Where would we be without plants? They are the basis of the food chain and producers of oxygen - and so much more. From marsh grasses to mangroves, from sagebrush to sunflowers, getting to the root of the biology and ecology of plants is a critical component of USGS research.
An Integral Part of Life on Earth
Life as we know it wouldn’t be possible without plants. Plants maintain the atmosphere by producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide, help keep our waterways clean, and provide us with food, shelter, and medicine. Plant communities are influenced by soil, terrain, climate, animals, and human activities, so different groups and types of plants are found in different regions of the country. Grassland plants such as the western prairie fringed orchid are found in the Great Plains, while desert plants such as the saguaro cactus are found in the Southwest. Approximately 391,000 species of vascular plants are currently known to science. Explore examples of USGS science on different plant types below.
Science to Support Healthy Ecosystems
Healthy plants are the foundation of healthy ecosystems. In an era of global change, our Nation’s forests, grasslands, wetlands, and other critical habitats are facing multiple threats that challenge our ability to maintain these ecosystems and the species that depend on them. USGS science provides the information needed to address these challenges and support healthy, thriving plant communities across the country.
Threats to Plants
Understanding, monitoring, and predicting threats to plants contributes to the USGS goal of providing science to support the protection, conservation, and enhancement of the Nation’s biodiversity. Through activities such as identifying strategies for controlling invasive cheatgrass, using novel techniques to identify the presence of disease-causing plant pathogens, and informing recovery plans for at-risk species, USGS science is tackling some of the biggest threats facing plants today.
Land Use Change
The single biggest threat facing plants today is habitat loss. Changes in land use, such as the encroachment of agriculture or urban development into areas that were once covered by natural vegetation, reduce plant population sizes and alter the ecosystems that plants, animals, and humans rely on. Changes in land use can cause species extinctions, destabilize soil, increase erosion, and reduce water quality. USGS scientists are monitoring changes in land use to understand how they are affecting the plants and wildlife that depend on them. Explore examples of our science below:
- Monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of habitat management projects in southwest Wyoming, a 19-million-acre region that supports some of the highest quality wildlife habitats in the Intermountain West, as well as agriculture and energy production. Learn more>>
- Identifying the effects of wind turbines and associated infrastructure on vegetation and how wildlife use these landscapes. Learn more>>
- Understanding how agricultural drainage systems affect wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region. Learn more>>
- Using satellite imagery to monitor changes in vegetation across the country. Learn more>>
Invasive Plants
Every plant and animal species has a native range where it evolved. When a species exists in a location beyond its natural range, it is considered a “non-native” species in that area. When a non-native species establishes in a new habitat, causing harm to the environment or humans, it becomes “invasive”. The annual estimated economic and health-related costs of invasive species in the U.S. have been reported at more than $21 billion and adversely affect every state in the country. Invasive plants represent a major threat to global and local biodiversity while also having negative socio-economic and human health impacts. Invasive plants displace native plants, prevent native plant growth, reduce agricultural production, and induce allergies.
Invasive plants such as cheatgrass and buffelgrass have increased fire vulnerability and diminished grazing value across the western U.S. Aquatic invasive plants such as the weed hydrilla and giant fern salvinia are clogging waterways. To help combat these invaders, USGS scientists are using new tools to model the potential spread of high impact invasive species and to support the early detection and rapid response of invasive species before they are able to spread and cause harm. If an invasive plant is already established, USGS science is helping land managers reverse and mitigate the negative impacts these invasions are causing. Explore examples of our science to understand and reduce the threat of invasive plants below:
- Understanding how invasive plants affect wildfire patterns. Learn more>>
- Developing the Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Alert Risk Mapper: A tool to characterize waterbodies at risk of invasion from new non-native species. Learn more>>
- Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to track the spread of Salvinia molesta, a non-native aquatic species that reduces light and oxygen levels in water, making it unsuitable for fish and other aquatic life. Learn more>>
- Identifying strategies for controlling invasive cheatgrass in the western U.S. Learn more>>
Visit our Invasive Species webpage to learn more about USGS activities to monitor and respond to the threat of invasive species across the country.
Disease
USGS research is addressing numerous diseases in both plants and animals and leading development efforts in advanced tools such as environmental DNA (eDNA) to assist in prevention and early detection. Explore examples of our science on plant diseases and pathogens below:
- Using new environmental DNA (eDNA) methods to identify the presence of pathogens known to cause the decline of eelgrass, which provides important habitat for birds, fish, and invertebrates in southwestern Alaska. Learn more>>
- Deploying a portable lab to speed detection of pathogens responsible for Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death (ROD), a rapidly spreading disease affecting a keystone tree species in Hawai’i. Learn more>>
- Using decades of Landsat satellite imagery to map bark beetle outbreaks, which have devastated certain species of evergreen trees in the Rocky Mountains. Learn more>>
Climate Change
Climate helps shape ecosystems. Things like average temperatures, humidity, and rainfall determine where plants and animals lives. If a region’s climate changes, the ecosystem changes as well. Climate change poses one of the biggest threats to plants, leading to an increased spread of invasive species, increased vulnerability to insect pests, the loss of native plant species and changes in their distribution. USGS scientists are leading efforts to understand the current and future impacts of climate change on plants. This information helps management agencies identify adaptation strategies and actions that can help support vulnerable plant species in the face of a changing climate. Explore examples of our science below:
- Monitoring the conversion of tidal freshwater wetlands in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic to “Ghost Forests”—forests in which trees have died due to increases in salinity as sea levels rise and push saltier water upstream. Learn more>>
- Identifying how changes in the amount and timing of precipitation affect big sagebrush in the Great Basin. Learn more>>
- Investigating the effects of drought and warming temperatures on plants in the southwestern U.S. Learn more>>
- Exploring the effects of estimated future sea-level rise on mangrove forests in Micronesia. Learn more>>
- Using satellite data to monitor changes in phenology, or the study of animal and plant life cycles, a powerful tool for understanding life cycle trends and the impacts of climate change on ecosystems. Learn more>>
Species at Risk
As a result of threats such as the spread of invasive species, disease, and climate and land use change, some plant species are in decline or in danger of extinction. The USGS provides management agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency and National Park Service with scientific information to support conservation decisions for at-risk plant species. Explore examples of our science below:
Ecosystem Restoration
Ecosystem restoration is the act of rehabilitating a degraded or lost ecosystems through activities such as planting native trees and shrubs and controlling invasive species. To do this, land managers need tools to help get the right plants, in the right place, at the right time for successful restoration. The USGS develops strategies and techniques to understand and facilitate the restoration of native species and habitats that have deteriorated due to threats such as invasive species and climate change. Explore examples of our science below:
Science
Effects of Great Lakes water levels on coastal populations of Phragmites australis GeoNarrative
Drought & Grazing Experiment: Understanding Impacts and Identifying Mitigation Strategies
Ecosystem Engineering Impacts of Water Primrose in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Researching Climate Conditions for CAL FIRE Wildfire Restoration Efforts
Remote Sensing Phenology
The science listed below is a sampling of USGS science on this topic and do not represent an exhaustive list.
Effects of Great Lakes water levels on coastal populations of Phragmites australis GeoNarrative
Drought & Grazing Experiment: Understanding Impacts and Identifying Mitigation Strategies
Ecosystem Engineering Impacts of Water Primrose in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Researching Climate Conditions for CAL FIRE Wildfire Restoration Efforts
Remote Sensing Phenology
Remote Sensing Phenology
Overview of Riparian Vegetation in Grand Canyon
Effect of Elodea spp. on Fish Performance Mediated Through Food Web Interactions
The FAQs below are a sampling of USGS science on this topic and do not represent an exhaustive list.
What are the differences between endangered, threatened, imperiled, and at-risk species?
Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), plant and animal species may be listed as either endangered or threatened. “Endangered” means a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. “Threatened” means a species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. States have their own ESA-type laws, so species can have different Threatened...
What is an invasive species and why are they a problem?
An invasive species is an introduced, nonnative organism (disease, parasite, plant, or animal) that begins to spread or expand its range from the site of its original introduction and that has the potential to cause harm to the environment, the economy, or to human health. A few well-known examples include the unintentional introduction of the West Nile virus, chestnut blight, the South American...
How far has Chinese tallow spread in the United States?
Chinese tallow has been cultivated in nurseries and sold as an ornamental tree used for landscaping; however, it is now classified as a nuisance species in some locations and can no longer be sold. It has separate pollen and seed-bearing flowers, and seeds can be spread by birds and by moving water.Chinese tallow has spread from South Carolina all the way down to Florida, west into Texas, and has...
How do Chinese tallow's characteristics make it such an aggressive invader?
The invasive Chinese tallow tree has the ability to reach reproductive age in as little as 3 years and to remain productive for at least 60 years. It does not seem to have a preference for disturbed areas over undisturbed areas and can grow in a variety of places. It can also grow in both full sunlight and shade. It is more tolerant of salinity and flooding than quite a few other native species...
What is buffelgrass?
Buffelgrass is a perennial grass from Africa that is invasive to the Sonoran Desert of the Southwest United States, where it threatens desert ecosystems by out-competing native plants and altering fire regimes. It has the potential to transform the Sonoran Desert ecosystem from a diverse assemblage of plants to a grassland monoculture.Buffelgrass was brought to Arizona in the 1930s for erosion...
What is tamarisk?
Tamarisk is an invasive shrub or small tree that is found across the American West. Also known as saltcedar, tamarisk favors sites that are inhospitable to native streamside plants because of high salinity, low water availability, and altered streamflow regimes created by dams. Researchers debate the extent of tamarisk’s negative impacts, but this invasive species can and does alter habitat...
Does the loss of plant diversity affect the health of native bees?
Loss of plant diversity is the primary cause of native bee decline. About 30-50% of all native bees are highly specialized, so if the plant they rely on disappears, the bees go away. If the bees disappear, the plant is unable to reproduce and dies out. While some of the plants pollinated by native bees are important food crops, other plants pollinated by native bees are critical for healthy...
Do bees feed on both nectar and pollen?
Bees feed on and require both nectar and pollen. The nectar is for energy and the pollen provides protein and other nutrients. Most pollen is used by bees as larvae food, but bees also transfer it from plant-to-plant, providing the pollination services needed by plants and nature as a whole. Learn more: USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Program Bees of the Northeastern U.S.
What is the role of native bees in the United States?
About 75% of North American plant species require an insect—mostly bees—to move their pollen from one plant to another to effect pollination. Unlike the well-known behavior of the non-native honeybees, there is much that we don’t know about native bees. Many native bees are smaller in size than a grain of rice. Of approximately 4,000 native bee species in the United States, 10% have not been named...
Why are pollinating bats, birds, bees, butterflies, and other animals important?
Do you enjoy a hot cup of coffee, a juicy peach, an-apple-a-day, almonds, rich and creamy dates, a handful of plump cashews, or vine-ripened tomatoes? Do you enjoy seeing the native flowers and plants that surround you? If so, you depend on pollinators. Wherever flowering plants flourish, pollinating bees, birds, butterflies, bats and other animals are hard at work, providing vital but often...
Why are wetlands important?
Wetlands provide habitat for thousands of species of aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals. Wetlands are valuable for flood protection, water quality improvement, shoreline erosion control, natural products, recreation, and aesthetics. Wetlands are among the most productive habitats on earth providing shelter and nursery areas for commercially and recreationally important animals like fish...
What are wetlands?
Wetlands are transitional areas, sandwiched between permanently flooded deepwater environments and well-drained uplands, where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water. They include mangroves, marshes (salt, brackish, intermediate, and fresh), swamps, forested wetlands, bogs, wet prairies, prairie potholes, and vernal pools. In general terms...
- Overview
An Integral Part of Life on Earth
Life as we know it wouldn’t be possible without plants. Plants maintain the atmosphere by producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide, help keep our waterways clean, and provide us with food, shelter, and medicine. Plant communities are influenced by soil, terrain, climate, animals, and human activities, so different groups and types of plants are found in different regions of the country. Grassland plants such as the western prairie fringed orchid are found in the Great Plains, while desert plants such as the saguaro cactus are found in the Southwest. Approximately 391,000 species of vascular plants are currently known to science. Explore examples of USGS science on different plant types below.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.Science to Support Healthy Ecosystems
Healthy plants are the foundation of healthy ecosystems. In an era of global change, our Nation’s forests, grasslands, wetlands, and other critical habitats are facing multiple threats that challenge our ability to maintain these ecosystems and the species that depend on them. USGS science provides the information needed to address these challenges and support healthy, thriving plant communities across the country.
Threats to Plants
Understanding, monitoring, and predicting threats to plants contributes to the USGS goal of providing science to support the protection, conservation, and enhancement of the Nation’s biodiversity. Through activities such as identifying strategies for controlling invasive cheatgrass, using novel techniques to identify the presence of disease-causing plant pathogens, and informing recovery plans for at-risk species, USGS science is tackling some of the biggest threats facing plants today.
Land Use Change
The single biggest threat facing plants today is habitat loss. Changes in land use, such as the encroachment of agriculture or urban development into areas that were once covered by natural vegetation, reduce plant population sizes and alter the ecosystems that plants, animals, and humans rely on. Changes in land use can cause species extinctions, destabilize soil, increase erosion, and reduce water quality. USGS scientists are monitoring changes in land use to understand how they are affecting the plants and wildlife that depend on them. Explore examples of our science below:
- Monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of habitat management projects in southwest Wyoming, a 19-million-acre region that supports some of the highest quality wildlife habitats in the Intermountain West, as well as agriculture and energy production. Learn more>>
- Identifying the effects of wind turbines and associated infrastructure on vegetation and how wildlife use these landscapes. Learn more>>
- Understanding how agricultural drainage systems affect wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region. Learn more>>
- Using satellite imagery to monitor changes in vegetation across the country. Learn more>>
Invasive Plants
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Many noxious, invasive species infest our nation’s wetlands. One example is a new type of phragmites, a wetlands grass from Europe that has rapidly spread across the continent, altering soil, producing copious seeds, and resulting in dense stands of mostly one-plant – phragmites – stands. The result: plant species diversity declines, and critical habitat for fish, reptiles, amphibians and birds is lost. The species is rapidly invading the few remaining marshes in the Great Lakes, but USGS scientists and their colleagues are using cutting-edge research to try to fight back. Every plant and animal species has a native range where it evolved. When a species exists in a location beyond its natural range, it is considered a “non-native” species in that area. When a non-native species establishes in a new habitat, causing harm to the environment or humans, it becomes “invasive”. The annual estimated economic and health-related costs of invasive species in the U.S. have been reported at more than $21 billion and adversely affect every state in the country. Invasive plants represent a major threat to global and local biodiversity while also having negative socio-economic and human health impacts. Invasive plants displace native plants, prevent native plant growth, reduce agricultural production, and induce allergies.
Invasive plants such as cheatgrass and buffelgrass have increased fire vulnerability and diminished grazing value across the western U.S. Aquatic invasive plants such as the weed hydrilla and giant fern salvinia are clogging waterways. To help combat these invaders, USGS scientists are using new tools to model the potential spread of high impact invasive species and to support the early detection and rapid response of invasive species before they are able to spread and cause harm. If an invasive plant is already established, USGS science is helping land managers reverse and mitigate the negative impacts these invasions are causing. Explore examples of our science to understand and reduce the threat of invasive plants below:
- Understanding how invasive plants affect wildfire patterns. Learn more>>
- Developing the Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Alert Risk Mapper: A tool to characterize waterbodies at risk of invasion from new non-native species. Learn more>>
- Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to track the spread of Salvinia molesta, a non-native aquatic species that reduces light and oxygen levels in water, making it unsuitable for fish and other aquatic life. Learn more>>
- Identifying strategies for controlling invasive cheatgrass in the western U.S. Learn more>>
Visit our Invasive Species webpage to learn more about USGS activities to monitor and respond to the threat of invasive species across the country.
Disease
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Carol Damberg (USFWS) conducting survey of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2015. USGS research is addressing numerous diseases in both plants and animals and leading development efforts in advanced tools such as environmental DNA (eDNA) to assist in prevention and early detection. Explore examples of our science on plant diseases and pathogens below:
- Using new environmental DNA (eDNA) methods to identify the presence of pathogens known to cause the decline of eelgrass, which provides important habitat for birds, fish, and invertebrates in southwestern Alaska. Learn more>>
- Deploying a portable lab to speed detection of pathogens responsible for Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death (ROD), a rapidly spreading disease affecting a keystone tree species in Hawai’i. Learn more>>
- Using decades of Landsat satellite imagery to map bark beetle outbreaks, which have devastated certain species of evergreen trees in the Rocky Mountains. Learn more>>
Climate Change
Climate helps shape ecosystems. Things like average temperatures, humidity, and rainfall determine where plants and animals lives. If a region’s climate changes, the ecosystem changes as well. Climate change poses one of the biggest threats to plants, leading to an increased spread of invasive species, increased vulnerability to insect pests, the loss of native plant species and changes in their distribution. USGS scientists are leading efforts to understand the current and future impacts of climate change on plants. This information helps management agencies identify adaptation strategies and actions that can help support vulnerable plant species in the face of a changing climate. Explore examples of our science below:
- Monitoring the conversion of tidal freshwater wetlands in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic to “Ghost Forests”—forests in which trees have died due to increases in salinity as sea levels rise and push saltier water upstream. Learn more>>
- Identifying how changes in the amount and timing of precipitation affect big sagebrush in the Great Basin. Learn more>>
- Investigating the effects of drought and warming temperatures on plants in the southwestern U.S. Learn more>>
- Exploring the effects of estimated future sea-level rise on mangrove forests in Micronesia. Learn more>>
- Using satellite data to monitor changes in phenology, or the study of animal and plant life cycles, a powerful tool for understanding life cycle trends and the impacts of climate change on ecosystems. Learn more>>
Species at Risk
As a result of threats such as the spread of invasive species, disease, and climate and land use change, some plant species are in decline or in danger of extinction. The USGS provides management agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency and National Park Service with scientific information to support conservation decisions for at-risk plant species. Explore examples of our science below:
USGS scientists are studying how rare plants across California’s Channel Islands and in the Great Lakes region are affected by invasive plants and changes in climate and land use. These activities support the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency, and conservation organizations in building recovery plans for at-risk plants.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.The critically endangered succulent Portulaca sclerocarpa is found only on the Island of Hawai‘i and on a small islet off the coast of Lāna‘i. USGS scientists are working with the National Park Service to identify threats to the plant and what habitats might be best for planting success.
In the Mojave Desert, plants are able to survive extreme conditions. Yet changes in climate, wildfire patterns, and visitor use on dunes are impacting rare and at-risk plants. USGS scientists are studying the effects of these stressors on plants such as primrose, Eureka Valley dune grass, and the Joshua tree to inform management of these species. Ecosystem Restoration
Ecosystem restoration is the act of rehabilitating a degraded or lost ecosystems through activities such as planting native trees and shrubs and controlling invasive species. To do this, land managers need tools to help get the right plants, in the right place, at the right time for successful restoration. The USGS develops strategies and techniques to understand and facilitate the restoration of native species and habitats that have deteriorated due to threats such as invasive species and climate change. Explore examples of our science below:
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.The Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS) helps land management agencies develop successful techniques for improving land condition in dryland ecosystems of the Southwest. RAMPS has created a hub for information and tools to help managers identify strategies to restore degraded lands.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.California’s Channel Islands were once home to cloud forests, lush groves of pines and oaks and shrubs, covered in moss and lichens, but this unique ecosystem was lost to overgrazing. USGS scientists are restoring these cloud forests by rebuilding three key components: soil, water, and plants.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Restoring drylands across the western U.S. is notoriously challenging due to highly variable and unpredictable precipitation. USGS scientists are using genetics to identify native plant seeds that are best adapted to survive and thrive in this harsh landscape. Science
Effects of Great Lakes water levels on coastal populations of Phragmites australis GeoNarrative
The "Phragmites Management and Variable Great Lakes Water Levels" GeoNarrative presents research by the US Geological Survey and US Fish and Wildlife Service on how Great Lakes water levels affect expansion and management of coastal Phragmites populations.Drought & Grazing Experiment: Understanding Impacts and Identifying Mitigation Strategies
Drylands (sometimes called ‘deserts’ or ‘arid and semi-arid' ecosystems) are defined by water scarcity. Understanding how land-use activities may effect dryland ecosystems and dryland ecological processes is a high priority for land conservation and management. Grazing by domestic livestock (typically cattle but also sheep and goats) is the most widespread land-use in drylands globally and a large...Ecosystem Engineering Impacts of Water Primrose in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Many non-native fish, invertebrates, and plants have colonized the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) of California, the landward most region of the San Francisco Estuary. Included among these invasive species is the water primrose (Ludwigia spp.), an aggressive floating aquatic plant that is native to South and Central America and parts of the US, but invasive in California. Water primrose is...Researching Climate Conditions for CAL FIRE Wildfire Restoration Efforts
In California, drought and warmer climates have increased the prevalence, severity, and duration of wildfires. These fires have destroyed over 129 million trees. In the aftermath of this devastation, there is heightened urgency to increase the capacity of seedling production, particularly for the lower-elevation and private lands that CAL FIRE is responsible to help manage. To support CAL FIRE in...Remote Sensing Phenology
Phenology is the study of plant and animal life cycles in relation to the seasons. EROS maintains a set of nine annual phenological metrics for the conterminous United States, all curated from satellite data. Taken together, the metrics represent a powerful tool for documenting life cycle trends and the impacts of climate change on ecosystems. - Publications
- Science
The science listed below is a sampling of USGS science on this topic and do not represent an exhaustive list.
Effects of Great Lakes water levels on coastal populations of Phragmites australis GeoNarrative
The "Phragmites Management and Variable Great Lakes Water Levels" GeoNarrative presents research by the US Geological Survey and US Fish and Wildlife Service on how Great Lakes water levels affect expansion and management of coastal Phragmites populations.Drought & Grazing Experiment: Understanding Impacts and Identifying Mitigation Strategies
Drylands (sometimes called ‘deserts’ or ‘arid and semi-arid' ecosystems) are defined by water scarcity. Understanding how land-use activities may effect dryland ecosystems and dryland ecological processes is a high priority for land conservation and management. Grazing by domestic livestock (typically cattle but also sheep and goats) is the most widespread land-use in drylands globally and a large...Ecosystem Engineering Impacts of Water Primrose in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Many non-native fish, invertebrates, and plants have colonized the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) of California, the landward most region of the San Francisco Estuary. Included among these invasive species is the water primrose (Ludwigia spp.), an aggressive floating aquatic plant that is native to South and Central America and parts of the US, but invasive in California. Water primrose is...Researching Climate Conditions for CAL FIRE Wildfire Restoration Efforts
In California, drought and warmer climates have increased the prevalence, severity, and duration of wildfires. These fires have destroyed over 129 million trees. In the aftermath of this devastation, there is heightened urgency to increase the capacity of seedling production, particularly for the lower-elevation and private lands that CAL FIRE is responsible to help manage. To support CAL FIRE in...Remote Sensing Phenology
Phenology is the study of plant and animal life cycles in relation to the seasons. EROS maintains a set of nine annual phenological metrics for the conterminous United States, all curated from satellite data. Taken together, the metrics represent a powerful tool for documenting life cycle trends and the impacts of climate change on ecosystems.Remote Sensing Phenology
Phenology is the study of plant and animal life cycles in relation to the seasons. EROS maintains a set of nine annual phenological metrics for the conterminous United States, all curated from satellite data. Taken together, the metrics represent a powerful tool for documenting life cycle trends and the impacts of climate change on ecosystems.Overview of Riparian Vegetation in Grand Canyon
Riparian areas are conspicuous belts of dense, green vegetation along streams and rivers, and can be considered “ribbons of life”. Despite covering less than 2 percent of the land area in the southwestern U.S., riparian areas tend to have high species diversity and population density, making them valuable to managers, scientists, and the public. These unique ecosystems act as a link between dry...Effect of Elodea spp. on Fish Performance Mediated Through Food Web Interactions
The potential for invasive species introductions in Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems is growing as climate change manifests and human activity increases in high latitudes. - Data and More
- Multimedia
- News
- FAQ
The FAQs below are a sampling of USGS science on this topic and do not represent an exhaustive list.
What are the differences between endangered, threatened, imperiled, and at-risk species?
Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), plant and animal species may be listed as either endangered or threatened. “Endangered” means a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. “Threatened” means a species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. States have their own ESA-type laws, so species can have different Threatened...
What is an invasive species and why are they a problem?
An invasive species is an introduced, nonnative organism (disease, parasite, plant, or animal) that begins to spread or expand its range from the site of its original introduction and that has the potential to cause harm to the environment, the economy, or to human health. A few well-known examples include the unintentional introduction of the West Nile virus, chestnut blight, the South American...
How far has Chinese tallow spread in the United States?
Chinese tallow has been cultivated in nurseries and sold as an ornamental tree used for landscaping; however, it is now classified as a nuisance species in some locations and can no longer be sold. It has separate pollen and seed-bearing flowers, and seeds can be spread by birds and by moving water.Chinese tallow has spread from South Carolina all the way down to Florida, west into Texas, and has...
How do Chinese tallow's characteristics make it such an aggressive invader?
The invasive Chinese tallow tree has the ability to reach reproductive age in as little as 3 years and to remain productive for at least 60 years. It does not seem to have a preference for disturbed areas over undisturbed areas and can grow in a variety of places. It can also grow in both full sunlight and shade. It is more tolerant of salinity and flooding than quite a few other native species...
What is buffelgrass?
Buffelgrass is a perennial grass from Africa that is invasive to the Sonoran Desert of the Southwest United States, where it threatens desert ecosystems by out-competing native plants and altering fire regimes. It has the potential to transform the Sonoran Desert ecosystem from a diverse assemblage of plants to a grassland monoculture.Buffelgrass was brought to Arizona in the 1930s for erosion...
What is tamarisk?
Tamarisk is an invasive shrub or small tree that is found across the American West. Also known as saltcedar, tamarisk favors sites that are inhospitable to native streamside plants because of high salinity, low water availability, and altered streamflow regimes created by dams. Researchers debate the extent of tamarisk’s negative impacts, but this invasive species can and does alter habitat...
Does the loss of plant diversity affect the health of native bees?
Loss of plant diversity is the primary cause of native bee decline. About 30-50% of all native bees are highly specialized, so if the plant they rely on disappears, the bees go away. If the bees disappear, the plant is unable to reproduce and dies out. While some of the plants pollinated by native bees are important food crops, other plants pollinated by native bees are critical for healthy...
Do bees feed on both nectar and pollen?
Bees feed on and require both nectar and pollen. The nectar is for energy and the pollen provides protein and other nutrients. Most pollen is used by bees as larvae food, but bees also transfer it from plant-to-plant, providing the pollination services needed by plants and nature as a whole. Learn more: USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Program Bees of the Northeastern U.S.
What is the role of native bees in the United States?
About 75% of North American plant species require an insect—mostly bees—to move their pollen from one plant to another to effect pollination. Unlike the well-known behavior of the non-native honeybees, there is much that we don’t know about native bees. Many native bees are smaller in size than a grain of rice. Of approximately 4,000 native bee species in the United States, 10% have not been named...
Why are pollinating bats, birds, bees, butterflies, and other animals important?
Do you enjoy a hot cup of coffee, a juicy peach, an-apple-a-day, almonds, rich and creamy dates, a handful of plump cashews, or vine-ripened tomatoes? Do you enjoy seeing the native flowers and plants that surround you? If so, you depend on pollinators. Wherever flowering plants flourish, pollinating bees, birds, butterflies, bats and other animals are hard at work, providing vital but often...
Why are wetlands important?
Wetlands provide habitat for thousands of species of aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals. Wetlands are valuable for flood protection, water quality improvement, shoreline erosion control, natural products, recreation, and aesthetics. Wetlands are among the most productive habitats on earth providing shelter and nursery areas for commercially and recreationally important animals like fish...
What are wetlands?
Wetlands are transitional areas, sandwiched between permanently flooded deepwater environments and well-drained uplands, where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water. They include mangroves, marshes (salt, brackish, intermediate, and fresh), swamps, forested wetlands, bogs, wet prairies, prairie potholes, and vernal pools. In general terms...