About the Ecosystems Mission Area
USGS ecosystems science directly benefits the health, safety, and prosperity of the American people by providing trusted and timely information to help address the Nation’s toughest management and conservation issues impacting public lands and the surrounding communities that depend on them.
The Ecosystems Mission Area (EMA) is considered the biological research arm of the U.S. Department of Interior and provides science to help America achieve sustainable management and conservation of biological resources. This work is done within the broader mission of the USGS to serve the Nation with science that advances understanding of our natural resources and inform land and water stewardship.
USGS scientists examine effects of management actions on communities, lands, and species; consequences of ecosystems change; and risks and solutions to harmful invasive species, wildlife diseases, and contaminants. This work is done through the following programs:
- The Biological Threats Research Program delivers science to protect public safety, property, and ecosystems from invasive plants and animals and infectious fish and wildlife diseases that pose significant ecologic and economic threats to the resources of the United States.
- The Climate Adaptation Science Centers work directly with natural resource managers and other partners to provide them with the science they need to help fish, wildlife, ecosystems, and communities adapt to the impacts of a changing climate.
- The Cooperative Research Units develop future natural-resource managers and researchers through graduate education in wildlife and fisheries sciences, support the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation through applied research of natural systems and related socioecological processes, and enhance cooperator capabilities through technical assistance on state-of-the-art science practices.
- The Ecosystems' Land Change Science Program provides science to partners on how extreme events and disturbances affect natural resources to inform management and decision making.
- The Environmental Health Program provides science to anticipate, detect, and prevent adverse health impacts from existing and emerging contaminants, toxins, and pathogens
- The Land Management Research Program provides science to improve the effectiveness of land management on millions of acres including public lands that support thriving economies through multiple uses including energy and mineral development, commercial harvest, hunting and fishing, and outdoor recreation.
- The Species Management Research Program provides science to understand fish, wildlife, and their habitats and threats that might impact them, helping partners respond to changing needs and to support them in managing diverse native species over time.