Plant, Animal, and Ecosystem Effects
Plant, Animal, and Ecosystem Effects
Fires can have both negative and positive effects on plants, animals, and ecosystems. USGS scientists investigate the interactions between fires and the species that may be affected by them to better understand how different management actions may influece wildlife or species of concernt to resource managers.
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Field of Sagebrush Dreams: Planting and Restoring Functional Sagebrush in Burned Landscapes
Increased wildfire-induced loss of sagebrush in North American shrublands are outpacing natural recovery and leading to substantial habitat loss for sagebrush-obligate species like sage-grouse. The products and information developed for this project will help restoration practitioners, biologists, and land managers evaluate the efficacy of sagebrush restoration approaches as well as their ability...
Can Prescribed Fire Help Forests Survive Drought in the Sierra Nevada Mountains?
In 2017, California was experiencing its most severe drought in over a millennia. Low rainfall and record high temperatures resulted in increased tree mortality and complete forest diebacks across the West. Though land managers scrambled to respond, they lacked information needed to make informed decisions. Focusing on California’s central and southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, this project seeks t
Nome Creek Boreal, Fire and Permafrost Hydrology investigations
The Nome Creek Experimental Watershed (NCEW) has been the site of multiple studies focused on understanding hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem changes related to permafrost thaw and fire in the boreal forest. The boreal forest is the Earth’s largest terrestrial biome, and thus plays a major role in biogeochemical cycling, creation of habitat for wildlife, as well as wilderness and resources