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Below are images associated with SBSC's science and staff. Images appear according to the year they were taken. To search, type a keyword or select a year from the dropdown menu. Or, click through the pages using the arrows at the bottom of the page. 

Filter Total Items: 436
USGS researcher photographs saguaro blossoms to collect research data
USGS researcher collects data on saguaro blooming patterns for phenology study
USGS researcher collects data on saguaro blooming patterns for phenology study
USGS researcher collects data on saguaro blooming patterns for phenology study

Southwest Biological Science center research ecologist Daniel Winkler photographs the top of a saguaro using the "world's largest selfie stick" to collect phenology data for a study that examined saguaro flowering patterns.

Southwest Biological Science center research ecologist Daniel Winkler photographs the top of a saguaro using the "world's largest selfie stick" to collect phenology data for a study that examined saguaro flowering patterns.

USGS researcher standing in a river holding a metal Hess sampler to sample aquatic invertebrates
Sampling invertebrates on the Colorado River downstream of Davis Dam with a Hess sampler
Sampling invertebrates on the Colorado River downstream of Davis Dam with a Hess sampler
Sampling invertebrates on the Colorado River downstream of Davis Dam with a Hess sampler

Sampling invertebrates on “Casino Row” at Laughlin, Nevada, just downstream of Davis Dam on the Colorado River, September 7, 2015. 

Sampling invertebrates on “Casino Row” at Laughlin, Nevada, just downstream of Davis Dam on the Colorado River, September 7, 2015. 

Person taking data in grassland with biocrust
Biocrusts in healthy grassland data collection
Biocrusts in healthy grassland data collection
Biocrusts in healthy grassland data collection

Person taking data in a healthy dryland grassland with dark biocrusts between bunchgrasses and cacti in Utah.

Person taking data in a healthy dryland grassland with dark biocrusts between bunchgrasses and cacti in Utah.

Sticky Trap for Aquatic Insects (close-up) Showing Captured Insects
Sticky trap for aquatic insects on the bank of Little Colorado River
Sticky trap for aquatic insects on the bank of Little Colorado River
Sticky trap for aquatic insects on the bank of Little Colorado River

Sticky trap for emergent aquatic insects (close-up) showing captured insects. Photo by Eric Kortenhoeven, USGS.

Sticky trap for emergent aquatic insects (close-up) showing captured insects. Photo by Eric Kortenhoeven, USGS.

Sticky Trap for Insects Located on the Banks of a River, at the Confluence of the Litter Colorado River and the Colorado River
Colorado River sticky trap for emergent aquatic insects
Colorado River sticky trap for emergent aquatic insects
Colorado River sticky trap for emergent aquatic insects

Sticky trap for insects Located on the banks of the Colorado River, at the confluence of the Little Colorado River and the Colorado River in AZ.

Sticky trap for insects Located on the banks of the Colorado River, at the confluence of the Little Colorado River and the Colorado River in AZ.

A nurse tree cohort of Saguaro cacti in the Sonoran Desert, AZ
A nurse tree cohort of Saguaro cacti in the Sonoran Desert, AZ
A nurse tree cohort of Saguaro cacti in the Sonoran Desert, AZ
A nurse tree cohort of Saguaro cacti in the Sonoran Desert, AZ

Similar aged saguaros can often be found in groups where nurse trees once stood. Nurse debris remains in place for years after the nurse died. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.

Similar aged saguaros can often be found in groups where nurse trees once stood. Nurse debris remains in place for years after the nurse died. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.

View from Canyonlands Research Center
View from Canyonlands Research Center
View from Canyonlands Research Center
View from Canyonlands Research Center

View from Canyonlands Research Center. 

Photo of footprint damage to biocrusts.
Footprint damage to biocrusts
Footprint damage to biocrusts
Footprint damage to biocrusts

Many human activities can be unintentionally harmful to biological crusts. The biocrusts are no match for the compressional stress caused by footprints of livestock or people or tracks from vehicles.

Many human activities can be unintentionally harmful to biological crusts. The biocrusts are no match for the compressional stress caused by footprints of livestock or people or tracks from vehicles.

Photo of biocrust
Biocrust
Biocrust
Biocrust

On the Colorado Plateau, mature biocrusts are bumpy and dark-colored due to the presence of lichens, mosses, and high densities of cyanobacteria and other organisms. Disturbed biocrusts are lighter in color, looking more like the underlying sand than undisturbed ones, and are less capable of stabilizing soils or providing soil fertility.

On the Colorado Plateau, mature biocrusts are bumpy and dark-colored due to the presence of lichens, mosses, and high densities of cyanobacteria and other organisms. Disturbed biocrusts are lighter in color, looking more like the underlying sand than undisturbed ones, and are less capable of stabilizing soils or providing soil fertility.

Photo of mature, dark-colored biocrust
Dark-colored mature biocrust
Dark-colored mature biocrust
Dark-colored mature biocrust

On the Colorado Plateau, mature biocrusts are bumpy and dark-colored due to the presence of lichens, mosses, and high densities of cyanobacteria and other organisms. These organisms perform critical functions, such as fertilizing soils and increasing soil stability, therefore reducing dust.

On the Colorado Plateau, mature biocrusts are bumpy and dark-colored due to the presence of lichens, mosses, and high densities of cyanobacteria and other organisms. These organisms perform critical functions, such as fertilizing soils and increasing soil stability, therefore reducing dust.

Photo of USGS scientist Jayne Belnap examining instrumentation to measure photosynthetic rates of biocrusts.
USGS scientist Jayne Belnap examines instruments to measure biocrust
USGS scientist Jayne Belnap examines instruments to measure biocrust
USGS scientist Jayne Belnap examines instruments to measure biocrust

USGS scientist Jayne Belnap examines instrumentation to measure photosynthetic rates of biocrusts.

Photo of biocrusts providing soil stability in the desert
Biocrusts provide soil stability and prevent erosion
Biocrusts provide soil stability and prevent erosion
Biocrusts provide soil stability and prevent erosion

Biocrusts provide soil stability and prevent erosion. Soil is the foundation where plants live; if soil is not stable, native plants can have difficulty growing.

Biocrusts provide soil stability and prevent erosion. Soil is the foundation where plants live; if soil is not stable, native plants can have difficulty growing.

Photo of outdoor testing plots where biocrusts were exposed to different warming and precipitation factors over time.
Biocrust outdoor testing plots
Biocrust outdoor testing plots
Biocrust outdoor testing plots

USGS scientists created outdoor testing plots where large squares of biocrusts were exposed to different warming and precipitation factors over time.

USGS scientists created outdoor testing plots where large squares of biocrusts were exposed to different warming and precipitation factors over time.

Photo of Biocrust outdoor testing plots
Biocrust outdoor testing plots
Biocrust outdoor testing plots
Biocrust outdoor testing plots

USGS scientists created outdoor testing plots where large squares of biocrusts were exposed to different warming and precipitation factors over time.

USGS scientists created outdoor testing plots where large squares of biocrusts were exposed to different warming and precipitation factors over time.

Photo of USGS scientist Sasha Reed studying outdoor biocrust testing sites
USGS scientist Sasha Reed studys outdoor biocrust testing sites
USGS scientist Sasha Reed studys outdoor biocrust testing sites
USGS scientist Sasha Reed studys outdoor biocrust testing sites

USGS scientist Sasha Reed studies sites where different climate conditions are being mimicked to determine effect on biocrusts.

USGS scientist Sasha Reed studies sites where different climate conditions are being mimicked to determine effect on biocrusts.

Photo of biocrust outdoor testing plots.
Biocrust outdoor testing plots.
Biocrust outdoor testing plots.
Biocrust outdoor testing plots.

USGS scientists created outdoor testing plots where large squares of biocrusts were exposed to different warming and precipitation factors over time.

USGS scientists created outdoor testing plots where large squares of biocrusts were exposed to different warming and precipitation factors over time.

A few tiny leaves on a branch
New tamarisk leaves re-grow after tamarisk leaf beetle defoliation
New tamarisk leaves re-grow after tamarisk leaf beetle defoliation
New tamarisk leaves re-grow after tamarisk leaf beetle defoliation

Tamarisk leaves regrow following defoliation by the biological control agent, tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda spp.).

Tamarisk leaves regrow following defoliation by the biological control agent, tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda spp.).

Dead and living trees near a river
Defoliated nonnative tamarisk with native cottonwood trees
Defoliated nonnative tamarisk with native cottonwood trees
Defoliated nonnative tamarisk with native cottonwood trees

Nonnative tamarisk can form mixed stands with native trees, such as cottonwoods, and other nonnative trees, such as Russian olive. 

Nonnative tamarisk can form mixed stands with native trees, such as cottonwoods, and other nonnative trees, such as Russian olive. 

A mostly dead bush with one living branch
Tamarisk re-grows new leaves after tamarisk leaf beetle defoliation
Tamarisk re-grows new leaves after tamarisk leaf beetle defoliation
Tamarisk re-grows new leaves after tamarisk leaf beetle defoliation

Tamarisk can re-grow new leaves after being defoliated by the biocontrol agent tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda spp.).

Tamarisk can re-grow new leaves after being defoliated by the biocontrol agent tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda spp.).

mostly dead bush re-sprouting after fire
Nonnative tamarisk is fire resistant
Nonnative tamarisk is fire resistant
Nonnative tamarisk is fire resistant

Nonnative tamarisk is resistant to wildfire, in part due to its abilty to resprout from the its roots.

Nonnative tamarisk is resistant to wildfire, in part due to its abilty to resprout from the its roots.

Monitoring riparian vegetation along the Colorado River
Monitoring riparian vegetation along the Colorado River
Monitoring riparian vegetation along the Colorado River
Monitoring riparian vegetation along the Colorado River

Monitoring riparian vegetation along the Colorado River downstream of Glen Canyon Dam