Many FORT projects extend across biomes, countries, or continents. Here are just a few of the boundary-spanning products published by FORT scientists in 2024.

Invasive plant management

In a new version of the Invasive Species Habitat Tool (INHABIT 4.0), USGS scientists worked with resource managers to update the tool with occurrence, abundance, and high abundance predictions for 259 problematic invasive plant species in the contiguous United States. Tour the updated app. 

FORT researchers also published the following studies that will aid understanding and management of invasive plants:

• Mapped rates of change in invasive annual grass cover across the sagebrush biome
• Range-wide phenology forecasts for two problematic invasive annual grasses: cheatgrass and red brome
• Non-native plants consistently drive changes in functional traits of plant communities

Wildlife conservation and monitoring

Media

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

The North American Bat Monitoring (NABat) program continued to improve monitoring and detection of bats across the continent, including new bat monitoring software and data. Read more about current NABat projects in this feature story about USGS bat research. 

New science on feral horse and burros included studies on mountain lion predation, telemetry collars, and habitat requirements for free-roaming burros.

Research on the ecology of plague included studies on transfer of plague medicines from prairie dogs to ferrets and coyote-badger associations in prairie dog colonies.

The Molecular Ecology Lab contributed to many studies of animal genetics and genomics, including the following:

• Potential influence of genetic divergence on greater sage-grouse translocation success.
• A genomic hotspot of protein-coding divergence in the hoary bat.
• Population genetics and genetic diversity of the Arizona toad and the black swift.
• A comparison of bee identification methods.

Human dimensions

Media

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

Human dimensions research at FORT includes studies on the attitudes, behaviors, and preferences of citizens surrounding topics related to conservation and management of our nation's resources. The following publications from 2024 focused on outdoor recreation:

What waterfowl hunters want. In this study, researchers investigated the preferences of over 8400 waterfowl hunters when pursuing a hunting trip. Overall, they found that preferences varied widely across North America and identified four different types of hunters based on combinations of different preferences.

Trail sustainability: defined. In this report, researchers summarized different ways "trail sustainability" is defined in the literature, and suggest a broader definition that encompasses four, interconnected domains: managerial sustainability, resource sustainability, social sustainability, and economic sustainability.

Helping managers decide where to inventory National Science and Historic Trails. In this report, researchers describe how managers can delineate draft inventory analysis units — defined as a "geospatial boundary for the location of an inventory along a trail" — for agencies to use when monitoring, assessing, or inventorying National Science and History Trails.

Researchers in this group also help maintain HDgov, an online portal that 1) provides access to human dimensions research products, including publications, tools, data, and methods, and 2) hosts community resources, including a job board and team pages for topic-specific collaboration. For example, the Human Dimensions of Chronic Wasting Disease team designed a clearinghouse in 2024 based on feedback from state agencies involved in this issue. Interest in the community and clearinghouse quickly grew among state, federal, and academic partners, resulting in a community of practice with 47 members and over 170 products added to the clearinghouse. 

Management of healthy, resilient ecosystems

Determining when and where ecosystem restoration projects will be most successful can be a difficult task for land managers facing multiple, potentially competing priorities. Scientists in the Shrubland, Alpine, and Grassland Ecology Wildlife Research Group are working with land managers on tools that can help them balance their needs and prioritize restoration work. In 2024, this work included studies on effective co-design of spatial tools, leveraging habitat suitability models for enhanced restoration, and estimates of sagebrush restoration efficacy and recovery.

Media

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

In 2024, FORT researchers contributed to two new products for mine lands restoration: 1) A report on remote sensing and its uses in mine land restoration, and 2) a web application for mapping and visualizing mine lands across the United States.

Other products coproduced with land managers included the following:

• Structured science syntheses for decision-making on federal public lands, including syntheses on a) the effects of culverts on stream habitat connectivity and b) the effects of noise from oil and gas development on songbirds and raptors.
• Rare plant habitat suitability models
• Priority science needs for public land managers

Environmental ecology

Stable isotope research at FORT broadly centers on the factors driving chemical cycling through biotic and abiotic systems. In 2024, researchers published products related to salmon's continental contribution to nutrient and contaminant cycling and the use of bird feathers in tracking sulfur isotopes.

In 2024, FORT hydrologists contributed to the design and development of a new decision-support tool, E-FRESH (user guide). This tool allows managers to evaluate the effects of different streamflow scenarios on habitat availability for relevant aquatic and riparian species.

Multiple FORT researchers were presented with prestigious awards in 2024. 

Media

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) awarded USGS Research Zoologist Dr. Erin Muths the 2024 RMNP Stewardship Award. This award recognizes exceptional individuals and organizations that have contributed significant time and knowledge to National Park stewardship. 

Learn more about this award and Muth's career in amphibian conservation.

Media

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

Cameron Aldridge received WAFWA’s Robert L. Patterson Award during the 34th Biennial Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Workshop. This award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to sage- and sharp-tailed grouse conservation and management.

Learn more about this award and Aldridge's career in sage-grouse science.

Media

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

FORT Economist James Meldrum and the Wildfire Research Team won the 2024 CO-LABS Governor's Awards for High Impact Research: Pathfinding Partnerships Award. The Pathfinding Partnerships Award from CO-LABS recognizes impactful, collaborative research projects organized by four or more research entities, including federal labs, in Colorado. This year, the Wildfire Research (WiRē) team received this award for their support of evidence-based community wildfire education to help communities live with wildfire. 

Learn more about this award and Meldrum's work with the Wildfire Research Team.