Ecosystem Change and Disturbance
Ecosystem Change and Disturbance
Learn more about FORT research on ecosystem change and disturbance.
Filter Total Items: 91
Forecasting the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Sagebrush in Wyoming Under a Changing Climate
Prioritizing landscapes for sage-grouse habitat conservation is complicated by long-term changes in climate.
Defining Multi-Scaled Functional Landscape Connectivity for the Sagebrush Biome to Support Management and Conservation Planning of Multiple Species
USGS and Colorado State University scientists are modelling multispecies connectivity through intact and disturbed areas of the sagebrush landscape.
Greater Sage-Grouse and Mule Deer Population Viability Analysis Across Scales
USGS and Colorado State University scientists will use data about sage-grouse and mule deer population data across Wyoming to evaluate the effectiveness of disturbance thresholds and investigate the efficacy of other disturbance metrics.
Using the Past and the Present To Understand Fire Ecology in the Range of the Gunnison Sage-Grouse
Little is known about the role of fire in the sagebrush ecosystem within the range of the Gunnison sage-grouse ( Centrocercus minimus ), and fire has been mostly absent from these systems in the 20th century, partially owing to active fire suppression.
Human Dimensions of Ecological Drought
Ecological impacts of drought have been rarely considered compared to agricultural or municipal water supply effects.
The Wildfire Research (WiRē) Team
Wildfires cost billions of dollars to suppress annually, yet they still devastate lives, communities, and ecosystems. While wildfire is a natural phenomenon, learning to live with wildfire is a social issue – so we need a social solution.
Agricultural Practices
Environmentally responsible land management has direct and indirect implications for wildlife, water quality, and air quality in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems far beyond their extent. Agricultural land use accounts for over 50 percent of the surface area of the contiguous United States. Public recognition that social, aesthetic, and recreational values enhance the traditional uses of...
Using Long-Term Remote Sensing and an Automated Reference Toolset To Estimate and Predict Post-Development Recovery Potential
USGS scientists are using a time-varying approach to monitor and predict recovery of sagebrush ecosystems following disturbance.
Greater Sage-Grouse Science (2015–17): Synthesis and Potential Management Implications
USGS led an interagency team of Federal and State agency biologists to develop a report that synthesizes greater sage-grouse scientific literature.
Smart Energy Development: Tools for Informed Development & Successful Reclamation
The USGS is developing science and decision support tools to inform policy and management decisions about various aspects of the energy development life cycle.
Reconstructing Flow History From Riparian Tree Rings
Aquatic Systems Branch scientists analyze rings of riparian trees relating tree growth and establishment to historical flow. We then use the tree rings to reconstruct the flow in past centuries. Flow reconstructions discover the frequency and magnitude of past droughts and floods—information that is essential for management of rivers and water supplies. We also use downscaled climate projections...
Ecological Drought in Riparian Ecosystems
Drought is killing riparian trees along many rivers in the western United States. The cause can be increasing temperature or decreasing precipitation, flow or water-table elevation. At multiple locations we are relating water availability to physiological measurements of tree survival and water stress, such as ring width, carbon stable isotope ratio and branch hydraulic conductivity. These...