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Rocky Mountain Region

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin includes the States of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. USGS Science Centers conduct interdisciplinary research and monitoring related to natural resources, ecology, climate, and natural hazards. Data, analyses, and tools developed by USGS staff help stakeholders to make sustainable management decisions.

News

USGS invests in geologic data collection across southeastern Wyoming

USGS invests in geologic data collection across southeastern Wyoming

Media Alert: USGS Dye Tracing Study in Fraser River

Media Alert: USGS Dye Tracing Study in Fraser River

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series

Publications

Seasonally varying contributions of contemporaneous and lagged sources of instream total nitrogen and phosphorus load across the Illinois River basin

Quantifying nutrient sources in streams, their temporal and spatial variability, and drivers of that variability can support effective water resources management. Yet a lack of data and modeling capabilities has previously prevented comprehensive quantification across both space and time. Here a dynamic SPARROW (Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed attributes) model that accounts for a la
Authors
Noah Schmadel, Olivia L. Miller, Scott Ator, Matthew P. Miller, Gregory E. Schwarz, Dale M. Robertson, Andrew Sekellick, Kenneth Skinner, David A. Saad

The state of the bats in North America

The world's rich diversity of bats supports healthy ecosystems and important ecosystem services. Maintaining healthy biological systems requires prompt identification of threats to biodiversity and immediate action to protect species, which for wide-ranging bat species that span geopolitical boundaries warrants international coordination. Anthropogenic forces drive the threats to bats throughout N
Authors
Amanda M. Adams, Luis A. Trujillo, C.J. Campbell, Karen L. Akre, Joaquin Arroyo-Cabrales, Leanne Burns, Jeremy T.H. Coleman, Rita D. Dixon, Charles M. Francis, Melquisedec Gamba-Rios, Vona Kuczynska, Angie McIntire, Rodrigo A. Medellín, Katrina M. Morris, Jonathan D. Reichard, Brian Reichert, Jordi L. Segers, Michael D. Whitby, Winifred F. Frick

Contemporary fires are less frequent but more severe in dry conifer forests of the southwestern United States

Wildfires in the southwestern United States are increasingly frequent and severe, but whether these trends exceed historical norms remains contested. Here we combine dendroecological records, satellite-derived burn severity, and field measured tree mortality to compare historical (1700-1880) and contemporary (1985-2020) fire regimes at tree-ring fire-scar sites in Arizona and New Mexico. We found
Authors
E. McClure, J.D. Cooper, C. Guiterman, Ellis Margolis, S. Parks

Science

Developing habitat models for rare plants to inform decision making on multiple-use public lands

Public lands provide important habitat for many rare plants. However, public lands often need to accommodate many other uses, including traditional and renewable energy development, in addition to conservation. We are working with the Bureau of Land Management to coproduce ensemble habitat suitability models that can inform agency planning and permitting decisions that may impact rare plants.
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Developing habitat models for rare plants to inform decision making on multiple-use public lands

Public lands provide important habitat for many rare plants. However, public lands often need to accommodate many other uses, including traditional and renewable energy development, in addition to conservation. We are working with the Bureau of Land Management to coproduce ensemble habitat suitability models that can inform agency planning and permitting decisions that may impact rare plants.
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Gunnison Sage-grouse Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET)

In partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and other partners, scientists from USGS Fort Collins Science Center are working to create a suite of prioritization scenarios that will inform adaptive management for Gunnison sage-grouse.
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Gunnison Sage-grouse Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET)

In partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and other partners, scientists from USGS Fort Collins Science Center are working to create a suite of prioritization scenarios that will inform adaptive management for Gunnison sage-grouse.
Learn More

Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET): A USGS-facilitated Decision-support Tool for Sagebrush Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration Actions

Sagebrush ecosystems represent one of the most imperiled systems in North America and face continued and widespread degradation due to multiple factors including climate change, invasive species, and increased human development. Effective sagebrush management must consider how to best conserve and restore habitats to stem the decline of species that rely on them, especially given limited...
link

Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET): A USGS-facilitated Decision-support Tool for Sagebrush Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration Actions

Sagebrush ecosystems represent one of the most imperiled systems in North America and face continued and widespread degradation due to multiple factors including climate change, invasive species, and increased human development. Effective sagebrush management must consider how to best conserve and restore habitats to stem the decline of species that rely on them, especially given limited...
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