Ecosystems Science at USGS
USGS Landscape Science Strategy
Science informing decision making on public lands and across all of our Nation’s landscapes.
Science informing decision making on public lands and across all of our Nation’s landscapes.
USGS Wildland Fire Science
USGS science helps understand the causes, consequences, and benefits of wildfire and helps prevent and manage larger, catastrophic events.
USGS science helps understand the causes, consequences, and benefits of wildfire and helps prevent and manage larger, catastrophic events.
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
The 2024 Southern Sea Otter Census and Statistical Model Development
The 2024 Southern Sea Otter Census and Statistical Model Development
USGS Friday's Findings - September 27, 2024
USGS Friday's Findings - September 27, 2024
Non-native plants consistently drive changes in functional traits of plant communities
Non-native plants consistently drive changes in functional traits of plant communities
Publications
Remote sensing for monitoring mine lands and recovery efforts
Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Ecosystem Restoration Program, the U.S. Department of the Interior has invested in assessing and recovering degraded ecosystems to promote healthy human communities and wildlife habitats. One priority established by the program is the need to address degraded ecosystems associated with mine lands, including active, inactive, and abandoned mines. Mine lands o
North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center regional science plan—2023–28
The U.S. Geological Survey North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (NC CASC), established in 2012, is part of a national network supporting climate-informed decisions that benefit wildlife and habitats. The NC CASC provides climate science for the U.S. Department of the Interior, State agencies, and Tribal nations to support effective resource management. Collaborating with the National an
Synchrony of alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus, year-class strength in the Great Lakes region
Fish recruitment is interannually variable and challenging to predict. Annual recruitment is often regionally synchronized among populations and identifying drivers of such synchrony may help shed light on recruitment dynamics. We investigated interannual variation of alewife Alosa pseudoharengus recruitment by estimating year-class strength for populations from three of the Laurentian Great Lakes
Science
California Sea Otter Surveys and Research
WERC collaborates with other research scientists to conduct annual population surveys of the southern sea otter -- a federally listed threatened species. In coordination with the California Department of Fish and Game and other institutions, ongoing surveys and research continues to inform the southern sea otter recovery plan for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and contributes to our...
Passage, migration and critical habitat of Atlantic (Acipenser oxyrhinchus oxyrhinchus) and shortnose (Acipenser brevirostrum) sturgeons in New England waters.
USGS scientists are studying the passage, migration and critical habitat of the Atlantic ( Acipenser oxyrhinchus oxyrhinchus ) and shortnose ( Acipenser brevirostrum ) sturgeon in New England waters to provide managers with population-specific details upon which effective steps can be taken to protect these endangered species.
Reptile and Amphibian Road Ecology
USGS is working with many partners to help reptiles, amphibians and other animals cross roads safely, improving access to essential habitat.