Join us for the first Friday's Findings webinar of 2026!

Dryland ecosystems—such as deserts—are Earth’s largest land biome. They support approximately 60% of global food production and are home to one in every three people worldwide. In the United States, drylands account for more than a third of the national land area, primarily across the western states, where most federal lands are located. As a result, drylands play a critical role in sustaining the U.S. agricultural economy, supplying key energy and mineral resources, and supporting some of the fastest-growing population centers in the country. Despite their importance, our understanding of these vital ecosystems remains limited. This knowledge gap makes the work of federal land managers especially challenging, as they are tasked with managing landscapes that are already extreme, highly variable, and rapidly changing. Drylands are difficult to study due to their pronounced spatial and temporal variability and their inherently dynamic nature. Fortunately, recent advances in remote sensing, modeling, artificial intelligence (AI), and high-resolution, ground-based technologies now make it possible to assess U.S. drylands in ways that were previously unattainable. This talk will highlight work being co-developed by the U.S. Geological Survey and its land management partners, blending cutting-edge approaches to deliver actionable, science-based information for decision-making.