A radioed male tortoise in the Santa Rosa Mountains, CA eating a beavertail prickly pear cactus. During the extreme drought conditions we are experiencing, that is the only food available for them with any moisture. They have to cope with all the little spiny gloccids (hair-like spines) that cover the pads of the cactus. Video provided by Dr.
Jeffrey E Lovich, Ph.D.
As a Research Ecologist, Jeff is interested in the interactions of animals and their physical environment. Current research is focused on the ecology of turtles and tortoises and the effects of utility-scale renewable energy development (wind and solar) on wildlife, particularly in the Desert Southwest USA.
Research interests
Jeff has studied the ecology and systematics of turtles and other animals for over 30 years, discovering and naming four of the world’s 356 turtle species, including three in the United States and one in Japan. Other interests include the ecological impacts of invasive species, the ecology and distribution of relict species, and the impacts of human activities (including wind and solar energy development) on wildlife and ecological patterns and processes in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.
Books
- Turtles of the United States and Canada (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994)
- Biological Diversity: Problems and Challenges (Pennsylvania Academy of Science, 1994)
- The State of the Colorado River Ecosystem in the Grand Canyon (U.S. Geological Survey, 2005)
- Turtles of the United States and Canada, Second Edition (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009)
- Turtles of the World (Princeton University Press, 2021)
Science and Products
The Gemini Solar Project
The United States is developing renewable energy resources, especially solar, at a rapid rate. Although renewable energy development is widely perceived by the public as “green technology,” construction, operation, maintenance, and eventual decommissioning of facilities all have known and potential negative impacts to natural resources, including plant communities and wildlife. This is especially...
Desert Tortoise Ecology and Renewable Energy Development
The desert Southwest is experiencing rapid development of utility-scale solar and wind energy facilities. Although clean renewable energy has environmental benefits, it can also have negative impacts on wildlife and their habitats. Understanding those impacts and effectively mitigating them is a major goal of industry and resource managers. One species of particular concern is Agassiz’s desert...
Turtle Ecology
Turtles are among the most recognizable and iconic of animals. Any animal with a shell and a backbone is a turtle whether they are called turtles, tortoises, or terrapins. In fact, terrapin is an Algonquian Native American name for turtle. Worldwide there are 356 turtle species on all continents except for Antarctica. The United States has more species than any other country with about 62...
Desert Tortoise Ecology
Agassiz’s desert tortoises ( Gopherus agassizii ) approach the southern edge of their mostly Mojave Desert range near Joshua Tree National Park. Modern desert tortoise research started in the Park in 1978 when the first tortoise population census was conducted on a one square mile area in the Pinto Basin known as the “Barrow Plot.” U.S. Geological Survey research began at the plot in 1997 and...
Male desert tortoise eating beavertail prickly pear
A radioed male tortoise in the Santa Rosa Mountains, CA eating a beavertail prickly pear cactus. During the extreme drought conditions we are experiencing, that is the only food available for them with any moisture. They have to cope with all the little spiny gloccids (hair-like spines) that cover the pads of the cactus. Video provided by Dr.
Dr Rodrigo Macip with students, checking traps for mud turtles at Pátzcuaro lake, Michoacán, México
linkDr. Rodrigo Macip with students, checking traps for mud turtles at Pátzcuaro lake, Michoacán, México. Dr. Macip is an authority on Méxican turtle ecology. He is a visiting scientist at USGS, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ.
Dr Rodrigo Macip with students, checking traps for mud turtles at Pátzcuaro lake, Michoacán, México
linkDr. Rodrigo Macip with students, checking traps for mud turtles at Pátzcuaro lake, Michoacán, México. Dr. Macip is an authority on Méxican turtle ecology. He is a visiting scientist at USGS, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ.
Dr Rodrigo Macip weighing an endemic mud turtle, Kinosternon chimalhuaca, in Emiliano Zapata, Jalisco, México
linkDr Rodrigo Macip is an authority on Méxican turtle ecology. He is currently a visiting scientist at USGS, Southwest Biological Science Center's Flagstaff's campus.
Dr Rodrigo Macip weighing an endemic mud turtle, Kinosternon chimalhuaca, in Emiliano Zapata, Jalisco, México
linkDr Rodrigo Macip is an authority on Méxican turtle ecology. He is currently a visiting scientist at USGS, Southwest Biological Science Center's Flagstaff's campus.
An extremely rare Mojave River western pond turtle
An extremely rare Mojave River western pond turtle was recently observed by USGS scientists and staff from The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in the Mojave Desert. Turtles of this population have rarely been seen since the late 1990s.
An extremely rare Mojave River western pond turtle was recently observed by USGS scientists and staff from The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in the Mojave Desert. Turtles of this population have rarely been seen since the late 1990s.
USGS Research Ecologist Jeff Lovich gets ready to release a male desert tortoise
USGS Research Ecologist Jeff Lovich gets ready to release a male desert tortoise into its cave-like shelter in southern Joshua Tree National Park after collecting data. Photo by Shellie Puffer, USGS, SBSC.
USGS Research Ecologist Jeff Lovich gets ready to release a male desert tortoise into its cave-like shelter in southern Joshua Tree National Park after collecting data. Photo by Shellie Puffer, USGS, SBSC.
Remains of a southwestern pond turtle in Elizabeth Lake, California
Salt-encrusted remains of a southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida) as found in the dry lake bed of Elizabeth Lake, Los Angeles County, California. Note the heavy coating of evaporites on the carcass. Most living turtles collected in 2014 had similar but varying degrees of coatings on the head, limbs and shell.
Salt-encrusted remains of a southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida) as found in the dry lake bed of Elizabeth Lake, Los Angeles County, California. Note the heavy coating of evaporites on the carcass. Most living turtles collected in 2014 had similar but varying degrees of coatings on the head, limbs and shell.
Photograph of Elizabeth Lake in the fourth year of drought
Photograph of Elizabeth Lake in the fourth year of drought and two years after the Powerhouse Fire. Note salt encrustation of surface and small accumulations of water remaining in the foreground and background.
Almost all of the turtles living in a southern California lake died following a large fire and years of drought, according to a new USGS report.
Photograph of Elizabeth Lake in the fourth year of drought and two years after the Powerhouse Fire. Note salt encrustation of surface and small accumulations of water remaining in the foreground and background.
Almost all of the turtles living in a southern California lake died following a large fire and years of drought, according to a new USGS report.
Sonoran Desert Tortoise
An Agassiz's desert tortoise in a wind energy facility near Palm Springs, California. USGS scientists have been studying the ecology of tortoises at this industrial site since the mid-1990s to learn more about the effects of utility-scale renewable energy development and operation on these threatened tortoises.
An Agassiz's desert tortoise in a wind energy facility near Palm Springs, California. USGS scientists have been studying the ecology of tortoises at this industrial site since the mid-1990s to learn more about the effects of utility-scale renewable energy development and operation on these threatened tortoises.
Jeff Lovich with desert tortoise
U.S. Geological Survey Research Ecologist Jeff Lovich holding a radioed desert tortoise at the Mesa wind farm near Palm Springs, California.
U.S. Geological Survey Research Ecologist Jeff Lovich holding a radioed desert tortoise at the Mesa wind farm near Palm Springs, California.
Morafka's Desert Tortoise
A Morafka's desert tortoise in Saguaro National Park, with radio transmitter attached to its shell as part of a USGS study.
A Morafka's desert tortoise in Saguaro National Park, with radio transmitter attached to its shell as part of a USGS study.
Agassiz's Desert Tortoise
A male Agassiz's desert tortoise, equipped with a transmitter, in a wind energy facility near Palm Springs, Calif.
A male Agassiz's desert tortoise, equipped with a transmitter, in a wind energy facility near Palm Springs, Calif.
Science and Products
The Gemini Solar Project
The United States is developing renewable energy resources, especially solar, at a rapid rate. Although renewable energy development is widely perceived by the public as “green technology,” construction, operation, maintenance, and eventual decommissioning of facilities all have known and potential negative impacts to natural resources, including plant communities and wildlife. This is especially...
Desert Tortoise Ecology and Renewable Energy Development
The desert Southwest is experiencing rapid development of utility-scale solar and wind energy facilities. Although clean renewable energy has environmental benefits, it can also have negative impacts on wildlife and their habitats. Understanding those impacts and effectively mitigating them is a major goal of industry and resource managers. One species of particular concern is Agassiz’s desert...
Turtle Ecology
Turtles are among the most recognizable and iconic of animals. Any animal with a shell and a backbone is a turtle whether they are called turtles, tortoises, or terrapins. In fact, terrapin is an Algonquian Native American name for turtle. Worldwide there are 356 turtle species on all continents except for Antarctica. The United States has more species than any other country with about 62...
Desert Tortoise Ecology
Agassiz’s desert tortoises ( Gopherus agassizii ) approach the southern edge of their mostly Mojave Desert range near Joshua Tree National Park. Modern desert tortoise research started in the Park in 1978 when the first tortoise population census was conducted on a one square mile area in the Pinto Basin known as the “Barrow Plot.” U.S. Geological Survey research began at the plot in 1997 and...
Male desert tortoise eating beavertail prickly pear
A radioed male tortoise in the Santa Rosa Mountains, CA eating a beavertail prickly pear cactus. During the extreme drought conditions we are experiencing, that is the only food available for them with any moisture. They have to cope with all the little spiny gloccids (hair-like spines) that cover the pads of the cactus. Video provided by Dr.
A radioed male tortoise in the Santa Rosa Mountains, CA eating a beavertail prickly pear cactus. During the extreme drought conditions we are experiencing, that is the only food available for them with any moisture. They have to cope with all the little spiny gloccids (hair-like spines) that cover the pads of the cactus. Video provided by Dr.
Dr Rodrigo Macip with students, checking traps for mud turtles at Pátzcuaro lake, Michoacán, México
linkDr. Rodrigo Macip with students, checking traps for mud turtles at Pátzcuaro lake, Michoacán, México. Dr. Macip is an authority on Méxican turtle ecology. He is a visiting scientist at USGS, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ.
Dr Rodrigo Macip with students, checking traps for mud turtles at Pátzcuaro lake, Michoacán, México
linkDr. Rodrigo Macip with students, checking traps for mud turtles at Pátzcuaro lake, Michoacán, México. Dr. Macip is an authority on Méxican turtle ecology. He is a visiting scientist at USGS, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ.
Dr Rodrigo Macip weighing an endemic mud turtle, Kinosternon chimalhuaca, in Emiliano Zapata, Jalisco, México
linkDr Rodrigo Macip is an authority on Méxican turtle ecology. He is currently a visiting scientist at USGS, Southwest Biological Science Center's Flagstaff's campus.
Dr Rodrigo Macip weighing an endemic mud turtle, Kinosternon chimalhuaca, in Emiliano Zapata, Jalisco, México
linkDr Rodrigo Macip is an authority on Méxican turtle ecology. He is currently a visiting scientist at USGS, Southwest Biological Science Center's Flagstaff's campus.
An extremely rare Mojave River western pond turtle
An extremely rare Mojave River western pond turtle was recently observed by USGS scientists and staff from The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in the Mojave Desert. Turtles of this population have rarely been seen since the late 1990s.
An extremely rare Mojave River western pond turtle was recently observed by USGS scientists and staff from The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in the Mojave Desert. Turtles of this population have rarely been seen since the late 1990s.
USGS Research Ecologist Jeff Lovich gets ready to release a male desert tortoise
USGS Research Ecologist Jeff Lovich gets ready to release a male desert tortoise into its cave-like shelter in southern Joshua Tree National Park after collecting data. Photo by Shellie Puffer, USGS, SBSC.
USGS Research Ecologist Jeff Lovich gets ready to release a male desert tortoise into its cave-like shelter in southern Joshua Tree National Park after collecting data. Photo by Shellie Puffer, USGS, SBSC.
Remains of a southwestern pond turtle in Elizabeth Lake, California
Salt-encrusted remains of a southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida) as found in the dry lake bed of Elizabeth Lake, Los Angeles County, California. Note the heavy coating of evaporites on the carcass. Most living turtles collected in 2014 had similar but varying degrees of coatings on the head, limbs and shell.
Salt-encrusted remains of a southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida) as found in the dry lake bed of Elizabeth Lake, Los Angeles County, California. Note the heavy coating of evaporites on the carcass. Most living turtles collected in 2014 had similar but varying degrees of coatings on the head, limbs and shell.
Photograph of Elizabeth Lake in the fourth year of drought
Photograph of Elizabeth Lake in the fourth year of drought and two years after the Powerhouse Fire. Note salt encrustation of surface and small accumulations of water remaining in the foreground and background.
Almost all of the turtles living in a southern California lake died following a large fire and years of drought, according to a new USGS report.
Photograph of Elizabeth Lake in the fourth year of drought and two years after the Powerhouse Fire. Note salt encrustation of surface and small accumulations of water remaining in the foreground and background.
Almost all of the turtles living in a southern California lake died following a large fire and years of drought, according to a new USGS report.
Sonoran Desert Tortoise
An Agassiz's desert tortoise in a wind energy facility near Palm Springs, California. USGS scientists have been studying the ecology of tortoises at this industrial site since the mid-1990s to learn more about the effects of utility-scale renewable energy development and operation on these threatened tortoises.
An Agassiz's desert tortoise in a wind energy facility near Palm Springs, California. USGS scientists have been studying the ecology of tortoises at this industrial site since the mid-1990s to learn more about the effects of utility-scale renewable energy development and operation on these threatened tortoises.
Jeff Lovich with desert tortoise
U.S. Geological Survey Research Ecologist Jeff Lovich holding a radioed desert tortoise at the Mesa wind farm near Palm Springs, California.
U.S. Geological Survey Research Ecologist Jeff Lovich holding a radioed desert tortoise at the Mesa wind farm near Palm Springs, California.
Morafka's Desert Tortoise
A Morafka's desert tortoise in Saguaro National Park, with radio transmitter attached to its shell as part of a USGS study.
A Morafka's desert tortoise in Saguaro National Park, with radio transmitter attached to its shell as part of a USGS study.
Agassiz's Desert Tortoise
A male Agassiz's desert tortoise, equipped with a transmitter, in a wind energy facility near Palm Springs, Calif.
A male Agassiz's desert tortoise, equipped with a transmitter, in a wind energy facility near Palm Springs, Calif.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government