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.
Collaborative Conservation
What do gray wolves, manatees and bears have in common? They are just a few of the species that are part of important USGS research that informs U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decisions for endangered and threatened species.
Find out moreOutstanding in the Field
An Ecosystems Mission Area original podcast series that tells stories about our science, our adventures, and our efforts to better understand fish and wildlife and the ecosystems that support them.
Ep 3 - CWDWhere's our Science?
Find out where Ecosystems Science Centers, Field Stations, and Cooperative Research Units are located.
Browse by LocationNews
Rising Sea Levels Could Accelerate Florida Bay Mangrove Loss
USGS scientists look to the past to learn about the future of Florida mangroves
Big Sagebrush Recovery After Fire Inhibited by its Own Biology
Plant age drives mortality, reproductive success and population dynamics
Bringing the Bubbles Home
As our cruise ends, lead scientist Amanda Demopoulos brings it all together and charts the path forward
Publications
Interactions between resident risk perceptions and wildfire risk mitigation: Evidence from simultaneous equations modeling
Fire science emphasizes that mitigation actions on residential property, including structural hardening and maintaining defensible space, can reduce the risk of wildfire at a home. Accordingly, a rich body of social science literature investigates the determinants of wildfire risk mitigation behaviors of residents living in fire-prone areas. Here...
Meldrum, James R.; Brenkert-Smith, Hannah; Champ, Patricia A.; Gomez, Jamie; Falk, Lilia C.; Barth, Christopher M.
Using scenarios to evaluate vulnerability of grassland communities to climate change in the Southern Great Plains of the United States
Scenario planning is a useful tool for identifying key vulnerabilities of ecological systems to changing climates, informed by the potential outcomes for a set of divergent, plausible, and relevant climate scenarios. We evaluated potential vulnerabilities of grassland communities to changing climate in the Southern Great Plains (SGP) and the...
Manier, Daniel J.; Carr, Natasha B.; Reese, Gordon C.; Burris, Lucy
Ecosystems Mission Area bookmark
Scientists with the USGS Ecosystem Mission Area can be found at Science Centers and Cooperative Research Units across the Nation. We provide scientific research for the Department of the Interior that supports the management and conservation of our Nation’s biological resources.