The Southwest Biological Science Center:
Providing Unbiased Actionable Science & Information to Support Natural Resource Management Needs of the U.S. & Department of the Interior Priorities
Providing Unbiased Actionable Science & Information to Support Natural Resource Management Needs of the U.S. & Department of the Interior Priorities
Early detection of aquatic threats
eDNA research in the Colorado River ecosystem & Lake Powell
eDNA research in the Colorado River ecosystem & Lake Powell
Supporting energy and mineral development through successful reclamation
Science in Service: How USGS monitoring helps the US Navy sustain a rare species
A new app to report flash floods and debris flows in Grand Canyon
New backcountry alert system for the Grand Canyon
Visitors can subscribe to the alert system using satellite communication devices
Visitors can subscribe to the alert system using satellite communication devices
The Southwest Fire Innovation Landscape Network
Advanced tools for fuel monitoring and assessment of wildfire risk
Advanced tools for fuel monitoring and assessment of wildfire risk
Southwest Biological Science Center
The SBSC provides sound science, specialized expertise, and objective and timely tools to Federal and State agencies and the public to inform land management decision-making, and support thriving landscapes for the Southwest’s abundant natural resources and vast public lands. This research assists those who manage, conserve, and rehabilitate rivers and arid regions of the nation.
Dryland Ecology and Management Support: our Terrestrial Drylands Ecology branch
Dryland Ecology and Management Support: our Terrestrial Drylands Ecology branch
SBSC conducts research in terrestrial drylands to deliver information that aids land & wildlife management to promote productive ecosystems. Our work provides tools used to mitigate impacts of drought, wildfire, and invasive species, as well as science that supports Department of the Interior economic and cultural activities including recreation and ranching.
Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center & Lake Powell research: our River Ecosystems branch
Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center & Lake Powell research: our River Ecosystems branch
The SBSC Rivers branch, which includes the Grand Canyon Monitoring & Research Center, studies the biology, ecology, and processes of rivers, primarily in the SW. We provide the public and decision makers with relevant scientific information about the status and trends of natural, cultural, and recreational resources of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, and Lake Powell.
Quick Links
Quick Links
- Learn how SBSC supports DOI priorities
- GCMRC-specific publications: A resource for GCDAMP stakeholders
- SBSC initiatives support ecosystems & economies on the Colorado Plateau
- Restoration Assessment & Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS)
- The Southwest Repeat Photography Collection
- Our Staff Directory
News
Tree rings provide an important multi-century context for the current wildfire crisis
Tree rings provide an important multi-century context for the current wildfire crisis
Amphibian Week with USGS: Science for Healthy Habitats
Amphibian Week with USGS: Science for Healthy Habitats
Art of Inquiry: Celebrating a semester of Art & Science at the Flagstaff Stemmy Awards
Art of Inquiry: Celebrating a semester of Art & Science at the Flagstaff Stemmy Awards
Publications
Ecovoltaic solar energy development creates novel microclimate, temperature, and soil moisture patterns under solar panels in a warm desert Ecovoltaic solar energy development creates novel microclimate, temperature, and soil moisture patterns under solar panels in a warm desert
Background: As solar energy development expands in desert regions, new installation practices and solar technologies seek to balance ecosystem conservation and energy generation (ecovoltaics). The Gemini Solar Project, a large ecovoltaic facility located in the northeastern Mojave Desert, employed low impact installation methods to reduce disturbance of the desert ecosystem within arrays...
Understanding the links between functional performance and environment in cold desert ecosystems through the flagship biocrust forming moss Syntrichia caninervis Understanding the links between functional performance and environment in cold desert ecosystems through the flagship biocrust forming moss Syntrichia caninervis
Background and aims Biocrust communities shape the soil surface in drylands, regulating important ecosystem properties. Despite this, few works address key functional attributes in these poikilohydric photosynthetic communities, including the length of metabolic activity in the field and its relationship with microclimate. We aim to disentangle the links between functional performance of...
Summertime methane and carbon dioxide emission rates and associated variables from a national-scale survey of 146 reservoirs in the United States Summertime methane and carbon dioxide emission rates and associated variables from a national-scale survey of 146 reservoirs in the United States
Reservoirs are globally important sources of greenhouse gases, but the magnitude of their emissions is highly uncertain. Here we present data for 146 reservoirs from two surveys of reservoir methane and carbon dioxide emissions, one at the regional scale in the midwestern United States and one at the national scale in the conterminous United States, plus data from one reservoir in...
Science
Copper mining, critical minerals, and long-term drought in the Southwest United States
Long-term drought in the Southwest U.S. affects water use across many sectors as well as the natural environment. The Southwest U.S. is an important area for mining porphyry copper deposits, which consist of copper minerals disseminated in breccia, a type of rock composed of coarse rock fragments held together by cement or a fine-grained matrix, that are the World's largest source of copper...
Enhancing Rangeland Recovery by Forecasting Seed Establishment
This project is synthesizing information about plant establishment and building a tool to deliver forecasts of restoration success, helping to maximize the chances that restoration efforts will be successful.
New Tools for Modern Land Management Decisions
In an era of rapid land use changes, it is imperative that land managers and policymakers have actionable and current information available for decision processes. In this work, we seek to meet these needs through new data products and decision support tools built on digital soil mapping, new vegetation cover maps, agency inventory and monitoring data sets, and cutting-edge analytical frameworks...