Large-Scale Restoration Science
Large-Scale Restoration Science
Alaska Bioregions and Arctic
Coastal Ecosystems
Deserts
Freshwater Systems
Grasslands: Great Plains and Prairie Potholes
Western Forests and Mountains
USGS works collaboratively with partners to improve the stewardship and restoration of ecosystems across the country. Many of these projects are large-scale, crossing multiple organizational and state boundaries and occasionally bridging scientific and engineering disciplines. The primary outcomes of these projects are restoring critical ecosystems and their biological communities.
Priority Landscapes
Priority Landscapes
USGS works collaboratively with partners to improve the stewardship and restoration of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems across the country. The potential of this work is revitalizing local economies and improving the quality and safety of life. Some of the science projects are within a dedicated sub-program known as Priority Ecosystem Science (PES).
Management and Restoration Science
Management and Restoration Science
The Nation’s ecosystems are complex, dynamic, and exposed to a rapidly changing climate among other threats. USGS scientists study how ecosystems function, the impacts of stressors, and make predictions about their future.
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Macroclimatic Controls of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem Structure and Function
At the global-scale, macroclimatic drivers govern ecosystem structure and function in tidal saline wetlands (e.g., salt marshes, mangrove forests, salt flats). However, global reviews and models for these ecosystems typically do not directly include climatic drivers. The objective of this research is to examine and forecast the effects of macroclimatic drivers on wetland ecosystem structure and...
Geographical Trends in Ecosystem Function and Biodiversity of Wetlands as a Surrogate for Climate Change
Extreme drought and temperature in the southeastern United States may become more frequent in the future, and any extreme shifts in climate condition are likely to have effects on wetland ecosystem function. USGS research predicts the effects of climate change by shifts in function and biodiversity across existing climate gradients in baldcypress swamps.
Alabama Barrier Island Restoration Assessment at Dauphin Island
Dauphin Island, Alabama, is the only barrier island providing protection to much of Alabama's coastal natural resources. Severely impacted by repeated extreme events, like Hurricane Katrina and Deepwater Horizon oil spill, USGS and partners are conducting a joint study to evaluate the feasibility of certain alternatives to increase resiliency and sustainability of the island.
Past and Future Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Coastal Habitats and Species (FISCHS)
USGS aims to integrate biological and hydrological models to help develop management tools to deal with the projected ecological consequences of rising sea level in coastal south Florida.
Climate Change Effects on Coastal Marsh Foundation Species
Mangrove forests have migrated inland over the past few decades at many locations along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast. This expansion has been attributed to factors associated with climate change, such as increased salinity resulting from sea-level rise and longer intervals between winter freezes, which can kill cold-intolerant mangrove species.
GIS and Custom Application Support for the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council
The scientists at the Wetland and Aquatic Science Center (WARC) have provided coastal restoration project managers and decision makers with GIS planning, database and custom application capacity since 1992. The scope and complexity of this support has increased over the years and has resulted in the development of a comprehensive geospatial and advanced application teams that provide decision...
NRDA: Deepwater ROV Sampling to Assess Potential Impacts to Hardbottom Coral Communities and Associates from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
The MC252 oil spill introduced hydrocarbons, dispersants, and drilling muds into the Gulf of Mexico, potentially adversely affecting the seafloor environment surrounding the spill site.
Ecosystem Development After Wetland Restoration and Creation
Wetland restoration and creation efforts are increasingly proposed as means to compensate for wetland losses. To address the need for evaluating the development of ecosystem structure and function in restored and created wetlands, USGS compared created tidal wetlands sites to natural mangrove wetlands in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Morphology Modeling in Support of the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan
In support of Louisiana’s 2012 Coastal Master Plan, USGS WARC scientists have developed a spatially explicit wetland morphology model and coupled it with other predictive models to help predict the effects of protection and restoration projects.
Evaluating Structural and Surface Elevation Recovery of Restored Mangroves
Hydrologic restoration is one of several approaches to rehabilitate mangroves on a large-scale. USGS evaluates how solely restoring tidal hydrologic flows affect the recovery of mangroves in Florida.
Stress Physiology, Scaling, and Water Use of Forested Wetland Trees and Stands
USGS investigates the eco-physiological responses of coastal forested wetland vegetation to envrionmental stressors, and what role vegetation may have in affecting local hydrological cycling as a result of these stressors.
Modeling Landscape-Scale Habitat Relations for Landbirds During Migration: Science Support for the Gulf Coast Joint Venture
USGS uses weather surveillance radar data and landscape-scale habitat metrics to model bird-habitat connections along the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico.