Mission Areas
Ecosystems
The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area, the biological research arm of the Department of the Interior (DOI), provides science to help America achieve sustainable management and conservation of its biological resources. This work is done within the broader mission of the USGS to serve the Nation with science that advances understanding of our natural resources and inform land and water stewardship.
Newsletter - EcoNews
This quarterly newsletter highlights ecosystems science and activities coming out of our Science Centers and Cooperative Research Units across the Nation.
EcoNews IssuesWebinar - Friday's Findings
A public webinar series meant to offer our audience an opportunity to discover the Ecosystems science capacity within the USGS.
Upcoming WebinarsWhere's our Science?
Find out where Ecosystems Science Centers, Field Stations, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, and Cooperative Research Units are located.
Browse by LocationNews
Invasive Zebra Mussels Found in Pet Stores in 21 States
A citizen’s report of an invasive zebra mussel found in an aquarium moss package found in a pet store prompted a U.S. Geological Survey expert on invasive aquatic species to trigger nationwide alerts that have led to the discovery of the destructive shellfish in pet stores in at least 21 states from Alaska to Florida.
USGS EcoNews - Vol. 2 | Issue 2
The USGS turned 142 years old this month, but we continue to deliver new science! Hot off the press we have the USGS Wildland Fire Science Strategy and the Cooperative Research Units 2020 Year in Review. In this edition we also feature research on climate adaptation at National Parks, waterfowl ecology, aquatic diseases, avalanches, sea lampreys, our webinars, ... and what's an Ichthyologist?
Friday's Findings - March 19 2021
Impacts of translocation on the cooperatively breeding Florida scrub-jay in Ocala National Forest
Date: March 19, 2021 from 2-2:30 p.m. eastern time
Speakers: Alexis Cardas, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Florida, USGS Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
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Publications
Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units program—2020 Year in review
Established in 1935, the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units program (CRU program) is a unique cooperative partnership among State fish and wildlife agencies, universities, the Wildlife Management Institute, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Designed to meet the scientific needs of natural resource...
Thompson, John D.; Dennerline, Donald E.; Childs, Dawn E.; Jodice, Patrick G.R.
Spatial variation in population dynamics of northern Great Plains piping plovers
Metapopulation dynamics are determined not only by within-patch birth and death processes but also by between-patch movements of individuals (emigration and immigration). To conserve and manage a species that has a metapopulation structure, defined by local populations that are distributed among patches of suitable habitat, we need to understand...
Swift, Rose J.; Anteau, Michael J.; Ellis, Kristen S.; Ring, Megan M.; Sherfy, Mark H.; Toy, Dustin L.; Koons, David N.
Genomic association with pathogen carriage in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)
Genetic composition can influence host susceptibility to, and transmission of, pathogens, with potential population‐level consequences. In bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), pneumonia epidemics caused by Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae have been associated with severe population declines and limited recovery across North America. Adult survivors...
Martin, Alynn Marie; Cassirer, E. Frances; Waits, Lisette P.; Plowright, Raina K.; Cross, Paul C.; Andrews, Kimberly R.