A large strand of non-native prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) grows near a well pad in Dunn County, ND.
Todd Preston
I’m a physical scientist with the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center.
Research Interests
My research focuses on the use of remotely sensed imagery from unmanned aerial vehicles, manned aircraft, and satellites to advance understanding of wildlife populations and vegetation dynamics.
Science and Products
Science Team about Energy and Plains and Potholes Environments (STEPPE)
Brine Contamination to Plains and Potholes Environments from Energy Development in the Williston Basin
Restoring Montana Pothole Wetlands - Demonstration Sites and Adaptive Management
Geologic processes from the last ice age have generated extensive areas of pothole wetlands in several Montana landscapes. The Laurentide ice sheet, originating in the Northwest Territories, provided the dominant force in eastern Montana. Similar landscapes developed in the broad valleys of western Montana through the actions of the Cordilleran ice sheet, originating in the mountains of British...
Birds and the Bakken: Integration of oil well, land cover, and species distribution data to inform conservation in areas of energy development
The goal of this project was to develop a novel methodology to combine the USGS Gap Analysis Program (GAP) national land cover and species distribution data with disturbance data to describe and predict how disturbance affects biodiversity. Specifically, the project team presented a case study examining how energy development in the Williston Basin can affect grassland birds; however...
NOROCK's Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Program
Scientists at NOROCK are actively exploring the use of small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) for sensor testing and scientific data collection. We are using the same sUAS deployed by the US Department of Defense. These systems have proven their utility in reconnaissance missions and are now finding a second life in scientific research.
Summarization of National NEXRAD Data for use in Biological Applications
The U.S. network of 160 weather radars known as NEXRAD (NEXt generation RADar) is one of the largest and most comprehensive terrestrial sensor networks in the world. To date, the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) has archived about 2 petabytes data from this system. Although designed for meteorological applications, these radars readily detect the movements of birds, bats, and insects...
Invasives Williston
A large strand of non-native prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) grows near a well pad in Dunn County, ND.
Invasives Williston
A stand of field sow thistle (yellow flowers; Sonchus arvensis), Canada thistle (purple flowers; Cirsium arvense), and Kentucky bluegrass (grass; Poa pratensis), all of which are non-native and growing near an oil well pad in Mountrail County, ND.
A stand of field sow thistle (yellow flowers; Sonchus arvensis), Canada thistle (purple flowers; Cirsium arvense), and Kentucky bluegrass (grass; Poa pratensis), all of which are non-native and growing near an oil well pad in Mountrail County, ND.
Prairie Pothole Dragonfly
A dragonfly sits among prairie grasses at a USGS research site in the Williston Basin where scientists are looking at the impacts of oil well brine contamination on prairie pothole wetland communities.
A dragonfly sits among prairie grasses at a USGS research site in the Williston Basin where scientists are looking at the impacts of oil well brine contamination on prairie pothole wetland communities.
Science and Products
Science Team about Energy and Plains and Potholes Environments (STEPPE)
Brine Contamination to Plains and Potholes Environments from Energy Development in the Williston Basin
Restoring Montana Pothole Wetlands - Demonstration Sites and Adaptive Management
Geologic processes from the last ice age have generated extensive areas of pothole wetlands in several Montana landscapes. The Laurentide ice sheet, originating in the Northwest Territories, provided the dominant force in eastern Montana. Similar landscapes developed in the broad valleys of western Montana through the actions of the Cordilleran ice sheet, originating in the mountains of British...
Birds and the Bakken: Integration of oil well, land cover, and species distribution data to inform conservation in areas of energy development
The goal of this project was to develop a novel methodology to combine the USGS Gap Analysis Program (GAP) national land cover and species distribution data with disturbance data to describe and predict how disturbance affects biodiversity. Specifically, the project team presented a case study examining how energy development in the Williston Basin can affect grassland birds; however...
NOROCK's Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Program
Scientists at NOROCK are actively exploring the use of small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) for sensor testing and scientific data collection. We are using the same sUAS deployed by the US Department of Defense. These systems have proven their utility in reconnaissance missions and are now finding a second life in scientific research.
Summarization of National NEXRAD Data for use in Biological Applications
The U.S. network of 160 weather radars known as NEXRAD (NEXt generation RADar) is one of the largest and most comprehensive terrestrial sensor networks in the world. To date, the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) has archived about 2 petabytes data from this system. Although designed for meteorological applications, these radars readily detect the movements of birds, bats, and insects...
Invasives Williston
A large strand of non-native prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) grows near a well pad in Dunn County, ND.
A large strand of non-native prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) grows near a well pad in Dunn County, ND.
Invasives Williston
A stand of field sow thistle (yellow flowers; Sonchus arvensis), Canada thistle (purple flowers; Cirsium arvense), and Kentucky bluegrass (grass; Poa pratensis), all of which are non-native and growing near an oil well pad in Mountrail County, ND.
A stand of field sow thistle (yellow flowers; Sonchus arvensis), Canada thistle (purple flowers; Cirsium arvense), and Kentucky bluegrass (grass; Poa pratensis), all of which are non-native and growing near an oil well pad in Mountrail County, ND.
Prairie Pothole Dragonfly
A dragonfly sits among prairie grasses at a USGS research site in the Williston Basin where scientists are looking at the impacts of oil well brine contamination on prairie pothole wetland communities.
A dragonfly sits among prairie grasses at a USGS research site in the Williston Basin where scientists are looking at the impacts of oil well brine contamination on prairie pothole wetland communities.