recovery model . Scientists combined...
Shorebird Research
With its vast size and geographic position at the northern end of several migration pathways, Alaska is a critically important site for the world’s shorebirds. Thirty-seven shorebird species regularly breed in Alaska. Most of these species conduct epically long migrations to take advantage of Alaska’s abundant food resources and breeding habitat, making Alaska a global resource for shorebirds...
Mechanisms and Outcomes of Science Facilitation
USGS researchers are studying how science facilitation can help diverse and interdisciplinary teams of scientists collaborate effectively and develop a common scientific understanding of complex challenges.