Natural Resource Economics
Providing critical information on the economic consequences of DOI and other natural resource and hazard management decisions.
Providing critical information on the economic consequences of DOI and other natural resource and hazard management decisions.
Decision Science with Adaptive Management
Advancing the use of decision science in the USGS addressing interdisciplinary natural resource management challenges.
Advancing the use of decision science in the USGS addressing interdisciplinary natural resource management challenges.
Ecosystem Services and Natural Capital
Incorporating quantities and values of commodities produced by nature and people
Incorporating quantities and values of commodities produced by nature and people
Science and Decisions Center
The USGS Science and Decisions Center (SDC) is a unique and small interdisciplinary center which conducts integrated physical, biological, socioeconomic, and information science, advances decision-analytic methods in the USGS, and investigates innovative data collection and analysis methods with a goal of increasing the use and value of USGS science in decision making.
Publications
USGS—An Unparalleled Scientific Asset USGS—An Unparalleled Scientific Asset
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) delivers information critical to powering our economy, managing our natural resources, and keeping Americans safe and healthy.1Mapping the Nation $21B Geologic maps save users an estimated 15% in annual costs: a value of between $14B and $21B. $25.6B is the annual value to users of key Earth observation platforms like Landsat, which is managed by the...
Economic costs of invasive carps in the United States: Case study and management implications Economic costs of invasive carps in the United States: Case study and management implications
Biological invasions can have far-reaching impacts and incur enormous monetary costs. Economic considerations play an important role in management decision-making. We used the invasion of U.S. waterways by silver (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead (H. nobilis) carp as a case study of the costs of aquatic invasive species. Although these carps are well-known invaders, published...
Natural capital accounting on forested lands: An application to the Colorado River basin Natural capital accounting on forested lands: An application to the Colorado River basin
This paper creates a first set of forest natural capital accounts and demonstrates how these accounts can be integrated with general equilibrium models of the economy. Focusing on the Colorado River Basin, we show that deforestation has direct implications for the forest industry and indirect impacts on the economy through water treatment costs and carbon stock. 327,000 acres of forest...
Science
Where land meets sea: USGS science for resilient coastal habitats
USGS coastal science plays a critical role in supporting the effective, science-based management of coastal ecosystems, where the biodiversity of land and sea meet. It provides managers with the information they need to make sound decisions. Through cutting-edge research, predictive modeling, and decision-support tools, USGS empowers resource managers to make informed, science-based choices. From...
By
Core Science Systems Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Land Management Research Program, Science and Decisions Center, Species Management Research Program, California Water Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Western Fisheries Research Center, Western Geographic Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Decision Science
We host strong decision science programs on University campuses listed below. Understanding cultural, social, and political factors drives decision-making. In other words, what people think matters. One of the key building blocks our program is we actively engage local communities and our research is relevant to the needs of the States, geographic regions, and the Nation. We make available new...
About the Science and Decisions Center
Today's natural resource managers must make effective decisions with broad–scale societal impacts.