Ecosystems Science at USGS
USGS Landscape Science Strategy
Science informing decision making on public lands and across all of our Nation’s landscapes.
Science informing decision making on public lands and across all of our Nation’s landscapes.
USGS Wildland Fire Science
USGS science helps understand the causes, consequences, and benefits of wildfire and helps prevent and manage larger, catastrophic events.
USGS science helps understand the causes, consequences, and benefits of wildfire and helps prevent and manage larger, catastrophic events.
Ecosystems Mission Area
The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area provides science to help America achieve sustainable management and conservation of biological resources in wild and urban spaces, and places in between.
News
Friday's Findings - October 11, 2024
Friday's Findings - October 11, 2024
EESC Scientist Leads Committee Tasked with Classifying North American Bird Species
EESC Scientist Leads Committee Tasked with Classifying North American Bird Species
To protect coastal communities from hurricanes, call the... coral reef veterinarian?
To protect coastal communities from hurricanes, call the... coral reef veterinarian?
Publications
A data exchange standard for wadeable stream habitat monitoring data
Data from wadeable streams collected by monitoring programs are used to assess watershed condition status and trends. Federally managed programs collect a suite of similar habitat measurements using compatible methods and produce individual program datasets for their prescribed geographic and temporal range. We identified four programs that produce similar data: the Bureau of Land Management Asses
Implementation of controlled floods for sediment management on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon under aridification
In addition to supplying water for agriculture, cities, and industry, the Colorado River traverses the Colorado Plateau, including several of the most unique and valued National Parks and Recreation Areas in the United States. Although the water needs of these landscapes were not considered at the time water allocations were first negotiated, these needs were recognized in subsequent legislation a
Macroinvertebrate community responses to disturbance in a fragmented river with contrasting legacies of alteration
Flow is a critical factor determining the riverine ecosystem structure and function. Widespread hydrologic alteration, however, has impacted the ecological integrity of rivers in ways that are not well understood, including responses of biological communities to increasingly frequent and severe climatic disturbances. Our study compared the responses of invertebrate communities on woody debris to l
Science
Fish and Aquatic Ecology
Fish and aquatic habitats in Alaska support important commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries and provide forage fish that support wildlife populations. The USGS Alaska Science Center conducts interdisciplinary research to inform local, state, federal, and international policy makers regarding conservation of fish, aquatic species, and their habitats. We work collaboratively with hydrologists...
Preliminary Research Sheds Light on Proper Analysis and Sample Handling for the Tire-Derived Contaminants 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone
Tire and road wear particles have been shown to cause acute effects to sensitive aquatic animals and degrade their habitats. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists developed methods to accurately identify aquatic compounds, such as 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone, that can cause acute mortality events in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch).
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Washington Water Science Center, Western Fisheries Research Center
Changing Arctic Ecosystems
Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The USGS and collaborators provide information about Arctic ecosystems that are used by Arctic residents, management agencies, and industry.