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Click on the articles below to read about the latest WERC scientific discoveries.

Filter Total Items: 182
12 Days of Conifers: Conifer Trees and How We Study Them

12 Days of Conifers: Conifer Trees and How We Study Them

You might have an evergreen tree in your home or workplace this month, but here at USGS, many of our scientists get to enjoy beautiful pines, firs...

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Research Spotlight: New Models Demonstrate the Role of Climate and Seed Production in Post-fire Forest Regeneration

Research Spotlight: New Models Demonstrate the Role of Climate and Seed Production in Post-fire Forest Regeneration

A new publication from USGS scientists and collaborators assessed how post-fire climate and seed production influence conifer regeneration following...
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Research Spotlight: New Research Indicates that Greater Sage-Grouse are Struggling to Adapt to Wildfire-Induced Changes in the Great Basin

Research Spotlight: New Research Indicates that Greater Sage-Grouse are Struggling to Adapt to Wildfire-Induced Changes in the Great Basin

Research from the USGS and partners concluded that greater sage-grouse in the Great Basin often select nest sites that result in poor nest survival...

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Scientists Study Selenium Hazard in the Salton Sea Environment

Scientists Study Selenium Hazard in the Salton Sea Environment

In the past decade, Salton Sea water elevation has declined due to drought, lining of canals, and changes to management of the Colorado River. This...

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Post-Fire Growth of Seeded and Planted Big Sagebrush – Strategic Designs for Restoring Greater Sage-grouse Nesting Habitat

Post-Fire Growth of Seeded and Planted Big Sagebrush – Strategic Designs for Restoring Greater Sage-grouse Nesting Habitat

Recent wildfire-induced losses of big sagebrush are outpacing natural recovery and leading to substantial losses in habitat for species such as...

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Research Spotlight: Human Enterprise Brings More Ravens to the Great Basin, Threatening Greater Sage-Grouse

Research Spotlight: Human Enterprise Brings More Ravens to the Great Basin, Threatening Greater Sage-Grouse

A new publication from the US Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center (USGS WERC) and partners finds that ravens present a major risk to...

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WERC Scientists Mask Up to Reduce Covid-19 Transmission

WERC Scientists Mask Up to Reduce Covid-19 Transmission

USGS research in 2020 means wearing face masks and face coverings to protect the health of people and wildlife. WERC ecologists showed off their masks...

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Emeritus and Distinguished Alumni Profile: Gary Fellers

Emeritus and Distinguished Alumni Profile: Gary Fellers

The late Gary Fellers was a leader in amphibian and reptile conservation research who helped bring to light the worldwide decline of amphibians.

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Annual Southern Sea Otter Census Cancelled Due to Health and Safety Concerns

Annual Southern Sea Otter Census Cancelled Due to Health and Safety Concerns

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the USGS and partners at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the U.S...

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Remembering Philip Anthony Medica, Desert Tortoise Researcher and USGS Scientist Emeritus

Remembering Philip Anthony Medica, Desert Tortoise Researcher and USGS Scientist Emeritus

Philip (Phil) Anthony Medica, USGS Scientist Emeritus, passed away on May 3. He is remembered as a dear friend and colleague and as a scientist who...

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California Red-legged Frogs Reintroduced to Historic Range in Southern California

California Red-legged Frogs Reintroduced to Historic Range in Southern California

In a historic and exciting first, the federally threatened California red-legged frog, the inspiration for Mark Twain’s short story, "The Celebrated...

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Learning From Real-World Experience to Understand Renewable Energy Impacts to Wildlife

Learning From Real-World Experience to Understand Renewable Energy Impacts to Wildlife

A comprehensive analysis of how renewable energy facilities affect wildlife could inform efforts to predict and reduce these impacts. A team of...

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