Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

International Ecosystems Science Highlights

Active
By International Programs November 21, 2022

USGS science products help achieve sustainable management and conservation of fish and wildlife resources in wild, rural, and urban spaces. This includes programs in climate and environmental change; effects of management actions on communities, lands and waters, and species; and risks and solutions to harmful invasive species, wildlife diseases, and contaminants in the environment.

USGS provides reliable information to answer your questions and provide assistance related to ecosystems science. Training and technology transfer often are integral to the technical assistance provided by USGS international activities. 

Links to selected USGS International Ecosystems Science projects and publications are provided in related tabs above.

International studies related to ecosystems are conducted by scientists from throughout USGS on topics including:

  • ecotoxicity
  • bird migration and avian influenza
  • decision support tools for natural and socioeconomic resources
  • Tribal Nations and indigenous knowledge
  • wetlands, mangroves, and corals
  • drought, fire, and extreme weather
  • fish and wildlife disease
  • biosecurity
  • paleoclimate
  • ecosystem modelling
  • snow, glaciers, permafrost
  • landscapes, grasslands and plains
  • vulnerabilities and adaptation planning
  • sociology
  • economics

 

 

Up to International Science Theme: Ecosystems

link
Commercial poultry

Using Telemetry to Understand Overlap in Habitat Use Between Waterfowl and Agricultural Birds in North America

USGS researchers are using telemetry to improve our understanding of how wild birds move throughout their environments and the potential implications for disease transmission within and to domestic poultry.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

Using Telemetry to Understand Overlap in Habitat Use Between Waterfowl and Agricultural Birds in North America

USGS researchers are using telemetry to improve our understanding of how wild birds move throughout their environments and the potential implications for disease transmission within and to domestic poultry.
Learn More
link
Fishing boat entering a harbor. The harbor is surrounded by large pine trees and a blue, purple, and pink sky.

Ecosystems We Study: Alaska Bioregions and Arctic

Alaska is simultaneously a landscape of extremes requiring specialized adaptations by plants and animals to survive the winters and a landscape of abundance that supports breeding birds each summer from as far away as Africa. Terrestrial Alaska also supports iconic species such as caribou and muskoxen whose population dynamics, predator/prey relationships and habitat ecology are researched by USGS...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program
link

Ecosystems We Study: Alaska Bioregions and Arctic

Alaska is simultaneously a landscape of extremes requiring specialized adaptations by plants and animals to survive the winters and a landscape of abundance that supports breeding birds each summer from as far away as Africa. Terrestrial Alaska also supports iconic species such as caribou and muskoxen whose population dynamics, predator/prey relationships and habitat ecology are researched by USGS...
Learn More
link
Tracking migratory movements with satellite telemetry.

USGS Wild Bird Avian Influenza Program – Studies from Endemic Regions of Eurasia

This project focuses on tracking wild birds throughout Eurasia via satellite telemetry to better understand their spatiotemporal movement patterns, relationship to domestic birds, and potential role in the spread, persistence, and amplification of avian influenza viruses.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

USGS Wild Bird Avian Influenza Program – Studies from Endemic Regions of Eurasia

This project focuses on tracking wild birds throughout Eurasia via satellite telemetry to better understand their spatiotemporal movement patterns, relationship to domestic birds, and potential role in the spread, persistence, and amplification of avian influenza viruses.
Learn More

A fire deficit persists across diverse North American forests despite recent increases in area burned

Rapid increases in wildfire area burned across North American forests pose novel challenges for managers and society. Increasing area burned raises questions about whether, and to what degree, contemporary fire regimes (1984–2022) are still departed from historical fire regimes (pre-1880). We use the North American tree-ring fire-scar network (NAFSN), a multi-century record comprising...
Authors
Sean A. Parks, Chris Guiterman, Ellis Margolis, Maggie Lonergan, Ellen Whitman, John T. Abatzoglou, Donald A. Falk, James D. Johnston, Lori D. Daniels, Charles W. Lafon, Rachel A. Loehman, Kurt F. Kipfmueller, Cameron E. Naficy, Marc-Andre Parisien, Jeanne Portier, Michael C. Stambaugh, A. Park Williams, Andreas Paul Wion, Larissa L. Yocom
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center

Abundance of microplastics in a typical urban wetland in China: Association with occurrence and carbon storage

Microplastics (MPs) are gaining attention for their widespread presence and toxicity in ecosystems. However, their role as a carbon source in urban wetland carbon sinks is still unclear. In this study, the microplastic-carbon (MP-C) was firstly quantified based on the abundance and occurrence characteristics, including MP morphology, size and type in the Sanyang Wetland, a typical urban...
Authors
Haowen Zhang, Mengjie Pu, Ming Zheng, Bentuo Xu, Jason Tyler Magnuson, Qiqing Chen, Xiangrong Xu, Xiangyong Zheng, Min Zhao, Wenhui Qiu
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Biotic and abiotic drivers of ecosystem temporal stability in herbaceous wetlands in China

Maintaining the stability of ecosystems is critical for supporting essential ecosystem services over time. However, our understanding of the contribution of the diverse biotic and abiotic factors to this stability in wetlands remains limited. Here, we combined data from a field vegetation survey of 725 herbaceous wetland sites in China with remote sensing information from the Enhanced...
Authors
Guodong Wang, Nanlin Hu, Yann Hautier, Beth A Middleton, Ming Wang, Meiling Zhao, Jingci Meng, Zijun Ma, Bo Liu, Yanjie Liu, Mingkai Jiang
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Jaguar density estimation in Mexico: The conservation importance of considering home range orientation in spatial capture–recapture

Accurate estimation of population parameters for imperiled wildlife is crucial for effective conservation decision-making. Population density is commonly used for monitoring imperiled species across space and time, and spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models can produce unbiased density estimates. However, many imperiled species are restricted to fragmented remnant habitats in landscapes...
Authors
Sean Murphy, Victor H. Luja
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Spatiotemporal synchrony of climate and fire occurrence across North American forests (1750-1880)

AimIncreasing aridity has driven widespread synchronous fire occurrence in recent decades across North America. The lack of historical (pre-1880) fire records limits our ability to understand long-term continental fire-climate dynamics. The goal of this study is to use tree-ring reconstructions to determine the relationships between spatiotemporal patterns in historical climate and...
Authors
Ellis Margolis, Andreas Paul Wion, John T. Abatzoglou, Lori D. Daniels, Donald A. Falk, Chris Guiterman, James D. Johnston, Kurt F. Kipfmueller, Charles W. Lafon, Rachel A. Loehman, Maggie Lonergan, Cameron E. Naficy, Marc-Andre Parisien, Sean A. Parks, Jeanne Portier, Michael C. Stambaugh, Ellen Whitman, A. Park Williams, Larissa L. Yocom
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Simulated global coastal ecosystem responses to a half-century increase in river nitrogen loads

Coastal ecosystems are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic stressors such as harmful algal blooms and hypoxia projected to intensify through the combined effects of eutrophication and warming. As a major terrestrial nitrogen (N) source to the ocean, rivers play a critical role in shaping both coastal and global biogeochemical cycling. Combining an enhanced-resolution (1/4°), global...
Authors
Xiao Liu, Charles Stock, John P. Dunne, Minjin Lee, Elena Shevliakova, Sergey L. Malyshev, Paul Milly
By
Water Resources Mission Area

USGS science products help achieve sustainable management and conservation of fish and wildlife resources in wild, rural, and urban spaces. This includes programs in climate and environmental change; effects of management actions on communities, lands and waters, and species; and risks and solutions to harmful invasive species, wildlife diseases, and contaminants in the environment.

USGS provides reliable information to answer your questions and provide assistance related to ecosystems science. Training and technology transfer often are integral to the technical assistance provided by USGS international activities. 

Links to selected USGS International Ecosystems Science projects and publications are provided in related tabs above.

International studies related to ecosystems are conducted by scientists from throughout USGS on topics including:

  • ecotoxicity
  • bird migration and avian influenza
  • decision support tools for natural and socioeconomic resources
  • Tribal Nations and indigenous knowledge
  • wetlands, mangroves, and corals
  • drought, fire, and extreme weather
  • fish and wildlife disease
  • biosecurity
  • paleoclimate
  • ecosystem modelling
  • snow, glaciers, permafrost
  • landscapes, grasslands and plains
  • vulnerabilities and adaptation planning
  • sociology
  • economics

 

 

Up to International Science Theme: Ecosystems

link
Commercial poultry

Using Telemetry to Understand Overlap in Habitat Use Between Waterfowl and Agricultural Birds in North America

USGS researchers are using telemetry to improve our understanding of how wild birds move throughout their environments and the potential implications for disease transmission within and to domestic poultry.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

Using Telemetry to Understand Overlap in Habitat Use Between Waterfowl and Agricultural Birds in North America

USGS researchers are using telemetry to improve our understanding of how wild birds move throughout their environments and the potential implications for disease transmission within and to domestic poultry.
Learn More
link
Fishing boat entering a harbor. The harbor is surrounded by large pine trees and a blue, purple, and pink sky.

Ecosystems We Study: Alaska Bioregions and Arctic

Alaska is simultaneously a landscape of extremes requiring specialized adaptations by plants and animals to survive the winters and a landscape of abundance that supports breeding birds each summer from as far away as Africa. Terrestrial Alaska also supports iconic species such as caribou and muskoxen whose population dynamics, predator/prey relationships and habitat ecology are researched by USGS...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program
link

Ecosystems We Study: Alaska Bioregions and Arctic

Alaska is simultaneously a landscape of extremes requiring specialized adaptations by plants and animals to survive the winters and a landscape of abundance that supports breeding birds each summer from as far away as Africa. Terrestrial Alaska also supports iconic species such as caribou and muskoxen whose population dynamics, predator/prey relationships and habitat ecology are researched by USGS...
Learn More
link
Tracking migratory movements with satellite telemetry.

USGS Wild Bird Avian Influenza Program – Studies from Endemic Regions of Eurasia

This project focuses on tracking wild birds throughout Eurasia via satellite telemetry to better understand their spatiotemporal movement patterns, relationship to domestic birds, and potential role in the spread, persistence, and amplification of avian influenza viruses.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

USGS Wild Bird Avian Influenza Program – Studies from Endemic Regions of Eurasia

This project focuses on tracking wild birds throughout Eurasia via satellite telemetry to better understand their spatiotemporal movement patterns, relationship to domestic birds, and potential role in the spread, persistence, and amplification of avian influenza viruses.
Learn More

A fire deficit persists across diverse North American forests despite recent increases in area burned

Rapid increases in wildfire area burned across North American forests pose novel challenges for managers and society. Increasing area burned raises questions about whether, and to what degree, contemporary fire regimes (1984–2022) are still departed from historical fire regimes (pre-1880). We use the North American tree-ring fire-scar network (NAFSN), a multi-century record comprising...
Authors
Sean A. Parks, Chris Guiterman, Ellis Margolis, Maggie Lonergan, Ellen Whitman, John T. Abatzoglou, Donald A. Falk, James D. Johnston, Lori D. Daniels, Charles W. Lafon, Rachel A. Loehman, Kurt F. Kipfmueller, Cameron E. Naficy, Marc-Andre Parisien, Jeanne Portier, Michael C. Stambaugh, A. Park Williams, Andreas Paul Wion, Larissa L. Yocom
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center

Abundance of microplastics in a typical urban wetland in China: Association with occurrence and carbon storage

Microplastics (MPs) are gaining attention for their widespread presence and toxicity in ecosystems. However, their role as a carbon source in urban wetland carbon sinks is still unclear. In this study, the microplastic-carbon (MP-C) was firstly quantified based on the abundance and occurrence characteristics, including MP morphology, size and type in the Sanyang Wetland, a typical urban...
Authors
Haowen Zhang, Mengjie Pu, Ming Zheng, Bentuo Xu, Jason Tyler Magnuson, Qiqing Chen, Xiangrong Xu, Xiangyong Zheng, Min Zhao, Wenhui Qiu
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Biotic and abiotic drivers of ecosystem temporal stability in herbaceous wetlands in China

Maintaining the stability of ecosystems is critical for supporting essential ecosystem services over time. However, our understanding of the contribution of the diverse biotic and abiotic factors to this stability in wetlands remains limited. Here, we combined data from a field vegetation survey of 725 herbaceous wetland sites in China with remote sensing information from the Enhanced...
Authors
Guodong Wang, Nanlin Hu, Yann Hautier, Beth A Middleton, Ming Wang, Meiling Zhao, Jingci Meng, Zijun Ma, Bo Liu, Yanjie Liu, Mingkai Jiang
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Jaguar density estimation in Mexico: The conservation importance of considering home range orientation in spatial capture–recapture

Accurate estimation of population parameters for imperiled wildlife is crucial for effective conservation decision-making. Population density is commonly used for monitoring imperiled species across space and time, and spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models can produce unbiased density estimates. However, many imperiled species are restricted to fragmented remnant habitats in landscapes...
Authors
Sean Murphy, Victor H. Luja
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Spatiotemporal synchrony of climate and fire occurrence across North American forests (1750-1880)

AimIncreasing aridity has driven widespread synchronous fire occurrence in recent decades across North America. The lack of historical (pre-1880) fire records limits our ability to understand long-term continental fire-climate dynamics. The goal of this study is to use tree-ring reconstructions to determine the relationships between spatiotemporal patterns in historical climate and...
Authors
Ellis Margolis, Andreas Paul Wion, John T. Abatzoglou, Lori D. Daniels, Donald A. Falk, Chris Guiterman, James D. Johnston, Kurt F. Kipfmueller, Charles W. Lafon, Rachel A. Loehman, Maggie Lonergan, Cameron E. Naficy, Marc-Andre Parisien, Sean A. Parks, Jeanne Portier, Michael C. Stambaugh, Ellen Whitman, A. Park Williams, Larissa L. Yocom
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Simulated global coastal ecosystem responses to a half-century increase in river nitrogen loads

Coastal ecosystems are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic stressors such as harmful algal blooms and hypoxia projected to intensify through the combined effects of eutrophication and warming. As a major terrestrial nitrogen (N) source to the ocean, rivers play a critical role in shaping both coastal and global biogeochemical cycling. Combining an enhanced-resolution (1/4°), global...
Authors
Xiao Liu, Charles Stock, John P. Dunne, Minjin Lee, Elena Shevliakova, Sergey L. Malyshev, Paul Milly
By
Water Resources Mission Area
Was this page helpful?