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Ecosystems Mission Area

The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area provides science to help America achieve sustainable management and conservation of biological resources in wild and urban spaces, and places in between.

News

Dr. Ernest Valdez (USGS-FORT) and collaborators have spearheaded and co-organized three bat workshops for Tribal nations from the Southwest and Pacific Northwest regions

Dr. Ernest Valdez (USGS-FORT) and collaborators have spearheaded and co-organized three bat workshops for Tribal nations from the Southwest and Pacific Northwest regions

FORT scientists to present research at Wyoming wildlife conference

FORT scientists to present research at Wyoming wildlife conference

The USGS One Health Approach to Infectious Diseases of Wildlife and Environmental Change

The USGS One Health Approach to Infectious Diseases of Wildlife and Environmental Change

Publications

Establishment of terrestrial mammals on former reservoir beds following large dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA

Terrestrial wildlife species are important yet often overlooked taxa in the recovery of ecosystems following dam removal. Their presence can shape ecosystem recovery, signal restoration of ecosystem function, and influence food web dynamics and nutrient transfer. We used camera traps to examine seasonal use of two former reservoir beds and an upstream reference reach by the mammalian community fol
Authors
Rebecca McCaffery, Sara Cendejas-Zarelli, Katy R Goodwin, Patricia J. Happe, Kurt Jenkins, Kimberly A. Sager-Fradkin

Novel data in recreation monitoring—Summary proceedings from interagency workshops in 2019 and 2023

Two interagency workshops were held in 2019 and 2023 in Fort Collins, Colorado, to discuss the use of novel data in recreation monitoring. During the workshops, the phrase “novel data in recreation monitoring” was primarily used to refer to data from social media, mobile device applications, and other online secondary sources. The goals of these workshops were to share information across agencies
Authors
Emily J. Wilkins, Christian S.L. Crowley, Eric M. White, Spencer A. Wood, Rudy Schuster

Greater sage-grouse habitat of Nevada and northeastern California—Integrating space use, habitat selection, and survival indices to guide areas for habitat management

Executive SummaryGreater sage-grouse populations (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse) are threatened by a suite of disturbances and anthropogenic factors that have contributed to a net loss of sagebrush-dominant shrub cover in recent decades. Declines in sage-grouse populations are largely linked to habitat loss across their range. A key component of conservation and land use plannin
Authors
Megan C. Milligan, Peter S. Coates, Shawn T. O'Neil, Brianne E. Brussee, Michael P. Chenaille, Derek Friend, Kathleen Steele, Justin R. Small, Timothy S. Bowden, Arlene D. Kosic, Katherine Miller

Science

Colorado Plateau Extreme Drought in Grassland Experiment (EDGE)

In drylands, short-term extreme droughts can have profound ecosystem effects, depending on the timing (seasonality) of drought and the sensitivities of the dominant plants and plant functional types. Past work suggests that cool season drought may disproportionately impact regionally important grass and shrub species. In this study, we are examining the impacts of extreme seasonal drought on...
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Colorado Plateau Extreme Drought in Grassland Experiment (EDGE)

In drylands, short-term extreme droughts can have profound ecosystem effects, depending on the timing (seasonality) of drought and the sensitivities of the dominant plants and plant functional types. Past work suggests that cool season drought may disproportionately impact regionally important grass and shrub species. In this study, we are examining the impacts of extreme seasonal drought on...
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Chronic Drought Impacts on Colorado Plateau ecosystems (Rain-Out Experiment)

In drylands, chronic reductions in water availability (press-drought) through reduced precipitation and increased temperatures may have profound ecosystem effects, depending on the sensitivities of the dominant plants and plant functional types. In this study, we are examining the impacts of moderate, but long-term chronic drought using a network of 40 drought shelters on the Colorado Plateau...
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Chronic Drought Impacts on Colorado Plateau ecosystems (Rain-Out Experiment)

In drylands, chronic reductions in water availability (press-drought) through reduced precipitation and increased temperatures may have profound ecosystem effects, depending on the sensitivities of the dominant plants and plant functional types. In this study, we are examining the impacts of moderate, but long-term chronic drought using a network of 40 drought shelters on the Colorado Plateau...
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New Mexico Tree-Ring Lab

Our tree-ring lab is a key component of an interdisciplinary ecological research program that focuses on the effects of climate variability and human land use on forest ecology, fire ecology, and ecohydrology.
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New Mexico Tree-Ring Lab

Our tree-ring lab is a key component of an interdisciplinary ecological research program that focuses on the effects of climate variability and human land use on forest ecology, fire ecology, and ecohydrology.
Learn More