Priority Landscapes: Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation
Approximately 35% of the US and ~82% of DOI lands are “drylands” and found throughout the Western US. The Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation PES conducts research to inform the restoration of drylands impacted by energy exploration and development. These arid and semi-arid lands have unique soil and plant communities that are resistant to decadal fluctuations in precipitation and temperatures. However, because they are relatively resource-limited they are not very resilient and small perturbations often have large and long-term ecological effects. Very few anthropogenic impacts in a dryland are temporary. These lands also contain oil, gas, oil shale, shale oil, and tar sand deposits and the exploration for and extraction of these resources has resulted in hundreds of thousands of abandoned and current wells across the West.
Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation Research
Explore our research using the data below.
Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation publications is available from the button below.
The biggest bang for the buck: Cost‐effective vegetation treatment outcomes across drylands of the western United States
Ultra‐high‐resolution mapping of biocrusts with Unmanned Aerial Systems
The pervasive and multifaceted influence of biocrusts on water in the world’s drylands
Seasonal and individual event-responsiveness are key determinants of carbon exchange across plant functional types
RestoreNet: An emerging restoration network reveals controls on seeding success across dryland ecosystems
What could explain δ13C signatures in biocrust cyanobacteria of drylands?
Biological soil crusts in ecological restoration: Emerging research and perspectives
Robust ecological drought projections for drylands in the 21st century
Unexpected hybridization reveals the utility of genetics in native plant restoration
Multiple mechanisms determine the effect of warming on plant litter decomposition in a dryland
Characterizing land surface phenology and exotic annual grasses in dryland ecosystems using Landsat and Sentinel-2 data in harmony
Approximately 35% of the US and ~82% of DOI lands are “drylands” and found throughout the Western US. The Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation PES conducts research to inform the restoration of drylands impacted by energy exploration and development. These arid and semi-arid lands have unique soil and plant communities that are resistant to decadal fluctuations in precipitation and temperatures. However, because they are relatively resource-limited they are not very resilient and small perturbations often have large and long-term ecological effects. Very few anthropogenic impacts in a dryland are temporary. These lands also contain oil, gas, oil shale, shale oil, and tar sand deposits and the exploration for and extraction of these resources has resulted in hundreds of thousands of abandoned and current wells across the West.
Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation Research
Explore our research using the data below.
Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation publications is available from the button below.