Securing the Nation's Need for Native Seed
Land management research in support of streamlined energy development, economic growth, and wildfire management
Land Management Research Program
The Land Management Research Program conducts research to improve the effectiveness of land management and inform restoration of priority ecosystems on millions of acres including public lands such as National Parks, refuges, and other critical landscapes that support the biodiversity of fish, wildlife, and plant species, as well as thriving economies.
Ecosystem Research
Ecosystem Research
The Nation’s ecosystems are complex, dynamic, and exposed to a rapidly changing climate among other threats. USGS scientists study how ecosystems function, the impacts of stressors, and make predictions about their future to improve restoration and management outcomes.
Firelight
Firelight
Firelight provides updates on the latest USGS fire science for a changing world. Each issue features a variety of our wildland fire science, providing information, data and tools for use by managers before, during, and after fires.
News
FORT Updates: From Plains to Peaks - Vol. 4 | Issue 3
FORT Updates: From Plains to Peaks - Vol. 4 | Issue 3
FORT Science in Action 2026, Part 18: Ecological research supporting wild horse and burro management
FORT Science in Action 2026, Part 18: Ecological research supporting wild horse and burro management
Firelight - Vol. 4 | Issue 2
Firelight - Vol. 4 | Issue 2
Publications
Estimating greater sage-grouse population sizes within Oregon, 2017–24 Estimating greater sage-grouse population sizes within Oregon, 2017–24
We fit a binomial mixture (N-mixture) model to lek (breeding area) count data to estimate annual population sizes of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) within Oregon between 2017 and 2024. Population estimates were delineated among 24 priority areas for conservation, and additional sources of information were considered, including male-to-female sex ratios, lek...
Invasion resistance varies by fuel break type in sagebrush ecosystems Invasion resistance varies by fuel break type in sagebrush ecosystems
Background Wildfire is an increasingly important driver of changes within sagebrush (Artemisia spp. L.) ecosystems of the western USA, often resulting in increased spread of exotic annual grasses, such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.), and subsequent losses of native vegetation and wildlife habitat. Fuel breaks— areas of land treated to reduce or redistribute fuel loads — are widely...
Range-wide population trend analysis for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)—Updated 1960–2024 Range-wide population trend analysis for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)—Updated 1960–2024
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse) are at the center of State and national land-use policies largely because of their unique life-history traits as an ecological indicator for the health of sagebrush ecosystems. This updated population trend analysis provides State and Federal land and wildlife managers with the best available science to help guide...
Science
Walrus Research
The USGS Alaska Science Center conducts long-term research on the Pacific walrus to provide scientific information to Department of Interior management agencies and Alaska Native co-management partners. In addition, the USGS Pacific walrus research program collaborates with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the State of Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game and Alaska Native co...
Data Harmonization for Greater Sage-Grouse Populations
Long-term wildlife monitoring is imperative for understanding population changes that can inform managers. However, working with population data collected by different organizations across multiple jurisdictions and over long time periods can be challenging due to varying data management approaches and organizational priorities. Through this project, we aimed to collaborate with eleven state...
Actionable science for managing public lands
Our team of biologists, ecologists, and social scientists focuses on coproducing actionable science products to support natural resource planning and management. Broadly, our research involves working to better understand and bridge the research-management gap through a variety of mechanisms, including coproduction and relationship-building, science synthesis and summary, and identification of...