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Priority Landscapes: Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation

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By Land Management Research Program September 23, 2022

Approximately 35% of the US and ~82% of DOI lands are “drylands” and found throughout the Western US. The Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation PES conducts research to inform the restoration of drylands impacted by energy exploration and development. These arid and semi-arid lands have unique soil and plant communities that are resistant to decadal fluctuations in precipitation and temperatures.  However, because they are relatively resource-limited they are not very resilient and small perturbations often have large and long-term ecological effects.  Very few anthropogenic impacts in a dryland are temporary. These lands also contain oil, gas, oil shale, shale oil, and tar sand deposits and the exploration for and extraction of these resources has resulted in hundreds of thousands of abandoned and current wells across the West.   

Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation Research

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Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation publications is available from the button below.

Complete List of Publications
Filter Total Items: 37

RestoreNet: An emerging restoration network reveals controls on seeding success across dryland ecosystems RestoreNet: An emerging restoration network reveals controls on seeding success across dryland ecosystems

Drylands are Earth's largest terrestrial biome and support one‐third of the global population. However, they are also highly vulnerable to land degradation. Despite widespread demand for dryland restoration and rehabilitation, little information is available to help land managers effectively re‐establish native perennial vegetation across drylands.RestoreNet is an emerging dryland...
Authors
Caroline Ann Havrilla, Seth M. Munson, Molly L. McCormick, Katherine M. Laushman, Kathleen R. Balazs, Bradley J. Butterfield
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

What could explain δ13C signatures in biocrust cyanobacteria of drylands? What could explain δ13C signatures in biocrust cyanobacteria of drylands?

Dryland ecosystems are increasing in geographic extent and contribute greatly to interannual variability in global carbon dynamics. Disentangling interactions among dominant primary producers, including plants and autotrophic microbes, can help partition their contributions to dryland C dynamics. We measured the δ13C signatures of biological soil crust cyanobacteria and dominant plant...
Authors
Eva Stricker, Grace Cain, Jennifer A. Rudgers, Robert L Sinsabaugh, Vanessa Fernandes, Corey Nelson, Ana Giraldo Silva, Ferran Garcia-Pichel, Jayne Belnap, Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Biological soil crusts in ecological restoration: Emerging research and perspectives Biological soil crusts in ecological restoration: Emerging research and perspectives

Drylands encompass over 40% of terrestrial ecosystems and face significant anthropogenic degradation causing a loss of ecosystem integrity, services, and deterioration of social‐ecological systems. To combat this degradation, some dryland restoration efforts have focused on the use of biological soil crusts (biocrusts): complex communities of cyanobacteria, algae, lichens, bryophytes...
Authors
Anita Antoninka, Akasha M. Faist, Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero, Kristina E. Young, V Bala Chaudhary, Lea A. Condon, David A. Pyke
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis

Robust ecological drought projections for drylands in the 21st century Robust ecological drought projections for drylands in the 21st century

(Bradford) Dryland ecosystems may be especially vulnerable to expected 21st century increases in temperatures and aridity because they are tightly controlled by patterns of moisture availability. However, climate impact assessments in drylands are difficult because ecological dynamics are dictated by drought conditions that are difficult to define and complex to estimate from climate...
Authors
John B. Bradford, Daniel Rodolphe Schlaepfer, William K. Lauenroth, Kyle A. Palmquist
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Unexpected hybridization reveals the utility of genetics in native plant restoration Unexpected hybridization reveals the utility of genetics in native plant restoration

Native plant materials (NPMs) are increasingly utilized during the restoration of disturbed plant communities. Here, we analyze next‐generation genetic sequencing data for Hilaria jamesii, a dominant graminoid across drylands of the southwestern United States, and document that the species' only commercially‐available NPM, ‘Viva’, is a hybrid between H. jamesii and its sister species, H...
Authors
Daniel E. Winkler, Robert Massatti
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Multiple mechanisms determine the effect of warming on plant litter decomposition in a dryland Multiple mechanisms determine the effect of warming on plant litter decomposition in a dryland

In drylands, where soil fertility is typically low, plant litter decomposition provides particularly critical carbon and nitrogen inputs into soil. Although climate change is projected to increase the already large global extent of drylands, it is unknown how warmer temperatures will affect core ecosystem processes, such as plant litter decomposition, in these systems. To address this...
Authors
Peter F. Chuckran, Robin H. Reibold, Heather L. Throop, Sasha C. Reed
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Approximately 35% of the US and ~82% of DOI lands are “drylands” and found throughout the Western US. The Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation PES conducts research to inform the restoration of drylands impacted by energy exploration and development. These arid and semi-arid lands have unique soil and plant communities that are resistant to decadal fluctuations in precipitation and temperatures.  However, because they are relatively resource-limited they are not very resilient and small perturbations often have large and long-term ecological effects.  Very few anthropogenic impacts in a dryland are temporary. These lands also contain oil, gas, oil shale, shale oil, and tar sand deposits and the exploration for and extraction of these resources has resulted in hundreds of thousands of abandoned and current wells across the West.   

Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation Research

No results found.

Explore our research using the data below.

No Result Found

Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation publications is available from the button below.

Complete List of Publications
Filter Total Items: 37

RestoreNet: An emerging restoration network reveals controls on seeding success across dryland ecosystems RestoreNet: An emerging restoration network reveals controls on seeding success across dryland ecosystems

Drylands are Earth's largest terrestrial biome and support one‐third of the global population. However, they are also highly vulnerable to land degradation. Despite widespread demand for dryland restoration and rehabilitation, little information is available to help land managers effectively re‐establish native perennial vegetation across drylands.RestoreNet is an emerging dryland...
Authors
Caroline Ann Havrilla, Seth M. Munson, Molly L. McCormick, Katherine M. Laushman, Kathleen R. Balazs, Bradley J. Butterfield
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

What could explain δ13C signatures in biocrust cyanobacteria of drylands? What could explain δ13C signatures in biocrust cyanobacteria of drylands?

Dryland ecosystems are increasing in geographic extent and contribute greatly to interannual variability in global carbon dynamics. Disentangling interactions among dominant primary producers, including plants and autotrophic microbes, can help partition their contributions to dryland C dynamics. We measured the δ13C signatures of biological soil crust cyanobacteria and dominant plant...
Authors
Eva Stricker, Grace Cain, Jennifer A. Rudgers, Robert L Sinsabaugh, Vanessa Fernandes, Corey Nelson, Ana Giraldo Silva, Ferran Garcia-Pichel, Jayne Belnap, Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Biological soil crusts in ecological restoration: Emerging research and perspectives Biological soil crusts in ecological restoration: Emerging research and perspectives

Drylands encompass over 40% of terrestrial ecosystems and face significant anthropogenic degradation causing a loss of ecosystem integrity, services, and deterioration of social‐ecological systems. To combat this degradation, some dryland restoration efforts have focused on the use of biological soil crusts (biocrusts): complex communities of cyanobacteria, algae, lichens, bryophytes...
Authors
Anita Antoninka, Akasha M. Faist, Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero, Kristina E. Young, V Bala Chaudhary, Lea A. Condon, David A. Pyke
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis

Robust ecological drought projections for drylands in the 21st century Robust ecological drought projections for drylands in the 21st century

(Bradford) Dryland ecosystems may be especially vulnerable to expected 21st century increases in temperatures and aridity because they are tightly controlled by patterns of moisture availability. However, climate impact assessments in drylands are difficult because ecological dynamics are dictated by drought conditions that are difficult to define and complex to estimate from climate...
Authors
John B. Bradford, Daniel Rodolphe Schlaepfer, William K. Lauenroth, Kyle A. Palmquist
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Unexpected hybridization reveals the utility of genetics in native plant restoration Unexpected hybridization reveals the utility of genetics in native plant restoration

Native plant materials (NPMs) are increasingly utilized during the restoration of disturbed plant communities. Here, we analyze next‐generation genetic sequencing data for Hilaria jamesii, a dominant graminoid across drylands of the southwestern United States, and document that the species' only commercially‐available NPM, ‘Viva’, is a hybrid between H. jamesii and its sister species, H...
Authors
Daniel E. Winkler, Robert Massatti
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Multiple mechanisms determine the effect of warming on plant litter decomposition in a dryland Multiple mechanisms determine the effect of warming on plant litter decomposition in a dryland

In drylands, where soil fertility is typically low, plant litter decomposition provides particularly critical carbon and nitrogen inputs into soil. Although climate change is projected to increase the already large global extent of drylands, it is unknown how warmer temperatures will affect core ecosystem processes, such as plant litter decomposition, in these systems. To address this...
Authors
Peter F. Chuckran, Robin H. Reibold, Heather L. Throop, Sasha C. Reed
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center
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