Ecosystem Modelling
Ecosystem Modelling
Ecosystems Land Change Science scientists examine ecosystem dynamics that provide important services but are susceptible to the combined impacts of anthropogenic and natural disturbances. Ecosystem modeling provides land managers with geospatial information, models, and management tools that address the vulnerability of ecosystems to changing environmental conditions.
Filter Total Items: 16
Application and Refinement of a Systems Model for Prairie Pothole Wetlands
The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America is one of the most important breeding areas for continental waterfowl populations, a Department of Interior (DOI) trust resource. Land use and climate both influence the functioning of the region’s wetland ecosystems, with effects not just on the waterfowl that depend on these wetlands, but also on the services they provide to society, such as...
Spatial Modeling of Land Use, Climate, and Environmental Consequences
USGS scientists have a long tradition of providing high-quality, consistent, and relevant land-cover data for the United States, using our archive of current and historical remote sensing data. Scientists at USGS EROS are using their experience in mapping land cover and their knowledge of land-cover change processes to temporally extend these databases beyond the dates of available remote sensing...
Geological Investigations of the Neogene
More than a third of the United States population lives in counties directly on the shoreline, making them vulnerable to hazards associated with changing sea level and storm surges associated with hurricanes and severe storms. The geologic record contains many examples of past intervals of warm climate and high sea level. "Geological Investigation of the Neogene" is examining proxy records of...
EFFECTS: Exploring Flora, Fauna, Environments, and Climates Through Simulations
This research uses state-of-the-art vegetation models to simulate vegetation changes across paleo (e.g., 127 ka; 127,000 years ago) to modern (e.g., 21st-century) time periods. We investigate the magnitude, rate, and drivers of vegetation change (e.g., wildfire, drought), with a focus on forest-to-grassland or shrubland and boreal forest-to-tundra transitions in North America. Results of this...