FORT Updates: From Plains to Peaks - Vol. 2 | Issue 7
Hot off the Press
Recent publications, events, and other news from the Fort Collins Science Center.
What makes a trail sustainable?
In this paper, USGS researchers describe four, interconnected elements affecting the sustainability of a recreational trail: managerial sustainability, resource sustainability, social sustainability, and economic sustainability.
Cameron Aldridge receives the Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies’ (WAFWA) Robert L. Patterson Award
Cameron Aldridge received WAFWA’s Robert L. Patterson Award during the 34th Biennial Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Workshop. This award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to sage- and sharp-tailed grouse conservation and management.
Structured science syntheses to inform decision making on federal public lands
The USGS, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partnered to develop a new type of science product: the structured science synthesis. Structured science syntheses are peer-reviewed reports that synthesize science information about a priority resource management issue on public lands, and are developed explicitly to facilitate the application of science to decision making.
Despite regional variation, pinyon jay densities generally increase with local pinyon–juniper cover and heterogeneous ground cover
In this paper we describe a hierarchical model characterizing local-scale habitat features associated with high densities of pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus), a species which has been proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act.
Estimating traffic volume and road age in Wyoming to inform resource management planning: An application with wildlife-vehicle collisions
In a new publication, researchers from USGS Fort Collins Science Center developed annual estimates of road age and vehicular traffic volume across Wyoming. They use these data in a novel application: predicting rates of reported wildlife-vehicle collisions along roads.
Researchers find that decreased streamflow and increased temperatures are associated with declines in cottonwood forest along the Green River.
FORT Hydrologist Jonathan Friedman has co-authored a a new study using measurements of tree height, canopy volume and ring widths to document decline of cottonwood forest along the Green River in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, in relation to increasing temperature and upstream flow withdrawals.
Redistribution of debris-flow sediment following severe wildfire and floods in the Jemez Mountains
In this paper, USGS scientists and contractors documented locations of sediment erosion and deposition in catastrophic debris flows and floods following fire along Rito de los Frijoles in Bandelier National Monument, NM.
Identifying transportation data and system needs for a Federal lands transportation data platform
This report is provided to inform Federal Lands Highway Administration leaders and Federal Land Management Agency partners by articulating user needs and requirements for integrated planning tool(s) in the federal highways planning space.
FORT researchers present science at the 34th Biennial Sage & Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Workshop in Wenatchee, Washington
FORT researchers will present on the following topics at the 34th Biennial Sage & Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Workshop in Wenatchee, Washington, August 5-8.
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Science Spotlights
New or ongoing research projects at the Fort Collins Science Center.
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Multi-year Burmese Python Vital Rate Research Collaborative in the Greater Everglades
USGS researchers will track juvenile Burmese python within Big Cypress National Preserve (BICY) and collect data on snake growth, habitat use, and causes of mortality. Known-fate models will be used to estimate survival and better understand factors that influence survival.
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Development and application of genomic resources for the greater sage-grouse
The greater sage-grouse is a sagebrush-obligate species that has experienced dramatic range-wide declines since the 1960s, causing significant conservation concern. Genetic information has refined our understanding of population structure, the levels of inbreeding or relatedness, allowed the ability to monitor for change over time, and has been used to understand the outcome of management actions...
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Future Aquatic Invaders of the Northeast U.S.: How Climate Change, Human Vectors, and Natural History Could Bring Southern and Western Species North
Researchers will evaluate the potential of aquatic species to invade the Northeast U.S. Following the identification of appropriate target species by regional stakeholders, researchers will gather data from the NAS database and develop models to determine habitat suitability for each species.
Learn More
Find our science and connect with our researchers.
Publications
FORT scientists have produced more than 1,500 peer reviewed publications that are registered in the USGS Publications Warehouse, along with many others prior to their work at the USGS or in conjunction with other government agencies.
Data
Our interdisciplinary, integrated science teams develop various data sets in support of the USGS mission areas. This information then aids natural resource managers in decision making and support of the complex issues they face in today's world. The data and tools listed here are official USGS data releases.
Connect
The majority of our staff call Fort Collins, Colorado their home, but work all over the United States. FORT research and support staff work from one of four duty stations: in Colorado, at the Fort Collins Science Center or Denver Federal Center; in New Mexico, at the New Mexico Landscapes Field Station; or in Florida, at the USGS Everglades Research Offices.