Publications
Find out more about the Land Management Research Program through our publications.
The U.S. Geological Survey Landscape Science Strategy 2020-2030 gives an in-depth explanation of the focus and vision for USGS landscape science.
Filter Total Items: 276
Seed bank and big sagebrush plant community composition in a range margin for big sagebrush Seed bank and big sagebrush plant community composition in a range margin for big sagebrush
The potential influence of seed bank composition on range shifts of species due to climate change is unclear. Seed banks can provide a means of both species persistence in an area and local range expansion in the case of increasing habitat suitability, as may occur under future climate change. However, a mismatch between the seed bank and the established plant community may represent an...
Authors
Trace E. Martyn, John B. Bradford, Daniel R. Schlaepfer, Ingrid C. Burke, William K. Laurenroth
USGS mineral-resource assessment of Sagebrush Focal Areas in the western United States USGS mineral-resource assessment of Sagebrush Focal Areas in the western United States
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists have completed an assessment of the mineral-resource potential of nearly 10 million acres of Federal and adjacent lands in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. The assessment of these lands, identified as Sagebrush Focal Areas, was done at the request of the Bureau of Land Management. The assessment results will be used in the...
Authors
David G. Frank, Thomas P. Frost, Warren C. Day
By
Geology, Energy, and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Land Management Research Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
Near-real-time cheatgrass percent cover in the Northern Great Basin, USA, 2015 Near-real-time cheatgrass percent cover in the Northern Great Basin, USA, 2015
Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) dramatically changes shrub steppe ecosystems in the Northern Great Basin, United States. Current-season cheatgrass location and percent cover are difficult to estimate rapidly. We explain the development of a near-real-time cheatgrass percent cover dataset and map in the Northern Great Basin for the current year (2015), display the current year’s map...
Authors
Stephen P. Boyte, Bruce K. Wylie
U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2015 annual report U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2015 annual report
This is the eighth annual report highlighting U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) science and decision-support activities conducted for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI). The activities address specific management needs identified by WLCI partner agencies. In 2015, USGS scientists continued 24 WLCI projects in 5 categories: (1) acquiring and analyzing resource-condition data...
Authors
Zachary H. Bowen, Cameron L. Aldridge, Patrick J. Anderson, Timothy J. Assal, Timothy T. Bartos, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva W. Chong, Marie K. Dematatis, Cheryl A. Eddy-Miller, Steven L. Garman, Stephen S. Germaine, Collin G. Homer, Matthew J. Kauffman, Christopher C. Huber, Daniel J. Manier, Cynthia P. Melcher, Kirk A. Miller, Tamar Norkin, Lindsey E. Sanders, Annika W. Walters, Anna B. Wilson, Teal B. Wyckoff
Encounters with Pinyon-Juniper influence riskier movements in Greater Sage-Grouse across the Great Basin Encounters with Pinyon-Juniper influence riskier movements in Greater Sage-Grouse across the Great Basin
Fine-scale spatiotemporal studies can better identify relationships between individual survival and habitat fragmentation so that mechanistic interpretations can be made at the population level. Recent advances in Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and statistical models capable of deconstructing high-frequency location data have facilitated interpretation of animal movement...
Authors
Brian G. Prochazka, Peter S. Coates, Mark A. Ricca, Michael L. Casazza, K. Benjamin Gustafson, Josh M. Hull
Differential influences of local subpopulations on regional diversity and differentiation for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) Differential influences of local subpopulations on regional diversity and differentiation for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)
The distribution of spatial genetic variation across a region can shape evolutionary dynamics and impact population persistence. Local population dynamics and among-population dispersal rates are strong drivers of this spatial genetic variation, yet for many species we lack a clear understanding of how these population processes interact in space to shape within-species genetic variation...
Authors
Jeffery R. Row, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Brad C. Fedy
Niche shifts and energetic condition of songbirds in response to phenology of food-resource availability in a high-elevation sagebrush ecosystem Niche shifts and energetic condition of songbirds in response to phenology of food-resource availability in a high-elevation sagebrush ecosystem
Seasonal fluctuations in food availability can affect diets of consumers, which in turn may influence the physiological state of individuals and shape intra- and inter-specific patterns of resource use. High-elevation ecosystems often exhibit a pronounced seasonal “pulse” in productivity, although few studies document how resource use and energetic condition by avian consumers change in...
Authors
Kyle A. Cutting, Michelle L. Anderson, Erik A. Beever, Sean Schroff, Nathan Korb, Eric Klaphake, Scott R. McWilliams
Transition of vegetation states positively affects harvester ants in the Great Basin, United States Transition of vegetation states positively affects harvester ants in the Great Basin, United States
Invasions by non-native plants can alter ecosystems such that new ecological states are reached, but less is known about how these transitions influence animal populations. Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) ecosystems are experiencing state changes because of fire and invasion by exotic annual grasses. Our goal was to study the effects of these state changes on the Owyhee and western...
Authors
Joseph D. Holbrook, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Janet L. Rachlow, Kerri T. Vierling, Michelle M. Wiest
Preserving prairies: Understanding temporal and spatial patterns of invasive annual bromes in the Northern Great Plains Preserving prairies: Understanding temporal and spatial patterns of invasive annual bromes in the Northern Great Plains
Two Eurasian invasive annual brome grasses, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus), are well known for their impact in steppe ecosystems of the western United States where these grasses have altered fire regimes, reduced native plant diversity and abundance, and degraded wildlife habitat. Annual bromes are also abundant in the grasslands of the Northern Great...
Authors
Isabel Ashton, Amy J. Symstad, Christopher Davis, Daniel J. Swanson
Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming
Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089 and accompanying data releases are the products of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA). The assessment was done at the request of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to evaluate the mineral-resource potential of some 10 million acres of Federal and adjacent lands in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon...
By
Geology, Energy, and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Land Management Research Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, National Minerals Information Center
Identifying key climate and environmental factors affecting rates of post-fire big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) recovery in the northern Columbia Basin, USA Identifying key climate and environmental factors affecting rates of post-fire big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) recovery in the northern Columbia Basin, USA
Sagebrush steppe of North America is considered highly imperilled, in part owing to increased fire frequency. Sagebrush ecosystems support numerous species, and it is important to understand those factors that affect rates of post-fire sagebrush recovery. We explored recovery of Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp.wyomingensis) and basin big sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp...
Authors
Douglas J. Shinneman, Susan McIlroy
Cheatgrass percent cover change: Comparing recent estimates to climate change − Driven predictions in the Northern Great Basin Cheatgrass percent cover change: Comparing recent estimates to climate change − Driven predictions in the Northern Great Basin
Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) is a highly invasive species in the Northern Great Basin that helps decrease fire return intervals. Fire fragments the shrub steppe and reduces its capacity to provide forage for livestock and wildlife and habitat critical to sagebrush obligates. Of particular interest is the greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), an obligate whose populations...
Authors
Stephen P. Boyte, Bruce K. Wylie, Donald J. Major