USGS EcoNews - Vol. 4 | Issue 1
We hope you enjoy this edition of EcoNews - the quarterly newsletter published by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area. In this issue we highlight USGS science that is helping bridge natural resource management solutions to pressing cultural, social, and economic issues across the Nation.
New USGS Study Offers Roadmap to the Economics of Chronic Wasting Disease
The cost of chronic wasting disease as it continues to spread isn't just measured in loss of deer and elk lives, it's also measured by the money people spend--or lose--dealing with it. Exactly how much money this fatal disease costs on a national scale was unclear until a recent USGS study tallied the numbers.
CASC Science Featured in White House Indigenous Knowledge Guidance Report
The White House recently released guidance for Federal departments and agencies on incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into federal research and decision making that included examples from CASC-supported research collaborations with Tribes on the Tribal Climate Adaptation Menu and cultural burning.
Research to Inform Planning and Implementation of Nature-based Solutions
A brief overview of some of the research by the program that helps support nature-based solutions to climate change.
Avian Influenza Prevalence Correlated to Mercury Concentrations in Wild Waterfowl
Low pathogenic avian influenza infections were directly correlated with blood mercury concentrations in wild waterfowl, indicating that mercury exposure may be related to pathogen susceptibility. Further study is needed to determine if and how mercury and other environmental contaminant exposures may affect disease susceptibility in wildlife.
Climate change and pesticides imperil a once common pollinator
BOZEMAN, Mont. — The western bumble bee was once common in western North America, but increasing temperatures, drought, and pesticide use have contributed to a 57% decline in the occurrence of this species in its historical range, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey-led study.
Population declines in Alaska beluga whale population may be linked to low birth and survival rates
Researchers studied over a decade of photographic records of individual whales and determined that belugas in Alaska's Cook Inlet have relatively low rates of birth and survival, which are both likely contributing to the population’s decline.
USGS Launches Wildland Fire Trends Tool
Answers to questions such as "Where are wildfires burning?" and "Are wildfires burning more area over time?" can inform fire management and help people understand how fire activity is changing across the landscape and over time. Although wildland fire data are publicly available, these data are often unusable to those without specific expertise.
R/V Pelican Research Cruise with Dr. Julie Richey and Caitlin Reynolds from the Climate R&D Program
Dive into what it is like aboard a scientific research vessel in the Gulf of Mexico with Dr. Ariana Sutton-Grier. A very special thank you to Dr. Julie Richey and Caitlin Reynolds for their invitation to join their research trip and their assistance with this story.
Better Science Through More Diverse Science
North Central CASC Deputy Director spoke on the importance of increasing diversity in science to find creative and innovative solutions to today’s climate science challenges while at the 2022 American Geophysical Union conference.
From Saguaros to Submarines: 10 incredible stories about Earth’s ecosystems you might have missed in 2022
As 2022 wraps up, we’re looking back on the amazing work of USGS scientists, in an attempt to create a Top 10 list. But with so much exciting science at the USGS, it became apparent right away that picking the top ten “best” stories of the year would be impossible. For every project we’ve already highlighted, so many more haven’t gotten attention. There’s simply so much science and so little time!
World's Longest Mule Deer Migration: Red Desert to Hoback
In 2016, researchers in Wyoming discovered the world's longest migration of mule deer. A doe fitted with a GPS tracking collar migrated 242 miles one way. She is known as Deer 255. Each summer, she lives in the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, but travels far into Wyoming's sagebrush sea and high desert ecosystem for winter.
Webinar Series - Friday's Findings
Friday's Findings is a public webinar series hosted by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area. These half hour webinars are meant to provide listeners an overview of the science topic and chance to ask questions. We hope to offer our audience an opportunity to discover the Ecosystems science capacity within the USGS.