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Sasha C Reed, Ph.D.

Dr. Sasha Reed is an ecologist focused on understanding how our planet's ecosystems work and what factors determine the services they provide. The study sites and methods Sasha uses are diverse, and with each of her projects she strives to provide scientific information that helps our nation address challenges, solve problems, and maximize opportunities.

Sasha seeks to provide useful information for land managers, policy-makers, and the general public. Sasha uses both basic and applied scientific approaches to improve our understanding of the fundamental controls over ecosystems, to determine how these systems respond to change, and to explore solutions for addressing relevant problems. Sasha works closely with a range of collaborators - including federal agency partners (BLM, NPS, DOE, DoD, BIA, USFS, USFWS) - in designing research studies, conducting information and technology transfer, and performing outreach activities. Some of her primary research interests include understanding how drought and increasing temperatures affect ecosystems, exploring a diversity of energy options for meeting national demand, assessing the consequences of exotic plant invasion and ways to combat them, and establishing novel management options for increased effectiveness and efficiency in restoration and reclamation. Sasha attempts to conduct research that is innovative, collaborative, and useful.

Professional Experience

  • Research Ecologist, USGS, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT: May 2008 - present

  • Research Ecologist, USGS-SCEP Program, Moab, UT: 2005 - 2007 summers only

  • Fellow, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship: Awarded April 2003; deferred until September 2005-May 2008

  • Fellow, National Science Foundation IGERT Fellowship, Carbon Climate and Society Initiative (CCSI): August 2003-August 2005.

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D. in Biogeochemistry, 2002-2008: University of Colorado at Boulder, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Institute of Arctic & Alpine Research (INSTAAR). 

  • B.A. in Organic Chemistry, 1993-1997: Colgate University, Department of Chemistry, Hamilton, NY. Graduated magna cum laude.

Honors and Awards

  • Joanne Simpson Medal, American Geophysical Union (AGU). September 2024.

  • Fellow, American Geophysical Union (AGU). August 2024.

  • Fellow, Ecological Society of America (ESA). April 2024.

  • Elected Member-At-Large, Ecological Society of America (ESA). August 2020-August 2022.

  • Ecological Society of America (ESA) Early Career Fellow. March 2016.

  • Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). October 2011.

  • Star Award, Department of the Interior. October 2010, May 2000.

  • Graduate Student Research and Creative Works Award, University of Colorado at Boulder. May 2008.

  • USGS Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) Fellowship. June-August of 2006 & 2007.

  • Student Policy Award, Ecological Society of America (ESA). September 2006.

  • AAAS Program for Excellence in Science. August 2006.

  • Lawrence Award. April 1996.

  • Phi Ea Sigma University Honor Society Awarded Membership. April 1994-May 1997.

  • Phi Eta Sigma Aid Committee Selected Board Member. September 1995-May 1997.

  • Barry Goldwater Award Nominee. November 1994.

Science and Products

Filter Total Items: 19
Biocrusts with lichen

Biological Soil Crust ("Biocrust") Science

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are commonly found on the soil surface in arid and semi-arid ecosystems (collectively called drylands). Biocrusts can consist of mosses, cyanobacteria, lichens, algae, and microfungi, and they strongly interact with the soil. These organisms or consortium of disparate organisms, depending on the specific biocrust, are important to the functioning of ecosystems...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Southwest Biological Science Center
Biological Soil Crust ("Biocrust") Science

Biological Soil Crust ("Biocrust") Science

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are commonly found on the soil surface in arid and semi-arid ecosystems (collectively called drylands). Biocrusts can consist of mosses, cyanobacteria, lichens, algae, and microfungi, and they strongly interact with the soil. These organisms or consortium of disparate organisms, depending on the specific biocrust, are important to the functioning of ecosystems...
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field of wildflowers in the foreground, with brown mountains and blue sky in the background

Skill-building workshops for researchers on the coproduction of actionable science

Public lands management requires the use of science, but agency staff rarely have time to stay current with all the science on management-relevant topics, especially as articles are published at an ever-increasing rate. In this new series of learning modules, we aim to provide scientists with essential tools, skills, and strategies for coproducing actionable science products with and for federal...
By
Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center
Skill-building workshops for researchers on the coproduction of actionable science

Skill-building workshops for researchers on the coproduction of actionable science

Public lands management requires the use of science, but agency staff rarely have time to stay current with all the science on management-relevant topics, especially as articles are published at an ever-increasing rate. In this new series of learning modules, we aim to provide scientists with essential tools, skills, and strategies for coproducing actionable science products with and for federal...
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Drill rig in the distance off a dirt road in a semi-aid system

Supporting energy and mineral development through successful reclamation

Federal lands of the US contain important reserves of oil, gas and other resources important for Unleashing American Energy (SO 3418). After development of these resources is complete, successfully reclaiming disturbed lands is a necessary step towards restoring wildlife habitat, forage production, and maintaining natural resources for future use. To improve reclamation outcomes on these lands and...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Western Geographic Science Center
Supporting energy and mineral development through successful reclamation

Supporting energy and mineral development through successful reclamation

Federal lands of the US contain important reserves of oil, gas and other resources important for Unleashing American Energy (SO 3418). After development of these resources is complete, successfully reclaiming disturbed lands is a necessary step towards restoring wildlife habitat, forage production, and maintaining natural resources for future use. To improve reclamation outcomes on these lands and...
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Drying soil samples in the lab

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...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center
Regional Assessment of Drought Impacts on Soils (RADIS)

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...
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Biocrusts on the Colorado Plateau, Utah

Drought Adaptation Strategies for Arid Grasslands

Helping National Parks in the 4-Corners region manage grasslands in a changing world.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Change Science Program, Land Management Research Program, Southwest Biological Science Center
Drought Adaptation Strategies for Arid Grasslands

Drought Adaptation Strategies for Arid Grasslands

Helping National Parks in the 4-Corners region manage grasslands in a changing world.
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USGS science for a changing world logo

Diverse data to improve Southwest fire forecasts: Joining novel remote sensing, post-fire dynamics, and intra-annual precipitation patterns

Fire has increased dramatically across the western U.S. and these increases are expected to continue. With this reality, it is critical that we improve our ability to forecast the timing, extent, and intensity of fire to provide resource managers and policy makers the information needed for effective decisions. For example, an advanced, spatially-explicit prediction of the upcoming fire...
By
Community for Data Integration (CDI)
Diverse data to improve Southwest fire forecasts: Joining novel remote sensing, post-fire dynamics, and intra-annual precipitation patterns

Diverse data to improve Southwest fire forecasts: Joining novel remote sensing, post-fire dynamics, and intra-annual precipitation patterns

Fire has increased dramatically across the western U.S. and these increases are expected to continue. With this reality, it is critical that we improve our ability to forecast the timing, extent, and intensity of fire to provide resource managers and policy makers the information needed for effective decisions. For example, an advanced, spatially-explicit prediction of the upcoming fire season
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C4 Photosynthesis - Corn growing at the SoyFACE

Using a multi-scale approach to synthesize measurements and models of C4 photosynthesis

Plants convert carbon dioxide into sugars for food during photosynthesis, and this provides food for all animal life. However, photosynthesis is inhibited when a plant’s enzymes use oxygen instead of carbon dioxide. To avoid this use of oxygen, some plants developed a photosynthetic adaptation – called C4 photosynthesis – to concentrate carbon dioxide around the enzymes. While less than...
By
John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis
Using a multi-scale approach to synthesize measurements and models of C4 photosynthesis

Using a multi-scale approach to synthesize measurements and models of C4 photosynthesis

Plants convert carbon dioxide into sugars for food during photosynthesis, and this provides food for all animal life. However, photosynthesis is inhibited when a plant’s enzymes use oxygen instead of carbon dioxide. To avoid this use of oxygen, some plants developed a photosynthetic adaptation – called C4 photosynthesis – to concentrate carbon dioxide around the enzymes. While less than 5% of
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Photo of soil crust

Remote Sensing of Biological Soil Crusts

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts, photoautotrophic soil surface communities comprised of cyanobacteria, algae, bryophytes, lichens, and fungi) occur in drylands globally where they contribute to ecosystem functioning by increasing soil stability, reducing dust emissions, and modifying soil resource availability (e.g., water, nutrients) (Fig 1.3.1). Despite increasing recognition and interest in...
By
Western Geographic Science Center, Youth and Education in Science
Remote Sensing of Biological Soil Crusts

Remote Sensing of Biological Soil Crusts

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts, photoautotrophic soil surface communities comprised of cyanobacteria, algae, bryophytes, lichens, and fungi) occur in drylands globally where they contribute to ecosystem functioning by increasing soil stability, reducing dust emissions, and modifying soil resource availability (e.g., water, nutrients) (Fig 1.3.1). Despite increasing recognition and interest in...
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USGS science for a changing world logo

GrassCast: A multi-agency tool using remote sensing, modeling, and on-the-ground science to forecast grassland productivity in the Southwest

Rangeland ecosystems are one of the largest single providers of agro-ecological services in the U.S. The plant growth of these rangelands helps determine the amount of forage available for our livestock and for wildlife, as well as information about fire likelihood and restoration opportunities. However, every spring, ranchers and other rangeland managers face the same difficult...
By
Community for Data Integration (CDI)
GrassCast: A multi-agency tool using remote sensing, modeling, and on-the-ground science to forecast grassland productivity in the Southwest

GrassCast: A multi-agency tool using remote sensing, modeling, and on-the-ground science to forecast grassland productivity in the Southwest

Rangeland ecosystems are one of the largest single providers of agro-ecological services in the U.S. The plant growth of these rangelands helps determine the amount of forage available for our livestock and for wildlife, as well as information about fire likelihood and restoration opportunities. However, every spring, ranchers and other rangeland managers face the same difficult challenge —trying
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Fire in Boulder, Colorado

Learning From the Past and Planning for the Future: Experience-Driven Insight Into Managing for Ecosystem Transformations Induced by Drought and Wildfire

Drought and wildfire pose enormous threats to the integrity of natural resources that land managers are charged with protecting. Recent observations and modeling forecasts indicate that these stressors will likely produce catastrophic ecosystem transformations, or abrupt changes in the condition of plants, wildlife, and their habitats, in regions across the country in coming decades. In...
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
Learning From the Past and Planning for the Future: Experience-Driven Insight Into Managing for Ecosystem Transformations Induced by Drought and Wildfire

Learning From the Past and Planning for the Future: Experience-Driven Insight Into Managing for Ecosystem Transformations Induced by Drought and Wildfire

Drought and wildfire pose enormous threats to the integrity of natural resources that land managers are charged with protecting. Recent observations and modeling forecasts indicate that these stressors will likely produce catastrophic ecosystem transformations, or abrupt changes in the condition of plants, wildlife, and their habitats, in regions across the country in coming decades. In this
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Pinyon Juniper Woodlands

Determining Successful Management and Restoration Strategies for Pinyon-Juniper Communities in the Face of Changing Climate and Wildfire

Pinyon-juniper woodlands are important ecosystems in the western U.S. that provide numerous critical environmental, economic, and cultural benefits. For example, pinyon pines are a significant cultural resource for multiple Native American Tribes and provide necessary habitat for plants and wildlife (including at risk species, such as the pinyon-jay). Despite their importance, stress put...
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
Determining Successful Management and Restoration Strategies for Pinyon-Juniper Communities in the Face of Changing Climate and Wildfire

Determining Successful Management and Restoration Strategies for Pinyon-Juniper Communities in the Face of Changing Climate and Wildfire

Pinyon-juniper woodlands are important ecosystems in the western U.S. that provide numerous critical environmental, economic, and cultural benefits. For example, pinyon pines are a significant cultural resource for multiple Native American Tribes and provide necessary habitat for plants and wildlife (including at risk species, such as the pinyon-jay). Despite their importance, stress put on pinyon
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USGS science for a changing world logo

Implementing a Grassland Productivity Forecast Tool for the U.S. Southwest

Rangeland systems are some of our nation’s largest providers of agro-ecological services, sustaining plant productivity that is highly variable across seasons and years. Although the ability to predict the upcoming growing season’s rangeland productivity would have enormous economic and management value – such as for making decisions about cattle stocking rates, fire, restoration, and...
By
Community for Data Integration (CDI)
Implementing a Grassland Productivity Forecast Tool for the U.S. Southwest

Implementing a Grassland Productivity Forecast Tool for the U.S. Southwest

Rangeland systems are some of our nation’s largest providers of agro-ecological services, sustaining plant productivity that is highly variable across seasons and years. Although the ability to predict the upcoming growing season’s rangeland productivity would have enormous economic and management value – such as for making decisions about cattle stocking rates, fire, restoration, and wildlife –
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Global gridded dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation across natural and agricultural biomes Global gridded dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation across natural and agricultural biomes

This dataset includes global rasters of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) rates (in kg N/ha/y) for each major N-fixing niche in natural biomes (trees, shrubs, herbs, soil, litter, dead wood, ground mosses, biocrusts, and epiphytic lichens) and agricultural biomes (legume crops, forage legumes, and rice). It also includes total natural terrestrial, total agricultural, and...
By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation

This dataset includes field measurements of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in all major N-fixing niches across natural terrestrial biomes globally. The dataset comprises 32 variables including site location, biome type, N-fixing niche, sampling year, quantification method, BNF rate (in kg N/ha/y), the percentage of nitrogen derived from the atmosphere, N-fixer or N-fixing substrate...
By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Bibliography of U.S. Geological Survey Contributions to Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Science Bibliography of U.S. Geological Survey Contributions to Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Science

This data release contains a bibliography of U.S. Geological Survey publications on carbon and greenhouse gas research. Publications between 2014 and 2024 were identified using search terms such as: carbon, greenhouse gas, methane, nitrous oxide, emission, sequestration, and primary productivity. Publications were primarily sourced from the USGS Publications Warehouse (https://pubs.usgs...
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Phenology observations for cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and red brome (Bromus rubens) in the western United States Phenology observations for cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and red brome (Bromus rubens) in the western United States

This dataset consists of phenology observations of red brome (Bromus rubens) and cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) collected at long-term monitoring sites and using daily timelapse camera imagery in the western United States. These observations include the location and day of year that flowering or senescence was observed per species. For timelapse camera images, 'flowering' observations...
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Site data from observations of post-fire and thinned stands of piñon-juniper woodlands on the Colorado Plateau Site data from observations of post-fire and thinned stands of piñon-juniper woodlands on the Colorado Plateau

These data were compiled to evaluate pinyon-juniper regeneration dynamics following stand-replacing wildfire and thinning treatments. Objectives of our study were to investigate vegetation community composition and tree recruitment in post-fire and post-thinning environments. These data represent plant and biological soil crust community composition and climatological records among...
By
Southwest Biological Science Center

Meteorological measurements from five weather stations in Grand and San Juan Counties in southeastern Utah (ver. 3.0, September 2024) Meteorological measurements from five weather stations in Grand and San Juan Counties in southeastern Utah (ver. 3.0, September 2024)

These data were compiled from six automated weather stations that together provide several points in the meteorological record across a latitudinal and elevational gradient in southeastern Utah. Recorded data from these weather stations are associated with several different studies. Meteorological data are important for quantifying short term weather events as well as longer term climate...
By
Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Southwest Biological Science Center

Ecological property data and experimental lab incubation results from a long-term nitrogen deposition simulation experiment in three semi-arid grasslands, Arches National Park, Utah, USA, 2013-2019 Ecological property data and experimental lab incubation results from a long-term nitrogen deposition simulation experiment in three semi-arid grasslands, Arches National Park, Utah, USA, 2013-2019

These data were compiled to understand the responses of dryland ecosystem properties to long-term simulated atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Objective(s) of our study were to uncover any changes in soil biogeochemistry and ecosystem properties to long-term nitrogen amendments. These data represent ecosystem property data compiled over the nine-year history of a nitrogen deposition...
By
Southwest Biological Science Center

Data and software code from two long-term experiments (1996-2011 and 2005-2018) at three sites on the Colorado Plateau of North America Data and software code from two long-term experiments (1996-2011 and 2005-2018) at three sites on the Colorado Plateau of North America

These data were compiled to examine how climate change affects biocrust recovery from both physical and climate-induced disturbance. Objective(s) of our study were to uncover the trajectory of biological soil crust communities and soil stability following distrubance and under warming. These data represent biological soil crust surveys under 5 treatments at three sites. These data were...
By
Southwest Biological Science Center

CO2 concentrations and microbial biomass data derived from incubation experiments on soils collected at Arches National Park in 2017 and 2018 CO2 concentrations and microbial biomass data derived from incubation experiments on soils collected at Arches National Park in 2017 and 2018

These data were compiled to improve our understanding of how water, carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) interact to regulate below ground carbon cycling. Objective(s) of our study were to evaluate how soil heterotrophic carbon cycling responded to inputs of water, C, N, and P individually and interactively on the Colorado Plateau. These data represent soil microbial and CO2...
By
Southwest Biological Science Center

Riparian vegetation, topography, and ground cover constituents along the Upper Colorado River near Moab, UT (2010-2017) (ver. 1.1, Jan 2023) Riparian vegetation, topography, and ground cover constituents along the Upper Colorado River near Moab, UT (2010-2017) (ver. 1.1, Jan 2023)

The data release presents observations of riparian vegetation, topography, and ground cover in two river reaches of the Upper Colorado River within a river segment extending 208 river kilometers (rkm), from near the Colorado/Utah border to the confluence of the Green River. Methods included field observations and analysis of the plant community five times over eight years in the fall of...
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Erosion and Rehabilitation Data, Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico, USA Erosion and Rehabilitation Data, Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico, USA

These data were compiled for a restoration experiment testing the regenerative and functional response of biocrust inoculum reintroduced to a field setting. Regenerative traits measured included measurements of biocrust cover, chlorophyll content, and the roughness of the soil surface. Functional traits measured included nutrient cycling and soil stability. Additionally, these data were...
By
Southwest Biological Science Center

Experimental Design Plant and Soil Measurement Data for Achnatherum hymenoides from a warming experiment, Colorado Plateau, 2011 Experimental Design Plant and Soil Measurement Data for Achnatherum hymenoides from a warming experiment, Colorado Plateau, 2011

These plant and soil data were collected by Timothy M. Wertin and Sasha C. Reed in the spring, summer, and fall of 2011 at a climate manipulation experiment site near Moab, UT (38.521411, -109.470567). These data were collected to assess how warming affects leaf photosynthesis, soil CO 2 efflux, and soil chemistry in plots of ambient and warming treatments. The purpose of these data are...
By
Southwest Biological Science Center
Overhead view taken by drone of a USGS fieldwork site in Moab with multiple cars and a tent shelter Overhead view taken by drone of a USGS fieldwork site in Moab with multiple cars and a tent shelter
B-Roll: Field and drone remote sensing operations near Moab, Utah – May 2025
Overhead view taken by drone of a USGS fieldwork site in Moab with multiple cars and a tent shelter

B-Roll: Field and drone remote sensing operations near Moab, Utah – May 2025

B-Roll: Field and drone remote sensing operations near Moab, Utah – May 2025

In May 2025, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) collected uncrewed aircraft system (UAS, also known as drone) data to support a collaborative field campaign led by Sasha Reed of the Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) and Miguel Villarreal of the Western Geographic Science Center (WGSC) near Moab, Utah.

By
Core Science Systems Mission Area, National Land Imaging Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Overhead view taken by drone of a USGS fieldwork site in Moab with multiple cars and a tent shelter

B-Roll: Field and drone remote sensing operations near Moab, Utah – May 2025

B-Roll: Field and drone remote sensing operations near Moab, Utah – May 2025

In May 2025, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) collected uncrewed aircraft system (UAS, also known as drone) data to support a collaborative field campaign led by Sasha Reed of the Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) and Miguel Villarreal of the Western Geographic Science Center (WGSC) near Moab, Utah.

By
Core Science Systems Mission Area, National Land Imaging Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Drone's eye view of a USGS remote pilot during a biocrust mission near Moab, UT Drone's eye view of a USGS remote pilot during a biocrust mission near Moab, UT
Mapping biocrust with UAS technology in Moab, Utah
Drone's eye view of a USGS remote pilot during a biocrust mission near Moab, UT

Mapping biocrust with UAS technology in Moab, Utah

Mapping biocrust with UAS technology in Moab, Utah

USGS researchers teamed up for a biological soil crust (biocrust) remote sensing and field data campaign near Moab, Utah in February of 2022.

By
Core Science Systems Mission Area, National Land Imaging Program, National Land Imaging Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Drone's eye view of a USGS remote pilot during a biocrust mission near Moab, UT

Mapping biocrust with UAS technology in Moab, Utah

Mapping biocrust with UAS technology in Moab, Utah

USGS researchers teamed up for a biological soil crust (biocrust) remote sensing and field data campaign near Moab, Utah in February of 2022.

By
Core Science Systems Mission Area, National Land Imaging Program, National Land Imaging Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
A screenshot from a video interview with Dr. Sasha Reed, SBSC, USGS, about biocrusts with the Nature Connects program
Screenshot from an interview on the Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts
Screenshot from an interview on the Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts
A screenshot from a video interview with Dr. Sasha Reed, SBSC, USGS, about biocrusts with the Nature Connects program

Screenshot from an interview on the Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts

Screenshot from an interview on the Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts

Screenshot from a video interview on The Nature Conservancy's Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts. Summary: "In this Nature Connects webinar, we hear from Dr. Sasha Reed, U.S. Geological Survey biogeochemist.

By
Southwest Biological Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center
A screenshot from a video interview with Dr. Sasha Reed, SBSC, USGS, about biocrusts with the Nature Connects program

Screenshot from an interview on the Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts

Screenshot from an interview on the Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts

Screenshot from a video interview on The Nature Conservancy's Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts. Summary: "In this Nature Connects webinar, we hear from Dr. Sasha Reed, U.S. Geological Survey biogeochemist.

By
Southwest Biological Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center
hawaii forest
Hawai'ian forest at Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.
Hawai'ian forest at Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.
hawaii forest

Hawai'ian forest at Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.

Hawai'ian forest at Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.

Photograph of a Hawai'ian forest near the youngest site along the Hawai'ian Long Substrate Age Gradient used in this study. This forest is on the big island of Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.

By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Communications and Publishing
hawaii forest

Hawai'ian forest at Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.

Hawai'ian forest at Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.

Photograph of a Hawai'ian forest near the youngest site along the Hawai'ian Long Substrate Age Gradient used in this study. This forest is on the big island of Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.

By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Communications and Publishing
Filter Total Items: 189

Drought intensity and duration interact to magnify losses in primary productivity Drought intensity and duration interact to magnify losses in primary productivity

As droughts become longer and more intense, impacts on terrestrial primary productivity are expected to increase progressively. Yet, some ecosystems appear to acclimate to multiyear drought, with constant or diminishing reductions in productivity as drought duration increases. We quantified the combined effects of drought duration and intensity on aboveground productivity in 74...
Authors
Timothy Ohlert, Melinda D. Smith, Scott L. Collins, Alan K. Knapp, Jeffrey S. Dukes, Osvaldo E. Sala, Kate D Wilkins, Seth Munson, Maggie I. Anderson, Meghan L. Avolio, Anping Chen, Meghan T. Hayden, Martin C. Holdrege, Ingrid J. Slette, Peter A. Wilfahrt, Claus Beier, Lauchlan H. Fraser, Anke Jentsch, Michael E. Loik, Yiqi Luo, Fernando T. Maestre, Richard P. Phillips, Sally A. Power, Laura Yahdjian, Qiang Yu, Angel Chen, Andrew J. Felton, Laureano A. Gherardi, Nicholas J. Lyon, Hamed Abdoli, Mehdi Abedi, Juan Alberti, Antonio I. Arroyo, Heidi Asbjornsen, Harald Auge, Seton Bachle, Michael Bahn, David C. Bartholomew, Amgaa Batbaatar, Taryn L. Bauerle, Karen H. Beard, Kai Behn, Ilka Beil, Lucio Biancari, Irmgard Blindow, Viviana Florencia Bondaruk, Elizabeth T. Borer, Edward W. Bork, Carlos Martin Bruschetti, Kerry M. Byrne, James F. Cahill, Dianela A. Calvo, Michele Carbognani, Cameron N. Carlyle, Karen Castillioni, Miguel Castillo-Garcia, Manjunatha H. Chandregowda, Scott X. Chang, Jeff Chieppa, Amber C. Churchill, Marcus Vinicius Cianciaruso, Amanda L. Cordeiro, Sara Cousins, Daniela F. Cusack, Sven Dahlke, Pedro Daleo, Lee H. Dietterich, Maren Dubbert, Nico Eisenhauer, T'ai G. Forte, Flavia A. Funk, Darcy Galiano, Aaron C. Greenville, Liebao Han, Siri Vatsø Haugum, Yann Hautier, Andy Hector, Hugh A. Henry, Daniela Hoss, Forest Isbell, Samuel E. Jordan, Yuguang Ke, Eugene F. Kelly, Sally E. Koerner, Juergen Kreyling, Gyorgy Kroel-Dulay, Alicia I. Kröpfl, Angelika Kübert, Andrew Kulmatiski, Eric G. Lamb, Klaus Steenberg Larsen, Steven R. Lee, Smriti Pehim Limbu, Anja Linstädter, Shirong Liu, Grisel Longo, Alejandro Loydi, Junwei Luan, F. Curtis Lubbe, Andrey V. Malyshev, Cameron D. McIntire, Daniel B. Metcalfe, Malesela Vincent Mokoka, Akira S. Mori, Edwin Mudongo, Gregory S. Newman, Uffe N. Nielsen, Raúl Ochoa-Hueso, Rory C. O'Connor, Romà Ogaya, Gastón R. Oñatibia, Ildiko Orban, Brooke B. Osborne, Rafael Otfinowski, Meelis Pärtel, Jesús Pascual, Josep Peñuelas, Pablo L. Peri, David S. Pescador, Guadalupe Peter, Alessandro Petraglia, Catherine Picon-Cochard, Valério D. Pillar, Juan M. Piñeiro-Guerra, Laura Weber Ploughe, Robert M. Plowes, Cristy Portales-Reyes, Suzanne M. Prober, Yolanda Pueyo, Golsa Rahmati, Sasha Reed, Dana Aylén Rodríguez, William E. Rogers, Christiane Roscher, David W. Rowley, Ana M. Sánchez, Bráulio A. Santos, Michael P. Schellenberg, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Eric W. Seabloom, Ruonan Shen, Baoku Shi, Lara Souza, Andreas Stampfli, Rachel J. Standish, Marcelo Sternberg, Wei Sun, Marie Sünnemann, Michelle Tedder, Tyson J. Terry, Pål Thorvaldsen, Katja Tielbörger, Maud Tissink, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur, Alejandro Valdecantos, Liesbeth van den Brink, Vigdis Vandvik, Liv Guri Velle, Svenja Wanke, Glenda M. Wardle, Cunzheng Wei, Christiane Werner, Georg Wiehl, Jennifer L. Williams, Amelia A. Wolf, Honghui Wu, Chong Xu, Xuechen Yang, Jenifer L. Yost, Alyssa L. Young, Ping Yue, Juan M. Zeberio, Michaela Zeiter, Haiyang Zhang, Juntao Zhu, Xiaoan Zuo
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Warming induces unexpectedly high soil respiration in a wet tropical forest Warming induces unexpectedly high soil respiration in a wet tropical forest

Tropical forests are a dominant regulator of the global carbon cycle, exchanging more carbon dioxide with the atmosphere than any other terrestrial biome. Climate models predict unprecedented climatic warming in tropical regions in the coming decades; however, in situ field warming studies are severely lacking in tropical forests. Here we present results from an in situ warming...
Authors
Tana E. Wood, Colin Lee Tucker, Aura M. Alonso-Rodríguez, M. Isabel Loza, Iana F. Grullón-Penkova, Molly A. Cavaleri, Christine S. O'Connell, Sasha Reed
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Mapping ecological states in the upper Colorado River basin: Implications for fire management Mapping ecological states in the upper Colorado River basin: Implications for fire management

Spatially explicit information on ecosystem dynamics that offers a mechanistic understanding of ecological processes can benefit environmental management. Broad-scale maps based on state-and-transition models provide valuable insight into transitions among ecological states resulting from specific drivers within areas sharing similar climatic and edaphic characteristics ecological sites...
Authors
John P. Severson, Tara B. Bishop, Anna C. Knight, Travis W. Nauman, Brandon E. McNellis, Miguel L. Villarreal, Sasha Reed, Kristina E. Young, Mark Brunson, Michael C. Duniway
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is the main natural source of new nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems, supporting terrestrial productivity, carbon uptake, and other Earth system processes. We assembled a comprehensive global dataset of field measurements of BNF in all major N-fixing niches across natural terrestrial biomes derived from the analysis of 376 BNF studies. The...
Authors
Carla R. Reis Ely, Steven Perakis, Cory C. Cleveland, Duncan Menge, Sasha Reed, Sarah A. Batterman, Timothy E. Crews, Katherine A Dynarski, Maga G. Gei, Michael J. Gundale, Sarah E. Jovan, Sian Kou-Giesbrecht, Mark B. Peoples, Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero, Verity G. Salmon, Fiona M. Soper, Anika P. Staccone, Benton Taylor, Bettina Weber, Nina Wurzburger
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center

Global terrestrial nitrogen fixation and its modification by agriculture Global terrestrial nitrogen fixation and its modification by agriculture

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is the largest natural source of new nitrogen (N) that supports terrestrial productivity1,2, yet estimates of global terrestrial BNF remain highly uncertain3,4. Here we show that this uncertainty is partly because of sampling bias, as field BNF measurements in natural terrestrial ecosystems occur where N fixers are 17 times more prevalent than their...
Authors
Carla R. Reis Ely, Steven Perakis, Cory C. Cleveland, Duncan Menge, Sasha Reed, Benton Taylor, Sarah A. Batterman, Christopher M. Clark, Timothy E. Crews, Katherine A Dynarski, Maga G. Gei, Michael J. Gundale, David F. Herridge, Sarah E. Jovan, Sian Kou-Giesbrecht, Mark B. Peoples, Johannes Piipponen, Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero, Verity G. Salmon, Fiona M. Soper, Anika P. Staccone, Bettina Weber, Christopher A. Williams, Nina Wurzburger
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Photodegradation of lignocellulose in plant litter – Reinterpreting data from Méndez et al. (2022) Photodegradation of lignocellulose in plant litter – Reinterpreting data from Méndez et al. (2022)

No abstract available.
Authors
Daryl L. Moorhead, Katherine E.O. Todd-Brown, Alexi C. Besser, Dellena Evelyn Bloom, Ashley Bonner, Alejandro Cueva, Thomas C. Ingalls, Jiwei Li, Sasha Reed, Isabel Torres, Heather L. Throop
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Navigating the possibilities and pitfalls of biocrust recovery in a changing climate Navigating the possibilities and pitfalls of biocrust recovery in a changing climate

Biological soil crusts are complex communities composed of lichens, mosses, bacteria, and cyanobacteria that create a living skin on the soil surface across drylands worldwide. Although small in size, the vast area that biocrusts cover and the critical functions they provide make them a cornerstone of dryland health and resiliency. In addition to being important, biocrusts are...
Authors
Michala Lee Phillips, Kristina E. Young, Cara Marie Lauria, Sierra Jech, Ana Giraldo-Silva, Sasha C. Reed
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Biocrust mosses and cyanobacteria exhibit distinct carbon uptake responses to variations in precipitation amount and frequency Biocrust mosses and cyanobacteria exhibit distinct carbon uptake responses to variations in precipitation amount and frequency

Dryland organisms exhibit varied responses to changes in precipitation, including event size, frequency, and soil moisture duration, influencing carbon uptake and reserve management strategies. This principle, central to the pulse-reserve paradigm, has not been thoroughly evaluated in biological soil crusts (biocrusts), essential primary producers on dryland surfaces. We conducted two...
Authors
Kristina E. Young, Osvaldo E. Sala, Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi, Colin L Tucker, Rebecca A Finger-Higgens, Megan Elyse Starbuck, Sasha C. Reed
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Scaling from microsite to landscape to resolve litter decomposition dynamics in globally extensive drylands Scaling from microsite to landscape to resolve litter decomposition dynamics in globally extensive drylands

1. Decomposition controls the release of carbon and nutrients from decaying plant litter into soils or the atmosphere. In most biomes decomposition rates can be accurately predicted with simple mathematical models, but these models have long under-predicted decomposition in globally- extensive drylands. 2. We posit that the exposed surface conditions characteristic of drylands makes...
Authors
Heather L. Throop, Jiwei Li, Daryl L. Moorhead, Sasha C. Reed, Katherine Todd-Brown, Alexi Besser, Dellena Bloom, Thomas Ingalls, Alejandro Cueva
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

C4 photosynthesis, trait spectra, and the fast-efficient phenotype C4 photosynthesis, trait spectra, and the fast-efficient phenotype

It has been 60 years since the discovery of C4 photosynthesis, an event that rewrote our understanding of plant adaptation, ecosystem responses to global change, and global food security. Despite six decades of research, one aspect of C4 photosynthesis that remains poorly understood is how the pathway fits into the broader context of adaptive trait spectra, which form our modern view of...
Authors
Russell K. Monson, Shuai Li, Elizabeth A. Ainsworth, Yuzhen Fan, John G. Hodge, Alan K. Knapp, Andrew D.B. Leakey, Danica Lombardozzi, Sasha C. Reed, Rowan F. Sage, Melinda D. Smith, Nicholas G. Smith, Christopher J. Still, Danielle A. Way
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Direct and legacy effects of varying cool-season precipitation totals on ecosystem carbon flux in a semi-arid mixed grassland Direct and legacy effects of varying cool-season precipitation totals on ecosystem carbon flux in a semi-arid mixed grassland

In the semi-arid grasslands of the southwest United States, annual precipitation is divided between warm-season (July–September) convective precipitation and cool-season (December–March) frontal storms. While evidence suggests shifts in precipitation seasonal distribution, there is a poor understanding of the ecosystem carbon flux responses to cool-season precipitation and the potential...
Authors
Fangyue Zhang, Joel A. Biederman, Nathan A. Pierce, Daniel L. Potts, Sasha C. Reed, William K. Smith
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Developing biocrust field cultivation techniques for soil restoration: An assessment of bacterial communities Developing biocrust field cultivation techniques for soil restoration: An assessment of bacterial communities

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are a coherent, thin soil surface layer, engineered and inhabited by a diverse community of moss, lichen, cyanobacteria, and other microorganisms. Biocrusts provide critical functions in dryland systems and may be lost from the ecosystem through physical disturbance or other global change drivers. Once biocrusts are lost, natural recovery can occur very...
Authors
Sierra D. Jech, Kara Dohrenwend, Natalie Day, Nichole N. Barger, Anita Antoninka, Matthew A. Bowker, Sasha C. Reed, Colin L Tucker
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Sullivan, B.W., Alvarez-Clare, S., Castle, S.C., Porder, S., Reed, S.C., Schreeg, L., Townsend, A.R. and Cleveland, C.C., 2014. Assessing nutrient limitation in complex forested ecosystems: alternatives to large‐scale fertilization experiments. Ecology, 95(3), pp.668-681.
Cleveland, C.C., Houlton, B.Z., Smith, W.K., Marklein, A.R., Reed, S.C., Parton, W., Del Grosso, S.J. and Running, S.W., 2013. Patterns of new versus recycled primary production in the terrestrial biosphere. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(31), pp.12733-12737.
Reed, S.C., Cleveland, C.C. and Townsend, A.R., 2013. Relationships among phosphorus, molybdenum and free-living nitrogen fixation in tropical rain forests: results from observational and experimental analyses. Biogeochemistry, 114(1-3), pp.135-147.
Wickings, K., Grandy, A.S., Reed, S.C. and Cleveland, C.C., 2012. The origin of litter chemical complexity during decomposition. Ecology Letters, 15(10), pp.1180-1188.
Reed, S.C., 2008. Scaling from molecules to ecosystems: controls over free-living nitrogen fixation in terrestrial ecosystems. ProQuest.
Sattin, S.R., Cleveland, C.C., Hood, E., Reed, S.C., King, A.J., Schmidt, S.K., Robeson, M.S., Ascarrunz, N. and Nemergut, D.R., 2009. Functional shifts in unvegetated, perhumid, recently-deglaciated soils do not correlate with shifts in soil bacterial community composition. The Journal of Microbiology, 47(6), pp.673-681.
Costello, E.K., Halloy, S.R., Reed, S.C., Sowell, P. and Schmidt, S.K., 2009. Fumarole-supported islands of biodiversity within a hyperarid, high-elevation landscape on Socompa Volcano, Puna de Atacama, Andes. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 75(3), pp.735-747.
Freeman, K.R., Pescador, M.Y., Reed, S.C., Costello, E.K., Robeson, M.S. and Schmidt, S.K., 2009. Soil CO2 flux and photoautotrophic community composition in high‐elevation,‘barren’soil. Environmental Microbiology, 11(3), pp.674-686.
Schmidt, S.K., Reed, S.C., Nemergut, D.R., Grandy, A.S., Cleveland, C.C., Weintraub, M.N., Hill, A.W., Costello, E.K., Meyer, A.F., Neff, J.C. and Martin, A.M., 2008. The earliest stages of ecosystem succession in high-elevation (5000 metres above sea level), recently deglaciated soils. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 275(1653), pp.2793-2802.
Reed, S.C., Cleveland, C.C. and Townsend, A.R., 2008. Tree species control rates of free-living nitrogen fixation in a tropical rain forest. Ecology, 89(10), pp.2924-2934.
Reed, S.C., Cleveland, C.C. and Townsend, A.R., 2007. Controls over leaf litter and soil nitrogen fixation in two lowland tropical rain forests. Biotropica, 39(5), pp.585-592.
Schmidt, S.K., Costello, E.K., Nemergut, D.R., Cleveland, C.C., Reed, S.C., Weintraub, M.N., Meyer, A.F. and Martin, A.M., 2007. Biogeochemical consequences of rapid microbial turnover and seasonal succession in soil. Ecology, 88(6), pp.1379-1385.
Reed, S.C., Seastedt, T.R., Mann, C.M., Suding, K.N., Townsend, A.R. and Cherwin, K.L., 2007. Phosphorus fertilization stimulates nitrogen fixation and increases inorganic nitrogen concentrations in a restored prairie. Applied Soil Ecology, 36(2), pp.238-242.
Cleveland, C.C., Reed, S.C. and Townsend, A.R., 2006. Nutrient regulation of organic matter decomposition in a tropical rain forest. Ecology, 87(2), pp.492-503.
Bowker, M.A., Reed, S.C., Belnap, J. and Phillips, S.L., 2002. Temporal variation in community composition, pigmentation, and Fv/Fm of desert cyanobacterial soil crusts. Microbial Ecology, 43(1), pp.13-25.
Reed, S.C., Capitosti, G.J., Zhu, Z. and Modarelli, D.A., 2001. Photochemical generation and matrix-isolation detection of dimethylvinylidene. The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 66(1), pp.287-299.
Reed, S.C. and Modarelli, D.A., 1996. Conformational effects on the excited state 1, 2-hydrogen migration in alkyldiazomethanes. Tetrahedron Letters, 37(40), pp.7209-7212.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Predicting when the grass is greener: new phenological forecasts for invasive annual grasses

Predicting when the grass is greener: new phenological forecasts for invasive annual grasses

Two major hurdles in the effective control of invasive grasses are: (1) Anticipating the timing of key stages that are susceptible to management...

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A global study reveals a surprise: The driest places have the highest diversity of plant traits

A global study reveals a surprise: The driest places have the highest diversity of plant traits

Common ecological knowledge holds that areas with more rain, like rainforests, house higher plant diversity than drylands. However, a new global study...

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SBSC’s restoration research featured in the 2023 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report

SBSC’s restoration research featured in the 2023 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released their 2023 “Assessment of Native Seeds Needs and the Capacity for Their...

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Exploring the Role of Cryptic Nitrogen Fixers in Terrestrial Ecosystems

Exploring the Role of Cryptic Nitrogen Fixers in Terrestrial Ecosystems

Biological nitrogen fixation—the conversion of inert atmospheric nitrogen gas into biologically available nitrogen - is critical for supporting both...

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Science and Products

Filter Total Items: 19
Biocrusts with lichen

Biological Soil Crust ("Biocrust") Science

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are commonly found on the soil surface in arid and semi-arid ecosystems (collectively called drylands). Biocrusts can consist of mosses, cyanobacteria, lichens, algae, and microfungi, and they strongly interact with the soil. These organisms or consortium of disparate organisms, depending on the specific biocrust, are important to the functioning of ecosystems...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Southwest Biological Science Center
Biological Soil Crust ("Biocrust") Science

Biological Soil Crust ("Biocrust") Science

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are commonly found on the soil surface in arid and semi-arid ecosystems (collectively called drylands). Biocrusts can consist of mosses, cyanobacteria, lichens, algae, and microfungi, and they strongly interact with the soil. These organisms or consortium of disparate organisms, depending on the specific biocrust, are important to the functioning of ecosystems...
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field of wildflowers in the foreground, with brown mountains and blue sky in the background

Skill-building workshops for researchers on the coproduction of actionable science

Public lands management requires the use of science, but agency staff rarely have time to stay current with all the science on management-relevant topics, especially as articles are published at an ever-increasing rate. In this new series of learning modules, we aim to provide scientists with essential tools, skills, and strategies for coproducing actionable science products with and for federal...
By
Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center
Skill-building workshops for researchers on the coproduction of actionable science

Skill-building workshops for researchers on the coproduction of actionable science

Public lands management requires the use of science, but agency staff rarely have time to stay current with all the science on management-relevant topics, especially as articles are published at an ever-increasing rate. In this new series of learning modules, we aim to provide scientists with essential tools, skills, and strategies for coproducing actionable science products with and for federal...
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Drill rig in the distance off a dirt road in a semi-aid system

Supporting energy and mineral development through successful reclamation

Federal lands of the US contain important reserves of oil, gas and other resources important for Unleashing American Energy (SO 3418). After development of these resources is complete, successfully reclaiming disturbed lands is a necessary step towards restoring wildlife habitat, forage production, and maintaining natural resources for future use. To improve reclamation outcomes on these lands and...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Western Geographic Science Center
Supporting energy and mineral development through successful reclamation

Supporting energy and mineral development through successful reclamation

Federal lands of the US contain important reserves of oil, gas and other resources important for Unleashing American Energy (SO 3418). After development of these resources is complete, successfully reclaiming disturbed lands is a necessary step towards restoring wildlife habitat, forage production, and maintaining natural resources for future use. To improve reclamation outcomes on these lands and...
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Drying soil samples in the lab

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...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center
Regional Assessment of Drought Impacts on Soils (RADIS)

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...
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Biocrusts on the Colorado Plateau, Utah

Drought Adaptation Strategies for Arid Grasslands

Helping National Parks in the 4-Corners region manage grasslands in a changing world.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Change Science Program, Land Management Research Program, Southwest Biological Science Center
Drought Adaptation Strategies for Arid Grasslands

Drought Adaptation Strategies for Arid Grasslands

Helping National Parks in the 4-Corners region manage grasslands in a changing world.
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USGS science for a changing world logo

Diverse data to improve Southwest fire forecasts: Joining novel remote sensing, post-fire dynamics, and intra-annual precipitation patterns

Fire has increased dramatically across the western U.S. and these increases are expected to continue. With this reality, it is critical that we improve our ability to forecast the timing, extent, and intensity of fire to provide resource managers and policy makers the information needed for effective decisions. For example, an advanced, spatially-explicit prediction of the upcoming fire...
By
Community for Data Integration (CDI)
Diverse data to improve Southwest fire forecasts: Joining novel remote sensing, post-fire dynamics, and intra-annual precipitation patterns

Diverse data to improve Southwest fire forecasts: Joining novel remote sensing, post-fire dynamics, and intra-annual precipitation patterns

Fire has increased dramatically across the western U.S. and these increases are expected to continue. With this reality, it is critical that we improve our ability to forecast the timing, extent, and intensity of fire to provide resource managers and policy makers the information needed for effective decisions. For example, an advanced, spatially-explicit prediction of the upcoming fire season
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C4 Photosynthesis - Corn growing at the SoyFACE

Using a multi-scale approach to synthesize measurements and models of C4 photosynthesis

Plants convert carbon dioxide into sugars for food during photosynthesis, and this provides food for all animal life. However, photosynthesis is inhibited when a plant’s enzymes use oxygen instead of carbon dioxide. To avoid this use of oxygen, some plants developed a photosynthetic adaptation – called C4 photosynthesis – to concentrate carbon dioxide around the enzymes. While less than...
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John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis
Using a multi-scale approach to synthesize measurements and models of C4 photosynthesis

Using a multi-scale approach to synthesize measurements and models of C4 photosynthesis

Plants convert carbon dioxide into sugars for food during photosynthesis, and this provides food for all animal life. However, photosynthesis is inhibited when a plant’s enzymes use oxygen instead of carbon dioxide. To avoid this use of oxygen, some plants developed a photosynthetic adaptation – called C4 photosynthesis – to concentrate carbon dioxide around the enzymes. While less than 5% of
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Photo of soil crust

Remote Sensing of Biological Soil Crusts

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts, photoautotrophic soil surface communities comprised of cyanobacteria, algae, bryophytes, lichens, and fungi) occur in drylands globally where they contribute to ecosystem functioning by increasing soil stability, reducing dust emissions, and modifying soil resource availability (e.g., water, nutrients) (Fig 1.3.1). Despite increasing recognition and interest in...
By
Western Geographic Science Center, Youth and Education in Science
Remote Sensing of Biological Soil Crusts

Remote Sensing of Biological Soil Crusts

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts, photoautotrophic soil surface communities comprised of cyanobacteria, algae, bryophytes, lichens, and fungi) occur in drylands globally where they contribute to ecosystem functioning by increasing soil stability, reducing dust emissions, and modifying soil resource availability (e.g., water, nutrients) (Fig 1.3.1). Despite increasing recognition and interest in...
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USGS science for a changing world logo

GrassCast: A multi-agency tool using remote sensing, modeling, and on-the-ground science to forecast grassland productivity in the Southwest

Rangeland ecosystems are one of the largest single providers of agro-ecological services in the U.S. The plant growth of these rangelands helps determine the amount of forage available for our livestock and for wildlife, as well as information about fire likelihood and restoration opportunities. However, every spring, ranchers and other rangeland managers face the same difficult...
By
Community for Data Integration (CDI)
GrassCast: A multi-agency tool using remote sensing, modeling, and on-the-ground science to forecast grassland productivity in the Southwest

GrassCast: A multi-agency tool using remote sensing, modeling, and on-the-ground science to forecast grassland productivity in the Southwest

Rangeland ecosystems are one of the largest single providers of agro-ecological services in the U.S. The plant growth of these rangelands helps determine the amount of forage available for our livestock and for wildlife, as well as information about fire likelihood and restoration opportunities. However, every spring, ranchers and other rangeland managers face the same difficult challenge —trying
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Fire in Boulder, Colorado

Learning From the Past and Planning for the Future: Experience-Driven Insight Into Managing for Ecosystem Transformations Induced by Drought and Wildfire

Drought and wildfire pose enormous threats to the integrity of natural resources that land managers are charged with protecting. Recent observations and modeling forecasts indicate that these stressors will likely produce catastrophic ecosystem transformations, or abrupt changes in the condition of plants, wildlife, and their habitats, in regions across the country in coming decades. In...
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
Learning From the Past and Planning for the Future: Experience-Driven Insight Into Managing for Ecosystem Transformations Induced by Drought and Wildfire

Learning From the Past and Planning for the Future: Experience-Driven Insight Into Managing for Ecosystem Transformations Induced by Drought and Wildfire

Drought and wildfire pose enormous threats to the integrity of natural resources that land managers are charged with protecting. Recent observations and modeling forecasts indicate that these stressors will likely produce catastrophic ecosystem transformations, or abrupt changes in the condition of plants, wildlife, and their habitats, in regions across the country in coming decades. In this
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Pinyon Juniper Woodlands

Determining Successful Management and Restoration Strategies for Pinyon-Juniper Communities in the Face of Changing Climate and Wildfire

Pinyon-juniper woodlands are important ecosystems in the western U.S. that provide numerous critical environmental, economic, and cultural benefits. For example, pinyon pines are a significant cultural resource for multiple Native American Tribes and provide necessary habitat for plants and wildlife (including at risk species, such as the pinyon-jay). Despite their importance, stress put...
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
Determining Successful Management and Restoration Strategies for Pinyon-Juniper Communities in the Face of Changing Climate and Wildfire

Determining Successful Management and Restoration Strategies for Pinyon-Juniper Communities in the Face of Changing Climate and Wildfire

Pinyon-juniper woodlands are important ecosystems in the western U.S. that provide numerous critical environmental, economic, and cultural benefits. For example, pinyon pines are a significant cultural resource for multiple Native American Tribes and provide necessary habitat for plants and wildlife (including at risk species, such as the pinyon-jay). Despite their importance, stress put on pinyon
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USGS science for a changing world logo

Implementing a Grassland Productivity Forecast Tool for the U.S. Southwest

Rangeland systems are some of our nation’s largest providers of agro-ecological services, sustaining plant productivity that is highly variable across seasons and years. Although the ability to predict the upcoming growing season’s rangeland productivity would have enormous economic and management value – such as for making decisions about cattle stocking rates, fire, restoration, and...
By
Community for Data Integration (CDI)
Implementing a Grassland Productivity Forecast Tool for the U.S. Southwest

Implementing a Grassland Productivity Forecast Tool for the U.S. Southwest

Rangeland systems are some of our nation’s largest providers of agro-ecological services, sustaining plant productivity that is highly variable across seasons and years. Although the ability to predict the upcoming growing season’s rangeland productivity would have enormous economic and management value – such as for making decisions about cattle stocking rates, fire, restoration, and wildlife –
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Global gridded dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation across natural and agricultural biomes Global gridded dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation across natural and agricultural biomes

This dataset includes global rasters of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) rates (in kg N/ha/y) for each major N-fixing niche in natural biomes (trees, shrubs, herbs, soil, litter, dead wood, ground mosses, biocrusts, and epiphytic lichens) and agricultural biomes (legume crops, forage legumes, and rice). It also includes total natural terrestrial, total agricultural, and...
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Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation

This dataset includes field measurements of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in all major N-fixing niches across natural terrestrial biomes globally. The dataset comprises 32 variables including site location, biome type, N-fixing niche, sampling year, quantification method, BNF rate (in kg N/ha/y), the percentage of nitrogen derived from the atmosphere, N-fixer or N-fixing substrate...
By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Bibliography of U.S. Geological Survey Contributions to Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Science Bibliography of U.S. Geological Survey Contributions to Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Science

This data release contains a bibliography of U.S. Geological Survey publications on carbon and greenhouse gas research. Publications between 2014 and 2024 were identified using search terms such as: carbon, greenhouse gas, methane, nitrous oxide, emission, sequestration, and primary productivity. Publications were primarily sourced from the USGS Publications Warehouse (https://pubs.usgs...
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Phenology observations for cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and red brome (Bromus rubens) in the western United States Phenology observations for cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and red brome (Bromus rubens) in the western United States

This dataset consists of phenology observations of red brome (Bromus rubens) and cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) collected at long-term monitoring sites and using daily timelapse camera imagery in the western United States. These observations include the location and day of year that flowering or senescence was observed per species. For timelapse camera images, 'flowering' observations...
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Site data from observations of post-fire and thinned stands of piñon-juniper woodlands on the Colorado Plateau Site data from observations of post-fire and thinned stands of piñon-juniper woodlands on the Colorado Plateau

These data were compiled to evaluate pinyon-juniper regeneration dynamics following stand-replacing wildfire and thinning treatments. Objectives of our study were to investigate vegetation community composition and tree recruitment in post-fire and post-thinning environments. These data represent plant and biological soil crust community composition and climatological records among...
By
Southwest Biological Science Center

Meteorological measurements from five weather stations in Grand and San Juan Counties in southeastern Utah (ver. 3.0, September 2024) Meteorological measurements from five weather stations in Grand and San Juan Counties in southeastern Utah (ver. 3.0, September 2024)

These data were compiled from six automated weather stations that together provide several points in the meteorological record across a latitudinal and elevational gradient in southeastern Utah. Recorded data from these weather stations are associated with several different studies. Meteorological data are important for quantifying short term weather events as well as longer term climate...
By
Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Southwest Biological Science Center

Ecological property data and experimental lab incubation results from a long-term nitrogen deposition simulation experiment in three semi-arid grasslands, Arches National Park, Utah, USA, 2013-2019 Ecological property data and experimental lab incubation results from a long-term nitrogen deposition simulation experiment in three semi-arid grasslands, Arches National Park, Utah, USA, 2013-2019

These data were compiled to understand the responses of dryland ecosystem properties to long-term simulated atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Objective(s) of our study were to uncover any changes in soil biogeochemistry and ecosystem properties to long-term nitrogen amendments. These data represent ecosystem property data compiled over the nine-year history of a nitrogen deposition...
By
Southwest Biological Science Center

Data and software code from two long-term experiments (1996-2011 and 2005-2018) at three sites on the Colorado Plateau of North America Data and software code from two long-term experiments (1996-2011 and 2005-2018) at three sites on the Colorado Plateau of North America

These data were compiled to examine how climate change affects biocrust recovery from both physical and climate-induced disturbance. Objective(s) of our study were to uncover the trajectory of biological soil crust communities and soil stability following distrubance and under warming. These data represent biological soil crust surveys under 5 treatments at three sites. These data were...
By
Southwest Biological Science Center

CO2 concentrations and microbial biomass data derived from incubation experiments on soils collected at Arches National Park in 2017 and 2018 CO2 concentrations and microbial biomass data derived from incubation experiments on soils collected at Arches National Park in 2017 and 2018

These data were compiled to improve our understanding of how water, carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) interact to regulate below ground carbon cycling. Objective(s) of our study were to evaluate how soil heterotrophic carbon cycling responded to inputs of water, C, N, and P individually and interactively on the Colorado Plateau. These data represent soil microbial and CO2...
By
Southwest Biological Science Center

Riparian vegetation, topography, and ground cover constituents along the Upper Colorado River near Moab, UT (2010-2017) (ver. 1.1, Jan 2023) Riparian vegetation, topography, and ground cover constituents along the Upper Colorado River near Moab, UT (2010-2017) (ver. 1.1, Jan 2023)

The data release presents observations of riparian vegetation, topography, and ground cover in two river reaches of the Upper Colorado River within a river segment extending 208 river kilometers (rkm), from near the Colorado/Utah border to the confluence of the Green River. Methods included field observations and analysis of the plant community five times over eight years in the fall of...
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Erosion and Rehabilitation Data, Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico, USA Erosion and Rehabilitation Data, Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico, USA

These data were compiled for a restoration experiment testing the regenerative and functional response of biocrust inoculum reintroduced to a field setting. Regenerative traits measured included measurements of biocrust cover, chlorophyll content, and the roughness of the soil surface. Functional traits measured included nutrient cycling and soil stability. Additionally, these data were...
By
Southwest Biological Science Center

Experimental Design Plant and Soil Measurement Data for Achnatherum hymenoides from a warming experiment, Colorado Plateau, 2011 Experimental Design Plant and Soil Measurement Data for Achnatherum hymenoides from a warming experiment, Colorado Plateau, 2011

These plant and soil data were collected by Timothy M. Wertin and Sasha C. Reed in the spring, summer, and fall of 2011 at a climate manipulation experiment site near Moab, UT (38.521411, -109.470567). These data were collected to assess how warming affects leaf photosynthesis, soil CO 2 efflux, and soil chemistry in plots of ambient and warming treatments. The purpose of these data are...
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Southwest Biological Science Center
Overhead view taken by drone of a USGS fieldwork site in Moab with multiple cars and a tent shelter Overhead view taken by drone of a USGS fieldwork site in Moab with multiple cars and a tent shelter
B-Roll: Field and drone remote sensing operations near Moab, Utah – May 2025
Overhead view taken by drone of a USGS fieldwork site in Moab with multiple cars and a tent shelter

B-Roll: Field and drone remote sensing operations near Moab, Utah – May 2025

B-Roll: Field and drone remote sensing operations near Moab, Utah – May 2025

In May 2025, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) collected uncrewed aircraft system (UAS, also known as drone) data to support a collaborative field campaign led by Sasha Reed of the Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) and Miguel Villarreal of the Western Geographic Science Center (WGSC) near Moab, Utah.

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Core Science Systems Mission Area, National Land Imaging Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Overhead view taken by drone of a USGS fieldwork site in Moab with multiple cars and a tent shelter

B-Roll: Field and drone remote sensing operations near Moab, Utah – May 2025

B-Roll: Field and drone remote sensing operations near Moab, Utah – May 2025

In May 2025, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) collected uncrewed aircraft system (UAS, also known as drone) data to support a collaborative field campaign led by Sasha Reed of the Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) and Miguel Villarreal of the Western Geographic Science Center (WGSC) near Moab, Utah.

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Core Science Systems Mission Area, National Land Imaging Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Drone's eye view of a USGS remote pilot during a biocrust mission near Moab, UT Drone's eye view of a USGS remote pilot during a biocrust mission near Moab, UT
Mapping biocrust with UAS technology in Moab, Utah
Drone's eye view of a USGS remote pilot during a biocrust mission near Moab, UT

Mapping biocrust with UAS technology in Moab, Utah

Mapping biocrust with UAS technology in Moab, Utah

USGS researchers teamed up for a biological soil crust (biocrust) remote sensing and field data campaign near Moab, Utah in February of 2022.

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Core Science Systems Mission Area, National Land Imaging Program, National Land Imaging Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Drone's eye view of a USGS remote pilot during a biocrust mission near Moab, UT

Mapping biocrust with UAS technology in Moab, Utah

Mapping biocrust with UAS technology in Moab, Utah

USGS researchers teamed up for a biological soil crust (biocrust) remote sensing and field data campaign near Moab, Utah in February of 2022.

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Core Science Systems Mission Area, National Land Imaging Program, National Land Imaging Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
A screenshot from a video interview with Dr. Sasha Reed, SBSC, USGS, about biocrusts with the Nature Connects program
Screenshot from an interview on the Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts
Screenshot from an interview on the Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts
A screenshot from a video interview with Dr. Sasha Reed, SBSC, USGS, about biocrusts with the Nature Connects program

Screenshot from an interview on the Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts

Screenshot from an interview on the Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts

Screenshot from a video interview on The Nature Conservancy's Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts. Summary: "In this Nature Connects webinar, we hear from Dr. Sasha Reed, U.S. Geological Survey biogeochemist.

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Southwest Biological Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center
A screenshot from a video interview with Dr. Sasha Reed, SBSC, USGS, about biocrusts with the Nature Connects program

Screenshot from an interview on the Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts

Screenshot from an interview on the Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts

Screenshot from a video interview on The Nature Conservancy's Nature Connects program with Dr. Sasha Reed about biocrusts. Summary: "In this Nature Connects webinar, we hear from Dr. Sasha Reed, U.S. Geological Survey biogeochemist.

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Southwest Biological Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center
hawaii forest
Hawai'ian forest at Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.
Hawai'ian forest at Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.
hawaii forest

Hawai'ian forest at Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.

Hawai'ian forest at Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.

Photograph of a Hawai'ian forest near the youngest site along the Hawai'ian Long Substrate Age Gradient used in this study. This forest is on the big island of Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.

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Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Communications and Publishing
hawaii forest

Hawai'ian forest at Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.

Hawai'ian forest at Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.

Photograph of a Hawai'ian forest near the youngest site along the Hawai'ian Long Substrate Age Gradient used in this study. This forest is on the big island of Hawai'i in Volcanoes National Park.

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Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Communications and Publishing
Filter Total Items: 189

Drought intensity and duration interact to magnify losses in primary productivity Drought intensity and duration interact to magnify losses in primary productivity

As droughts become longer and more intense, impacts on terrestrial primary productivity are expected to increase progressively. Yet, some ecosystems appear to acclimate to multiyear drought, with constant or diminishing reductions in productivity as drought duration increases. We quantified the combined effects of drought duration and intensity on aboveground productivity in 74...
Authors
Timothy Ohlert, Melinda D. Smith, Scott L. Collins, Alan K. Knapp, Jeffrey S. Dukes, Osvaldo E. Sala, Kate D Wilkins, Seth Munson, Maggie I. Anderson, Meghan L. Avolio, Anping Chen, Meghan T. Hayden, Martin C. Holdrege, Ingrid J. Slette, Peter A. Wilfahrt, Claus Beier, Lauchlan H. Fraser, Anke Jentsch, Michael E. Loik, Yiqi Luo, Fernando T. Maestre, Richard P. Phillips, Sally A. Power, Laura Yahdjian, Qiang Yu, Angel Chen, Andrew J. Felton, Laureano A. Gherardi, Nicholas J. Lyon, Hamed Abdoli, Mehdi Abedi, Juan Alberti, Antonio I. Arroyo, Heidi Asbjornsen, Harald Auge, Seton Bachle, Michael Bahn, David C. Bartholomew, Amgaa Batbaatar, Taryn L. Bauerle, Karen H. Beard, Kai Behn, Ilka Beil, Lucio Biancari, Irmgard Blindow, Viviana Florencia Bondaruk, Elizabeth T. Borer, Edward W. Bork, Carlos Martin Bruschetti, Kerry M. Byrne, James F. Cahill, Dianela A. Calvo, Michele Carbognani, Cameron N. Carlyle, Karen Castillioni, Miguel Castillo-Garcia, Manjunatha H. Chandregowda, Scott X. Chang, Jeff Chieppa, Amber C. Churchill, Marcus Vinicius Cianciaruso, Amanda L. Cordeiro, Sara Cousins, Daniela F. Cusack, Sven Dahlke, Pedro Daleo, Lee H. Dietterich, Maren Dubbert, Nico Eisenhauer, T'ai G. Forte, Flavia A. Funk, Darcy Galiano, Aaron C. Greenville, Liebao Han, Siri Vatsø Haugum, Yann Hautier, Andy Hector, Hugh A. Henry, Daniela Hoss, Forest Isbell, Samuel E. Jordan, Yuguang Ke, Eugene F. Kelly, Sally E. Koerner, Juergen Kreyling, Gyorgy Kroel-Dulay, Alicia I. Kröpfl, Angelika Kübert, Andrew Kulmatiski, Eric G. Lamb, Klaus Steenberg Larsen, Steven R. Lee, Smriti Pehim Limbu, Anja Linstädter, Shirong Liu, Grisel Longo, Alejandro Loydi, Junwei Luan, F. Curtis Lubbe, Andrey V. Malyshev, Cameron D. McIntire, Daniel B. Metcalfe, Malesela Vincent Mokoka, Akira S. Mori, Edwin Mudongo, Gregory S. Newman, Uffe N. Nielsen, Raúl Ochoa-Hueso, Rory C. O'Connor, Romà Ogaya, Gastón R. Oñatibia, Ildiko Orban, Brooke B. Osborne, Rafael Otfinowski, Meelis Pärtel, Jesús Pascual, Josep Peñuelas, Pablo L. Peri, David S. Pescador, Guadalupe Peter, Alessandro Petraglia, Catherine Picon-Cochard, Valério D. Pillar, Juan M. Piñeiro-Guerra, Laura Weber Ploughe, Robert M. Plowes, Cristy Portales-Reyes, Suzanne M. Prober, Yolanda Pueyo, Golsa Rahmati, Sasha Reed, Dana Aylén Rodríguez, William E. Rogers, Christiane Roscher, David W. Rowley, Ana M. Sánchez, Bráulio A. Santos, Michael P. Schellenberg, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Eric W. Seabloom, Ruonan Shen, Baoku Shi, Lara Souza, Andreas Stampfli, Rachel J. Standish, Marcelo Sternberg, Wei Sun, Marie Sünnemann, Michelle Tedder, Tyson J. Terry, Pål Thorvaldsen, Katja Tielbörger, Maud Tissink, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur, Alejandro Valdecantos, Liesbeth van den Brink, Vigdis Vandvik, Liv Guri Velle, Svenja Wanke, Glenda M. Wardle, Cunzheng Wei, Christiane Werner, Georg Wiehl, Jennifer L. Williams, Amelia A. Wolf, Honghui Wu, Chong Xu, Xuechen Yang, Jenifer L. Yost, Alyssa L. Young, Ping Yue, Juan M. Zeberio, Michaela Zeiter, Haiyang Zhang, Juntao Zhu, Xiaoan Zuo
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Warming induces unexpectedly high soil respiration in a wet tropical forest Warming induces unexpectedly high soil respiration in a wet tropical forest

Tropical forests are a dominant regulator of the global carbon cycle, exchanging more carbon dioxide with the atmosphere than any other terrestrial biome. Climate models predict unprecedented climatic warming in tropical regions in the coming decades; however, in situ field warming studies are severely lacking in tropical forests. Here we present results from an in situ warming...
Authors
Tana E. Wood, Colin Lee Tucker, Aura M. Alonso-Rodríguez, M. Isabel Loza, Iana F. Grullón-Penkova, Molly A. Cavaleri, Christine S. O'Connell, Sasha Reed
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Mapping ecological states in the upper Colorado River basin: Implications for fire management Mapping ecological states in the upper Colorado River basin: Implications for fire management

Spatially explicit information on ecosystem dynamics that offers a mechanistic understanding of ecological processes can benefit environmental management. Broad-scale maps based on state-and-transition models provide valuable insight into transitions among ecological states resulting from specific drivers within areas sharing similar climatic and edaphic characteristics ecological sites...
Authors
John P. Severson, Tara B. Bishop, Anna C. Knight, Travis W. Nauman, Brandon E. McNellis, Miguel L. Villarreal, Sasha Reed, Kristina E. Young, Mark Brunson, Michael C. Duniway
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is the main natural source of new nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems, supporting terrestrial productivity, carbon uptake, and other Earth system processes. We assembled a comprehensive global dataset of field measurements of BNF in all major N-fixing niches across natural terrestrial biomes derived from the analysis of 376 BNF studies. The...
Authors
Carla R. Reis Ely, Steven Perakis, Cory C. Cleveland, Duncan Menge, Sasha Reed, Sarah A. Batterman, Timothy E. Crews, Katherine A Dynarski, Maga G. Gei, Michael J. Gundale, Sarah E. Jovan, Sian Kou-Giesbrecht, Mark B. Peoples, Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero, Verity G. Salmon, Fiona M. Soper, Anika P. Staccone, Benton Taylor, Bettina Weber, Nina Wurzburger
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center

Global terrestrial nitrogen fixation and its modification by agriculture Global terrestrial nitrogen fixation and its modification by agriculture

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is the largest natural source of new nitrogen (N) that supports terrestrial productivity1,2, yet estimates of global terrestrial BNF remain highly uncertain3,4. Here we show that this uncertainty is partly because of sampling bias, as field BNF measurements in natural terrestrial ecosystems occur where N fixers are 17 times more prevalent than their...
Authors
Carla R. Reis Ely, Steven Perakis, Cory C. Cleveland, Duncan Menge, Sasha Reed, Benton Taylor, Sarah A. Batterman, Christopher M. Clark, Timothy E. Crews, Katherine A Dynarski, Maga G. Gei, Michael J. Gundale, David F. Herridge, Sarah E. Jovan, Sian Kou-Giesbrecht, Mark B. Peoples, Johannes Piipponen, Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero, Verity G. Salmon, Fiona M. Soper, Anika P. Staccone, Bettina Weber, Christopher A. Williams, Nina Wurzburger
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Photodegradation of lignocellulose in plant litter – Reinterpreting data from Méndez et al. (2022) Photodegradation of lignocellulose in plant litter – Reinterpreting data from Méndez et al. (2022)

No abstract available.
Authors
Daryl L. Moorhead, Katherine E.O. Todd-Brown, Alexi C. Besser, Dellena Evelyn Bloom, Ashley Bonner, Alejandro Cueva, Thomas C. Ingalls, Jiwei Li, Sasha Reed, Isabel Torres, Heather L. Throop
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Navigating the possibilities and pitfalls of biocrust recovery in a changing climate Navigating the possibilities and pitfalls of biocrust recovery in a changing climate

Biological soil crusts are complex communities composed of lichens, mosses, bacteria, and cyanobacteria that create a living skin on the soil surface across drylands worldwide. Although small in size, the vast area that biocrusts cover and the critical functions they provide make them a cornerstone of dryland health and resiliency. In addition to being important, biocrusts are...
Authors
Michala Lee Phillips, Kristina E. Young, Cara Marie Lauria, Sierra Jech, Ana Giraldo-Silva, Sasha C. Reed
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Biocrust mosses and cyanobacteria exhibit distinct carbon uptake responses to variations in precipitation amount and frequency Biocrust mosses and cyanobacteria exhibit distinct carbon uptake responses to variations in precipitation amount and frequency

Dryland organisms exhibit varied responses to changes in precipitation, including event size, frequency, and soil moisture duration, influencing carbon uptake and reserve management strategies. This principle, central to the pulse-reserve paradigm, has not been thoroughly evaluated in biological soil crusts (biocrusts), essential primary producers on dryland surfaces. We conducted two...
Authors
Kristina E. Young, Osvaldo E. Sala, Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi, Colin L Tucker, Rebecca A Finger-Higgens, Megan Elyse Starbuck, Sasha C. Reed
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Scaling from microsite to landscape to resolve litter decomposition dynamics in globally extensive drylands Scaling from microsite to landscape to resolve litter decomposition dynamics in globally extensive drylands

1. Decomposition controls the release of carbon and nutrients from decaying plant litter into soils or the atmosphere. In most biomes decomposition rates can be accurately predicted with simple mathematical models, but these models have long under-predicted decomposition in globally- extensive drylands. 2. We posit that the exposed surface conditions characteristic of drylands makes...
Authors
Heather L. Throop, Jiwei Li, Daryl L. Moorhead, Sasha C. Reed, Katherine Todd-Brown, Alexi Besser, Dellena Bloom, Thomas Ingalls, Alejandro Cueva
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

C4 photosynthesis, trait spectra, and the fast-efficient phenotype C4 photosynthesis, trait spectra, and the fast-efficient phenotype

It has been 60 years since the discovery of C4 photosynthesis, an event that rewrote our understanding of plant adaptation, ecosystem responses to global change, and global food security. Despite six decades of research, one aspect of C4 photosynthesis that remains poorly understood is how the pathway fits into the broader context of adaptive trait spectra, which form our modern view of...
Authors
Russell K. Monson, Shuai Li, Elizabeth A. Ainsworth, Yuzhen Fan, John G. Hodge, Alan K. Knapp, Andrew D.B. Leakey, Danica Lombardozzi, Sasha C. Reed, Rowan F. Sage, Melinda D. Smith, Nicholas G. Smith, Christopher J. Still, Danielle A. Way
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Direct and legacy effects of varying cool-season precipitation totals on ecosystem carbon flux in a semi-arid mixed grassland Direct and legacy effects of varying cool-season precipitation totals on ecosystem carbon flux in a semi-arid mixed grassland

In the semi-arid grasslands of the southwest United States, annual precipitation is divided between warm-season (July–September) convective precipitation and cool-season (December–March) frontal storms. While evidence suggests shifts in precipitation seasonal distribution, there is a poor understanding of the ecosystem carbon flux responses to cool-season precipitation and the potential...
Authors
Fangyue Zhang, Joel A. Biederman, Nathan A. Pierce, Daniel L. Potts, Sasha C. Reed, William K. Smith
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Developing biocrust field cultivation techniques for soil restoration: An assessment of bacterial communities Developing biocrust field cultivation techniques for soil restoration: An assessment of bacterial communities

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are a coherent, thin soil surface layer, engineered and inhabited by a diverse community of moss, lichen, cyanobacteria, and other microorganisms. Biocrusts provide critical functions in dryland systems and may be lost from the ecosystem through physical disturbance or other global change drivers. Once biocrusts are lost, natural recovery can occur very...
Authors
Sierra D. Jech, Kara Dohrenwend, Natalie Day, Nichole N. Barger, Anita Antoninka, Matthew A. Bowker, Sasha C. Reed, Colin L Tucker
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Sullivan, B.W., Alvarez-Clare, S., Castle, S.C., Porder, S., Reed, S.C., Schreeg, L., Townsend, A.R. and Cleveland, C.C., 2014. Assessing nutrient limitation in complex forested ecosystems: alternatives to large‐scale fertilization experiments. Ecology, 95(3), pp.668-681.
Cleveland, C.C., Houlton, B.Z., Smith, W.K., Marklein, A.R., Reed, S.C., Parton, W., Del Grosso, S.J. and Running, S.W., 2013. Patterns of new versus recycled primary production in the terrestrial biosphere. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(31), pp.12733-12737.
Reed, S.C., Cleveland, C.C. and Townsend, A.R., 2013. Relationships among phosphorus, molybdenum and free-living nitrogen fixation in tropical rain forests: results from observational and experimental analyses. Biogeochemistry, 114(1-3), pp.135-147.
Wickings, K., Grandy, A.S., Reed, S.C. and Cleveland, C.C., 2012. The origin of litter chemical complexity during decomposition. Ecology Letters, 15(10), pp.1180-1188.
Reed, S.C., 2008. Scaling from molecules to ecosystems: controls over free-living nitrogen fixation in terrestrial ecosystems. ProQuest.
Sattin, S.R., Cleveland, C.C., Hood, E., Reed, S.C., King, A.J., Schmidt, S.K., Robeson, M.S., Ascarrunz, N. and Nemergut, D.R., 2009. Functional shifts in unvegetated, perhumid, recently-deglaciated soils do not correlate with shifts in soil bacterial community composition. The Journal of Microbiology, 47(6), pp.673-681.
Costello, E.K., Halloy, S.R., Reed, S.C., Sowell, P. and Schmidt, S.K., 2009. Fumarole-supported islands of biodiversity within a hyperarid, high-elevation landscape on Socompa Volcano, Puna de Atacama, Andes. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 75(3), pp.735-747.
Freeman, K.R., Pescador, M.Y., Reed, S.C., Costello, E.K., Robeson, M.S. and Schmidt, S.K., 2009. Soil CO2 flux and photoautotrophic community composition in high‐elevation,‘barren’soil. Environmental Microbiology, 11(3), pp.674-686.
Schmidt, S.K., Reed, S.C., Nemergut, D.R., Grandy, A.S., Cleveland, C.C., Weintraub, M.N., Hill, A.W., Costello, E.K., Meyer, A.F., Neff, J.C. and Martin, A.M., 2008. The earliest stages of ecosystem succession in high-elevation (5000 metres above sea level), recently deglaciated soils. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 275(1653), pp.2793-2802.
Reed, S.C., Cleveland, C.C. and Townsend, A.R., 2008. Tree species control rates of free-living nitrogen fixation in a tropical rain forest. Ecology, 89(10), pp.2924-2934.
Reed, S.C., Cleveland, C.C. and Townsend, A.R., 2007. Controls over leaf litter and soil nitrogen fixation in two lowland tropical rain forests. Biotropica, 39(5), pp.585-592.
Schmidt, S.K., Costello, E.K., Nemergut, D.R., Cleveland, C.C., Reed, S.C., Weintraub, M.N., Meyer, A.F. and Martin, A.M., 2007. Biogeochemical consequences of rapid microbial turnover and seasonal succession in soil. Ecology, 88(6), pp.1379-1385.
Reed, S.C., Seastedt, T.R., Mann, C.M., Suding, K.N., Townsend, A.R. and Cherwin, K.L., 2007. Phosphorus fertilization stimulates nitrogen fixation and increases inorganic nitrogen concentrations in a restored prairie. Applied Soil Ecology, 36(2), pp.238-242.
Cleveland, C.C., Reed, S.C. and Townsend, A.R., 2006. Nutrient regulation of organic matter decomposition in a tropical rain forest. Ecology, 87(2), pp.492-503.
Bowker, M.A., Reed, S.C., Belnap, J. and Phillips, S.L., 2002. Temporal variation in community composition, pigmentation, and Fv/Fm of desert cyanobacterial soil crusts. Microbial Ecology, 43(1), pp.13-25.
Reed, S.C., Capitosti, G.J., Zhu, Z. and Modarelli, D.A., 2001. Photochemical generation and matrix-isolation detection of dimethylvinylidene. The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 66(1), pp.287-299.
Reed, S.C. and Modarelli, D.A., 1996. Conformational effects on the excited state 1, 2-hydrogen migration in alkyldiazomethanes. Tetrahedron Letters, 37(40), pp.7209-7212.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Predicting when the grass is greener: new phenological forecasts for invasive annual grasses

Predicting when the grass is greener: new phenological forecasts for invasive annual grasses

Two major hurdles in the effective control of invasive grasses are: (1) Anticipating the timing of key stages that are susceptible to management...

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A global study reveals a surprise: The driest places have the highest diversity of plant traits

A global study reveals a surprise: The driest places have the highest diversity of plant traits

Common ecological knowledge holds that areas with more rain, like rainforests, house higher plant diversity than drylands. However, a new global study...

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SBSC’s restoration research featured in the 2023 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report

SBSC’s restoration research featured in the 2023 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released their 2023 “Assessment of Native Seeds Needs and the Capacity for Their...

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Exploring the Role of Cryptic Nitrogen Fixers in Terrestrial Ecosystems

Exploring the Role of Cryptic Nitrogen Fixers in Terrestrial Ecosystems

Biological nitrogen fixation—the conversion of inert atmospheric nitrogen gas into biologically available nitrogen - is critical for supporting both...

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