Bebbia juncea, a native plant growing in western Grand Canyon
Bebbia juncea, a native plant growing in western Grand CanyonBebbia juncea, a native plant growing in western Grand Canyon. Photo by Emily Palmquist, USGS.
Plants
Species We Study: Native Plants
Securing the Nation's Need for Native Seed
Trees in cities are beyond shady
The science that transformed a dry streambed in an oasis
Plant Detectives
A portable lab speeds the detection of pathogens responsible for disease affecting a keystone tree species in Hawai’i.
A portable lab speeds the detection of pathogens responsible for disease affecting a keystone tree species in Hawai’i.
Sagebrush Habitat
The sagebrush ecosystem faces major challenges including an increasing risk of wildfire and invasive grasses. USGS is a leader in sagebrush ecosystem research to meet the priority science needs of management agencies.
The sagebrush ecosystem faces major challenges including an increasing risk of wildfire and invasive grasses. USGS is a leader in sagebrush ecosystem research to meet the priority science needs of management agencies.
U.S. Register of Introduced & Invasive Species
The USGS developed a national inventory for non-native and invasive species currently established within all 50 states.
The USGS developed a national inventory for non-native and invasive species currently established within all 50 states.
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.
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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
Media
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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
Media
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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:
Media
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.
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Media
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.
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Media
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.
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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:
Media
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.
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Media
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.
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Media
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.
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Science
Fostering greater use of habitat models for managing rare and invasive plants on public lands
Habitat models can provide critical information on the current and potential distribution of plant species, as well as help target and support conservation efforts. Despite their potential utility in public land management, model use may be constrained by a variety of factors including staff access to and trust in models. In this project, we seek to bring together model users and model developers...
Riparian Vegetation in Grand Canyon: An Overview
Riparian plant communities, associated with rivers and streams, are ecologically and culturally important areas in the southwestern U.S. Despite covering less than 2% of the land area in the southwest, the resources provided by these communities make them valuable to wildlife, the public, scientists, and resource managers.
Spatiotemporal conditions of vegetation and invasive plant species on mine lands.
To support the Department of Interior's bureaus, states, and local communities, we are developing 1) a document highlighting remote sensing approaches that can be leveraged for site prioritization, recovery design, and long-term assessments of recovery trends, and 2) data products of vegetation conditions, change, recovery potential, and risk of exotic plant invasion on mine lands. We will...
Invasive Phragmites Science: Using Microbial Interactions to Foster the Restoration of Great Lakes Wetlands
The USGS is developing innovative Phragmites control measures to keep this rapidly spreading invasive plant from further expanding its range into new wetland habitats and to aid in the development of successful restoration strategies. Scientists are conducting studies and field tests to determine (1) if microbes (i.e., fungi and bacteria) that live within and around Phragmites are enabling the...
Multimedia
Bebbia juncea, a native plant growing in western Grand Canyon
Bebbia juncea, a native plant growing in western Grand Canyon
Bebbia juncea, a native plant growing in western Grand CanyonBebbia juncea, a native plant growing in western Grand Canyon. Photo by Emily Palmquist, USGS.
Plant Metrics
USGS wetland scientists (GLSC; Ann Arbor, Michigan) collecting plant growth data during an invasive Phragmites australis control experiment. Photo credit: Spenser Widin, USGS.
USGS wetland scientists (GLSC; Ann Arbor, Michigan) collecting plant growth data during an invasive Phragmites australis control experiment. Photo credit: Spenser Widin, USGS.
USGS Director David Applegate and Others Learn About Invasive Phragmites australis
USGS Director David Applegate and Others Learn About Invasive Phragmites australisUSGS Director David Applegate along with Associate Director Anne Kinsinger and Dr. Kurt Kowalski listen to Dr. Wes Bickford describe invasive Phragmites australis and the research being done at the Great Lakes Science Center to control it. Photo Credit: Josh Miller (USGS)
USGS Director David Applegate and Others Learn About Invasive Phragmites australis
USGS Director David Applegate and Others Learn About Invasive Phragmites australisUSGS Director David Applegate along with Associate Director Anne Kinsinger and Dr. Kurt Kowalski listen to Dr. Wes Bickford describe invasive Phragmites australis and the research being done at the Great Lakes Science Center to control it. Photo Credit: Josh Miller (USGS)
Planting the pollinator garden at the Conte Lab
Sam Droege (fore) arrived from Patuxent with plants for the Conte Lab's new pollinator garden. Sam Parker (back) assists with the planting.
Sam Droege (fore) arrived from Patuxent with plants for the Conte Lab's new pollinator garden. Sam Parker (back) assists with the planting.
American Beachgrass Planted on a beach in Aquinnah, Massachusetts
American Beachgrass Planted on a beach in Aquinnah, MassachusettsAmerican Beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata) is planted on a beach in the town of Aquinnah on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts for stabilization.
American Beachgrass Planted on a beach in Aquinnah, Massachusetts
American Beachgrass Planted on a beach in Aquinnah, MassachusettsAmerican Beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata) is planted on a beach in the town of Aquinnah on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts for stabilization.
Saguaro flowering, Tucson, AZ
A saguaro flowering in the desert near Tucson, AZ. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS, SBSC. Taken in spring, 2022.
A saguaro flowering in the desert near Tucson, AZ. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS, SBSC. Taken in spring, 2022.
Saguaro flowers with a bee, near Tucson, AZ
A bee visits a saguaro flower near Tucson in Saguaro National Park, southern Arizona. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
A bee visits a saguaro flower near Tucson in Saguaro National Park, southern Arizona. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
Biological Carbon Sequestration
Biological carbon sequestration is the natural ability of life and ecosystems to store carbon. Forests, peat marshes, and coastal wetlands are particularly good as storing carbon. Carbon can be stored in plant tissue, such as long-lived tree bark or in extensive root systems. Microbes break down plant and animal tissue through decomposition.
Biological carbon sequestration is the natural ability of life and ecosystems to store carbon. Forests, peat marshes, and coastal wetlands are particularly good as storing carbon. Carbon can be stored in plant tissue, such as long-lived tree bark or in extensive root systems. Microbes break down plant and animal tissue through decomposition.
Basic overview of the nitrogen cycle
A basic overview of the nitrogen cycle. Red arrows represent the portions of the nitrogen cycle (decomposition and nitrification) that are performed by our laboratory’s microbial culture.
A basic overview of the nitrogen cycle. Red arrows represent the portions of the nitrogen cycle (decomposition and nitrification) that are performed by our laboratory’s microbial culture.
The science items below are a sample of USGS science on plants and do not represent a complete list.
Filter Total Items: 16
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.
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.
The multimedia items below are a sample of USGS media on plants and do not represent a complete list.
Filter Total Items: 68
Eyes on Earth Episode 12 – Plant Health via Satellite (NDVI)
Eyes on Earth Episode 12 – Plant Health via Satellite (NDVI)A farmer at the foot of a corn stalk can tell how well the plant is faring. That same farmer might survey his entire field for crop health. But assessing the health of crops or forests at regional, national, and international scales requires remote sensing, most often via satellite.
Eyes on Earth Episode 12 – Plant Health via Satellite (NDVI)
Eyes on Earth Episode 12 – Plant Health via Satellite (NDVI)A farmer at the foot of a corn stalk can tell how well the plant is faring. That same farmer might survey his entire field for crop health. But assessing the health of crops or forests at regional, national, and international scales requires remote sensing, most often via satellite.
The distribution of water on, in, and above the Earth
The distribution of water on, in, and above the EarthThe World's Water - Distribution of Earth's Water
The distribution of water on, in, and above the Earth
The distribution of water on, in, and above the EarthThe World's Water - Distribution of Earth's Water
A great white heron standing atop the mangrove roots in Florida
A great white heron standing atop the mangrove roots in FloridaA great white heron standing atop the mangrove roots of Boggy Key, in the upper Florida Keys. This heron has a limited range, which includes the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park. It is rarely seen outside of these areas.
A great white heron standing atop the mangrove roots in Florida
A great white heron standing atop the mangrove roots in FloridaA great white heron standing atop the mangrove roots of Boggy Key, in the upper Florida Keys. This heron has a limited range, which includes the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park. It is rarely seen outside of these areas.
North Rim Grand Canyon conifer forest
Conifers, incluing ponderosa pines, can be seen along the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
Conifers, incluing ponderosa pines, can be seen along the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
The Invasive Tamarisk Plant
While the lavendar color of the Tamarisk plant is nice to see, the plant is actually an invasive species. The Tamarisk Beatle was released in 2005 to combat the spread of the plant and has been quite successful in doing so.
While the lavendar color of the Tamarisk plant is nice to see, the plant is actually an invasive species. The Tamarisk Beatle was released in 2005 to combat the spread of the plant and has been quite successful in doing so.
Bee pollinating a flowering coastal prairie plant - WARC
Bee pollinating a flowering coastal prairie plant - WARCBee pollinating a flowering coastal prairie plant
Bee pollinating a flowering coastal prairie plant - WARC
Bee pollinating a flowering coastal prairie plant - WARCBee pollinating a flowering coastal prairie plant
USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field planted for pollinators
USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field planted for pollinatorsUSDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field planted for pollinators
USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field planted for pollinators
USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field planted for pollinatorsUSDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field planted for pollinators
Snowy conifers in the Sierra Nevada
Snowy conifers in the Sierra Nevada
Conifer encroachment
Conifers in sagebrush ecosystem, in the Bi-State area between California and Nevada.
Conifers in sagebrush ecosystem, in the Bi-State area between California and Nevada.
Monarch on hairy puccoon
A monarch butterfly on a hairy puccoon plant.
A monarch butterfly on a hairy puccoon plant.
Monarch on Joe Pyeweed plant
Monarch butterfly on a Joe Pyeweed plant.
Monarch butterfly on a Joe Pyeweed plant.
Bare Ground = Blowing Dust
Across the desert Southwest, ground void of plant material is prone to soil erosoin and dust storms. In this fallowed agricultural field, we see that a spring breeze can carry away fertile top soil and create air quality concerns.
Across the desert Southwest, ground void of plant material is prone to soil erosoin and dust storms. In this fallowed agricultural field, we see that a spring breeze can carry away fertile top soil and create air quality concerns.
Honey bee pollination of coffee plants
Researcher swabs the body of a honeybee with fuschin gel to later use to identify the pollen particles on the bee's body and determine what plants the bee visited.
Researcher swabs the body of a honeybee with fuschin gel to later use to identify the pollen particles on the bee's body and determine what plants the bee visited.
A Close-Up Photo of Sagebrush
Sagebrush-steppe landscapes have changed in fundamental ways over the past 100 years.
Sagebrush-steppe landscapes have changed in fundamental ways over the past 100 years.
Invasive water primrose
Invasive water primrose (Ludwigia species) and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) line the marsh edge in Mandeville Cut near the Port of Stockton, California’s third largest port. Invasive aquatic vegetation – dominated by Brazilian waterweed, water hyacinth, and water primrose – has increased exponentially in recent years, cloggi
Invasive water primrose (Ludwigia species) and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) line the marsh edge in Mandeville Cut near the Port of Stockton, California’s third largest port. Invasive aquatic vegetation – dominated by Brazilian waterweed, water hyacinth, and water primrose – has increased exponentially in recent years, cloggi
Native and invasive plants in desert southwest.
Native and invasive plants in desert southwest.
Native and invasive plants in desert southwest.
Riparian planting in the Powell River watershed in Lee County, VA
Riparian planting in the Powell River watershed in Lee County, VAThis is from an economic restoration project. Riparian planting in the Powell River watershed in Lee County, Virginia. Part of the Lone Mountain NRDAR restoration.
Riparian planting in the Powell River watershed in Lee County, VA
Riparian planting in the Powell River watershed in Lee County, VAThis is from an economic restoration project. Riparian planting in the Powell River watershed in Lee County, Virginia. Part of the Lone Mountain NRDAR restoration.
American pika eating plants.
American pika eating plants.
Nitrogen Cycle
Figure 1. Nitrogen cycles continuously between the atmosphere, soil, and organisms. Nitrogen in the atmosphere and nitrogenous compounds in the soil are converted into substances that can be used by plants before being returned to the air and soil.
Figure 1. Nitrogen cycles continuously between the atmosphere, soil, and organisms. Nitrogen in the atmosphere and nitrogenous compounds in the soil are converted into substances that can be used by plants before being returned to the air and soil.
Plants Vulnerability to Nitrogen Depends on Where They Grow
Plants Vulnerability to Nitrogen Depends on Where They GrowA subalpine meadow on Niwot Ridge, Colorado, displaying a rich diversity of plants.
Plants Vulnerability to Nitrogen Depends on Where They Grow
Plants Vulnerability to Nitrogen Depends on Where They GrowA subalpine meadow on Niwot Ridge, Colorado, displaying a rich diversity of plants.
Koa trees with grass understory
Koa (Acacia koa) trees with grass understory at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hawai‘i. Koa trees have been planted as part of habitat restoration efforts on the Refuge.
Koa (Acacia koa) trees with grass understory at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hawai‘i. Koa trees have been planted as part of habitat restoration efforts on the Refuge.
The FAQs below are a sample of USGS science on plants and do not represent a complete list.
What is the Brown Marsh phenomenon? What is the Brown Marsh phenomenon?
Sudden marsh dieback events are not uncommon and have occurred in coastal marshes from the Gulf of Mexico to Maine. Brown Marsh is a term given to the unusually rapid and extensive browning of Louisiana’s saltwater marsh grass Spartina alterniflora, commonly known as oyster grass or smooth cordgrass. One of the most severe events occurred in 2000, when over 100,000 hectares (ha) of salt marsh were...
What is cheatgrass and how is it harmful? What is cheatgrass and how is it harmful?
Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) originated in Europe or Eurasia and was introduced to the U.S. in the mid- to late-1800s as a contaminant in seed and straw. It germinates in the fall and early spring, and grows rapidly and in high numbers, making it highly competitive with native species. Cheatgrass is also disrupting the fire cycle in sage habitat and other Western ecosystems, leading to more...
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.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media 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
Media
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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
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
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:
Media
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.
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Media
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.
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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.
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Science
Fostering greater use of habitat models for managing rare and invasive plants on public lands
Habitat models can provide critical information on the current and potential distribution of plant species, as well as help target and support conservation efforts. Despite their potential utility in public land management, model use may be constrained by a variety of factors including staff access to and trust in models. In this project, we seek to bring together model users and model developers...
Riparian Vegetation in Grand Canyon: An Overview
Riparian plant communities, associated with rivers and streams, are ecologically and culturally important areas in the southwestern U.S. Despite covering less than 2% of the land area in the southwest, the resources provided by these communities make them valuable to wildlife, the public, scientists, and resource managers.
Spatiotemporal conditions of vegetation and invasive plant species on mine lands.
To support the Department of Interior's bureaus, states, and local communities, we are developing 1) a document highlighting remote sensing approaches that can be leveraged for site prioritization, recovery design, and long-term assessments of recovery trends, and 2) data products of vegetation conditions, change, recovery potential, and risk of exotic plant invasion on mine lands. We will...
Invasive Phragmites Science: Using Microbial Interactions to Foster the Restoration of Great Lakes Wetlands
The USGS is developing innovative Phragmites control measures to keep this rapidly spreading invasive plant from further expanding its range into new wetland habitats and to aid in the development of successful restoration strategies. Scientists are conducting studies and field tests to determine (1) if microbes (i.e., fungi and bacteria) that live within and around Phragmites are enabling the...
Multimedia
Bebbia juncea, a native plant growing in western Grand Canyon
Bebbia juncea, a native plant growing in western Grand CanyonBebbia juncea, a native plant growing in western Grand Canyon. Photo by Emily Palmquist, USGS.
Bebbia juncea, a native plant growing in western Grand Canyon
Bebbia juncea, a native plant growing in western Grand CanyonBebbia juncea, a native plant growing in western Grand Canyon. Photo by Emily Palmquist, USGS.
Plant Metrics
USGS wetland scientists (GLSC; Ann Arbor, Michigan) collecting plant growth data during an invasive Phragmites australis control experiment. Photo credit: Spenser Widin, USGS.
USGS wetland scientists (GLSC; Ann Arbor, Michigan) collecting plant growth data during an invasive Phragmites australis control experiment. Photo credit: Spenser Widin, USGS.
USGS Director David Applegate and Others Learn About Invasive Phragmites australis
USGS Director David Applegate and Others Learn About Invasive Phragmites australisUSGS Director David Applegate along with Associate Director Anne Kinsinger and Dr. Kurt Kowalski listen to Dr. Wes Bickford describe invasive Phragmites australis and the research being done at the Great Lakes Science Center to control it. Photo Credit: Josh Miller (USGS)
USGS Director David Applegate and Others Learn About Invasive Phragmites australis
USGS Director David Applegate and Others Learn About Invasive Phragmites australisUSGS Director David Applegate along with Associate Director Anne Kinsinger and Dr. Kurt Kowalski listen to Dr. Wes Bickford describe invasive Phragmites australis and the research being done at the Great Lakes Science Center to control it. Photo Credit: Josh Miller (USGS)
Planting the pollinator garden at the Conte Lab
Sam Droege (fore) arrived from Patuxent with plants for the Conte Lab's new pollinator garden. Sam Parker (back) assists with the planting.
Sam Droege (fore) arrived from Patuxent with plants for the Conte Lab's new pollinator garden. Sam Parker (back) assists with the planting.
American Beachgrass Planted on a beach in Aquinnah, Massachusetts
American Beachgrass Planted on a beach in Aquinnah, MassachusettsAmerican Beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata) is planted on a beach in the town of Aquinnah on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts for stabilization.
American Beachgrass Planted on a beach in Aquinnah, Massachusetts
American Beachgrass Planted on a beach in Aquinnah, MassachusettsAmerican Beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata) is planted on a beach in the town of Aquinnah on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts for stabilization.
Saguaro flowering, Tucson, AZ
A saguaro flowering in the desert near Tucson, AZ. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS, SBSC. Taken in spring, 2022.
A saguaro flowering in the desert near Tucson, AZ. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS, SBSC. Taken in spring, 2022.
Saguaro flowers with a bee, near Tucson, AZ
A bee visits a saguaro flower near Tucson in Saguaro National Park, southern Arizona. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
A bee visits a saguaro flower near Tucson in Saguaro National Park, southern Arizona. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
Biological Carbon Sequestration
Biological carbon sequestration is the natural ability of life and ecosystems to store carbon. Forests, peat marshes, and coastal wetlands are particularly good as storing carbon. Carbon can be stored in plant tissue, such as long-lived tree bark or in extensive root systems. Microbes break down plant and animal tissue through decomposition.
Biological carbon sequestration is the natural ability of life and ecosystems to store carbon. Forests, peat marshes, and coastal wetlands are particularly good as storing carbon. Carbon can be stored in plant tissue, such as long-lived tree bark or in extensive root systems. Microbes break down plant and animal tissue through decomposition.
Basic overview of the nitrogen cycle
A basic overview of the nitrogen cycle. Red arrows represent the portions of the nitrogen cycle (decomposition and nitrification) that are performed by our laboratory’s microbial culture.
A basic overview of the nitrogen cycle. Red arrows represent the portions of the nitrogen cycle (decomposition and nitrification) that are performed by our laboratory’s microbial culture.
The science items below are a sample of USGS science on plants and do not represent a complete list.
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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.
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.
The multimedia items below are a sample of USGS media on plants and do not represent a complete list.
Filter Total Items: 68
Eyes on Earth Episode 12 – Plant Health via Satellite (NDVI)
Eyes on Earth Episode 12 – Plant Health via Satellite (NDVI)A farmer at the foot of a corn stalk can tell how well the plant is faring. That same farmer might survey his entire field for crop health. But assessing the health of crops or forests at regional, national, and international scales requires remote sensing, most often via satellite.
Eyes on Earth Episode 12 – Plant Health via Satellite (NDVI)
Eyes on Earth Episode 12 – Plant Health via Satellite (NDVI)A farmer at the foot of a corn stalk can tell how well the plant is faring. That same farmer might survey his entire field for crop health. But assessing the health of crops or forests at regional, national, and international scales requires remote sensing, most often via satellite.
The distribution of water on, in, and above the Earth
The distribution of water on, in, and above the EarthThe World's Water - Distribution of Earth's Water
The distribution of water on, in, and above the Earth
The distribution of water on, in, and above the EarthThe World's Water - Distribution of Earth's Water
A great white heron standing atop the mangrove roots in Florida
A great white heron standing atop the mangrove roots in FloridaA great white heron standing atop the mangrove roots of Boggy Key, in the upper Florida Keys. This heron has a limited range, which includes the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park. It is rarely seen outside of these areas.
A great white heron standing atop the mangrove roots in Florida
A great white heron standing atop the mangrove roots in FloridaA great white heron standing atop the mangrove roots of Boggy Key, in the upper Florida Keys. This heron has a limited range, which includes the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park. It is rarely seen outside of these areas.
North Rim Grand Canyon conifer forest
Conifers, incluing ponderosa pines, can be seen along the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
Conifers, incluing ponderosa pines, can be seen along the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
The Invasive Tamarisk Plant
While the lavendar color of the Tamarisk plant is nice to see, the plant is actually an invasive species. The Tamarisk Beatle was released in 2005 to combat the spread of the plant and has been quite successful in doing so.
While the lavendar color of the Tamarisk plant is nice to see, the plant is actually an invasive species. The Tamarisk Beatle was released in 2005 to combat the spread of the plant and has been quite successful in doing so.
Bee pollinating a flowering coastal prairie plant - WARC
Bee pollinating a flowering coastal prairie plant - WARCBee pollinating a flowering coastal prairie plant
Bee pollinating a flowering coastal prairie plant - WARC
Bee pollinating a flowering coastal prairie plant - WARCBee pollinating a flowering coastal prairie plant
USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field planted for pollinators
USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field planted for pollinatorsUSDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field planted for pollinators
USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field planted for pollinators
USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field planted for pollinatorsUSDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field planted for pollinators
Snowy conifers in the Sierra Nevada
Snowy conifers in the Sierra Nevada
Conifer encroachment
Conifers in sagebrush ecosystem, in the Bi-State area between California and Nevada.
Conifers in sagebrush ecosystem, in the Bi-State area between California and Nevada.
Monarch on hairy puccoon
A monarch butterfly on a hairy puccoon plant.
A monarch butterfly on a hairy puccoon plant.
Monarch on Joe Pyeweed plant
Monarch butterfly on a Joe Pyeweed plant.
Monarch butterfly on a Joe Pyeweed plant.
Bare Ground = Blowing Dust
Across the desert Southwest, ground void of plant material is prone to soil erosoin and dust storms. In this fallowed agricultural field, we see that a spring breeze can carry away fertile top soil and create air quality concerns.
Across the desert Southwest, ground void of plant material is prone to soil erosoin and dust storms. In this fallowed agricultural field, we see that a spring breeze can carry away fertile top soil and create air quality concerns.
Honey bee pollination of coffee plants
Researcher swabs the body of a honeybee with fuschin gel to later use to identify the pollen particles on the bee's body and determine what plants the bee visited.
Researcher swabs the body of a honeybee with fuschin gel to later use to identify the pollen particles on the bee's body and determine what plants the bee visited.
A Close-Up Photo of Sagebrush
Sagebrush-steppe landscapes have changed in fundamental ways over the past 100 years.
Sagebrush-steppe landscapes have changed in fundamental ways over the past 100 years.
Invasive water primrose
Invasive water primrose (Ludwigia species) and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) line the marsh edge in Mandeville Cut near the Port of Stockton, California’s third largest port. Invasive aquatic vegetation – dominated by Brazilian waterweed, water hyacinth, and water primrose – has increased exponentially in recent years, cloggi
Invasive water primrose (Ludwigia species) and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) line the marsh edge in Mandeville Cut near the Port of Stockton, California’s third largest port. Invasive aquatic vegetation – dominated by Brazilian waterweed, water hyacinth, and water primrose – has increased exponentially in recent years, cloggi
Native and invasive plants in desert southwest.
Native and invasive plants in desert southwest.
Native and invasive plants in desert southwest.
Riparian planting in the Powell River watershed in Lee County, VA
Riparian planting in the Powell River watershed in Lee County, VAThis is from an economic restoration project. Riparian planting in the Powell River watershed in Lee County, Virginia. Part of the Lone Mountain NRDAR restoration.
Riparian planting in the Powell River watershed in Lee County, VA
Riparian planting in the Powell River watershed in Lee County, VAThis is from an economic restoration project. Riparian planting in the Powell River watershed in Lee County, Virginia. Part of the Lone Mountain NRDAR restoration.
American pika eating plants.
American pika eating plants.
Nitrogen Cycle
Figure 1. Nitrogen cycles continuously between the atmosphere, soil, and organisms. Nitrogen in the atmosphere and nitrogenous compounds in the soil are converted into substances that can be used by plants before being returned to the air and soil.
Figure 1. Nitrogen cycles continuously between the atmosphere, soil, and organisms. Nitrogen in the atmosphere and nitrogenous compounds in the soil are converted into substances that can be used by plants before being returned to the air and soil.
Plants Vulnerability to Nitrogen Depends on Where They Grow
Plants Vulnerability to Nitrogen Depends on Where They GrowA subalpine meadow on Niwot Ridge, Colorado, displaying a rich diversity of plants.
Plants Vulnerability to Nitrogen Depends on Where They Grow
Plants Vulnerability to Nitrogen Depends on Where They GrowA subalpine meadow on Niwot Ridge, Colorado, displaying a rich diversity of plants.
Koa trees with grass understory
Koa (Acacia koa) trees with grass understory at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hawai‘i. Koa trees have been planted as part of habitat restoration efforts on the Refuge.
Koa (Acacia koa) trees with grass understory at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hawai‘i. Koa trees have been planted as part of habitat restoration efforts on the Refuge.
The FAQs below are a sample of USGS science on plants and do not represent a complete list.
What is the Brown Marsh phenomenon? What is the Brown Marsh phenomenon?
Sudden marsh dieback events are not uncommon and have occurred in coastal marshes from the Gulf of Mexico to Maine. Brown Marsh is a term given to the unusually rapid and extensive browning of Louisiana’s saltwater marsh grass Spartina alterniflora, commonly known as oyster grass or smooth cordgrass. One of the most severe events occurred in 2000, when over 100,000 hectares (ha) of salt marsh were...
What is cheatgrass and how is it harmful? What is cheatgrass and how is it harmful?
Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) originated in Europe or Eurasia and was introduced to the U.S. in the mid- to late-1800s as a contaminant in seed and straw. It germinates in the fall and early spring, and grows rapidly and in high numbers, making it highly competitive with native species. Cheatgrass is also disrupting the fire cycle in sage habitat and other Western ecosystems, leading to more...