Terrestrial Ecosystems and Restoration
Terrestrial Ecosystems and Restoration
Biological Soil Crust
Agassiz's Desert Tortoise
The Terrestrial Dryland Ecology (TDE) Branch of the SBSC studies the biology, ecology,and processes of semi-arid and arid lands (known as drylands). TDE researchers study plant-soil-water relationships and the wildlife found in drylands.
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Big Sagebrush Ecosystem Response to Climate & Disturbance
Big sagebrush ecosystems are a major component of landscapes in the western U.S. and provide vital habitat to a wide array of wildlife species. However, big sagebrush ecosystems have been dramatically impacted by disturbances in the past several decades. This collaborative research between USGS and the University of Wyoming focuses on understanding how climatic and soil conditions influence big...
Amphibian Chytrid Fungus Sampling in Arizona and Mexico
Information on disease presence can be of use to natural resource managers, especially in areas supporting threatened and endangered species that occur coincidentally with species that are suspected vectors for disease. A general sense of pathogen presence (or absence) can inform management directed at threatened and endangered species, especially in regions where disease is suspected to have...
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...
SBSC Updates - Catch Up on Our Activities
SBSC monthly updates highlight new published papers and reports, new research projects, media attention on SBSC science, outreach activities, data, and more. Click on the images to download PDFs of the updates. If you would like the montly updates e-mailed to you each month, please contact Meredith Hartwell (mhartwell@usgs.gov)