An example of successful perennial grass establishment on a reclaimed oil and gas well pad site in the Book Cliffs, Utah. Photo by Mike Duniway, SBSC, USGS.
Mike Duniway, Ph.D.
Dr. Michael (Mike) Duniway is a soil scientist focused on soils and soil processes in dryland environments. His work provides crucial information for stakeholders, agencies and the public to assess and manage lands across the Colorado Plateau and southwest US.
In his research and outreach activities, Dr. Duniway seeks to provide information for land managers and owners to facilitate sustainable land-use activities. He works closely with federal and state agency partners and others in designing research studies, conducting technology transfer, and outreach activities. His research focuses include understanding the impacts of drought on Colorado Plateau rangelands, evaluating the recovery of oil and gas pads and seeking opportunities for improved reclamation practices, and developing new maps and tools for land management. In his work, he is interested in maintaining and balancing the important ecosystem services these landscapes provide, including clean water and air, food and fiber, tourism and cultural values, and energy.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 22
Supporting energy and mineral development through successful reclamation
Federal lands of the US contain important reserves of oil, gas and other resources important for Unleashing American Energy (SO 3418). After development of these resources is complete, successfully reclaiming disturbed lands is a necessary step towards restoring wildlife habitat, forage production, and maintaining natural resources for future use. To improve reclamation outcomes on these lands and...
WebDART: A Cutting-edge Web Tool that Evaluates Land Condition
WebDART is an online ecological assessment tool available to a wide audience that incorporates Landsat satellite remote sensing imagery, topography, geology, soil conditions, and rangeland geospatial and vegetation mapping to compare altered terrain with an unspoiled area that has similar characteristics in the same region. The tool gives resource managers, landowners, companies, and other...
Colorado Plateau Extreme Drought in Grassland Experiment (EDGE)
In drylands, short-term extreme droughts can have profound ecosystem effects, depending on the timing (seasonality) of drought and the sensitivities of the dominant plants and plant functional types. Past work suggests that cool season drought may disproportionately impact regionally important grass and shrub species. In this study, we are examining the impacts of extreme seasonal drought on...
Chronic Drought Impacts on Colorado Plateau Ecosystems (Rain-Out Experiment)
In drylands, chronic reductions in water availability (press-drought) through reduced precipitation and increased temperatures may have profound ecosystem effects, depending on the sensitivities of the dominant plants and plant functional types. In this study, we are examining the impacts of moderate, but long-term chronic drought using a network of 40 drought shelters on the Colorado Plateau...
Oil and Gas Reclamation - About
What is reclamation? Reclamation means to assist in the repair or recovery of highly disturbed or degraded ecosystems to benefit native plants and animals by setting sites on a trajectory towards functioning habitats and ecological communities that are similar to surrounding, naturally occurring environments. During this process, the impacts of oil and gas development are minimized.
New Tools for Modern Land Management Decisions
In an era of rapid land use changes and shifting climates, it is imperative that land managers and policymakers have actionable and current information available for decision processes. In this work, we seek to meet these needs through new data products and decision support tools built on digital soil mapping, new vegetation cover maps, agency inventory and monitoring data sets, and cutting-edge...
Drought Adaptation Strategies for Arid Grasslands
Helping National Parks in the 4-Corners region manage grasslands in a changing world.
Biological Soil Crust ("Biocrust") Science
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are commonly found on the soil surface in arid and semi-arid ecosystems (collectively called drylands). Biocrusts can consist of mosses, cyanobacteria, lichens, algae, and microfungi, and they strongly interact with the soil. These organisms or consortium of disparate organisms, depending on the specific biocrust, are important to the functioning of ecosystems...
Developing a Decision Support Framework for Prioritizing Pinyon Juniper Forest Treatments on the Colorado Plateau
Across the western U.S., pinyon and juniper trees are expanding into sagebrush and grassland plant communities. This vegetation change has been perceived to have a significant impact on the economic value of these grasslands, which support activities such as livestock grazing and hunting, but expanding pinyon and juniper forests may also lead to increased risk of fire. Over the past...
Drought & Grazing Experiment: Understanding Impacts and Identifying Mitigation Strategies
Drylands (sometimes called ‘deserts’ or ‘arid and semi-arid' ecosystems) are defined by water scarcity. Understanding how land-use activities may effect dryland ecosystems and dryland ecological processes is a high priority for land conservation and management. Grazing by domestic livestock (typically cattle but also sheep and goats) is the most widespread land-use in drylands globally and a large...
Remote Sensing of Energy Development
Oil and gas development across the western United States has increased substantially in recent decades, including within the Colorado Plateau. The Colorado Plateau is a high desert region of grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands and is home to a large number of world-renowned national and tribal parks and monuments (e.g., Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, Monument Valley, and Mesa...
Well Pad Reclamation and Research
Reclamation on lands impacted by energy development is complicated and extremely challenging in arid environments due to unstable soils, exotic species, and low and variable precipitation. The reclamation tactics employed by energy operators vary widely and outcomes can differ across plant communities and soil types. In order to address the knowledge gaps regarding how to successfully and...
An example of successful reclamation of a reclaimed oil or gas well pad site, Utah
An example of successful perennial grass establishment on a reclaimed oil and gas well pad site in the Book Cliffs, Utah. Photo by Mike Duniway, SBSC, USGS.
Ecological site group map for the Upper Colorado River Basin
An ecological site group map for the Upper Colorado River Basin that displays a quantitative soil-geomorphic framework in the Four Corners region, USA.
An ecological site group map for the Upper Colorado River Basin that displays a quantitative soil-geomorphic framework in the Four Corners region, USA.
Cathedral Valley, Capital Reef National Park, Utah
Cathedral Valley, Capital Reef National Park, Utah. Photo by Chris Benson, USGS.
Cathedral Valley, Capital Reef National Park, Utah. Photo by Chris Benson, USGS.
A panorama of Cathedral Valley, Capital Reef National Park, Utah
A panorama of Cathedral Valley, Capital Reef National Park, Utah. Photo by Chris Benson, USGS, 2021.
A panorama of Cathedral Valley, Capital Reef National Park, Utah. Photo by Chris Benson, USGS, 2021.
A pronghorn uses habitat with oil and gas development infrastructure, Utah
A pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) using habitat with oil and gas development near Vernal, Utah. Photo by Mike Duniway, SBSC, USGS.
A pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) using habitat with oil and gas development near Vernal, Utah. Photo by Mike Duniway, SBSC, USGS.
Canyonlands National Park panorama
A panoramic photo of the Colorado River Basin in Canyonlands National Park. Photo by Mike Duniway, Southwest Biological Science Center, USGS.
A panoramic photo of the Colorado River Basin in Canyonlands National Park. Photo by Mike Duniway, Southwest Biological Science Center, USGS.
Hydroseeding during oil and gas well pad reclamation
Hydroseeding for reclamation at an oil and gas well pad in the Uinta Basin, Utah. Hydroseeding involves spraying seeds, water, mulch and sometimes other materials over a disturbed area. Photo by Rebecca Mann, SBSC, USGS.
Hydroseeding for reclamation at an oil and gas well pad in the Uinta Basin, Utah. Hydroseeding involves spraying seeds, water, mulch and sometimes other materials over a disturbed area. Photo by Rebecca Mann, SBSC, USGS.
A map of Shay Mesa, Utah, showing an area of pinyon-juniper clearing treatments
A dynamic illustration of how pixel matching can be used for finding control points on a map of Shay Mesa, Utah, showing an area of pinyon-juniper clearing treatments. For more information, see the paper: What determines the effectiveness of Pinyon-Juniper clearing treatments?
A dynamic illustration of how pixel matching can be used for finding control points on a map of Shay Mesa, Utah, showing an area of pinyon-juniper clearing treatments. For more information, see the paper: What determines the effectiveness of Pinyon-Juniper clearing treatments?
A technician places a pin drop on a transect during oil and gas reclamation vegetation monitoring
linkA USGS technician places a pin drop on a transect during monitoring soil and vegetation outcomes on a reclaimed oil or gas pad near Grand Junction, Colorado. Photo by Mike Duniway, SBSC, USGS.
A technician places a pin drop on a transect during oil and gas reclamation vegetation monitoring
linkA USGS technician places a pin drop on a transect during monitoring soil and vegetation outcomes on a reclaimed oil or gas pad near Grand Junction, Colorado. Photo by Mike Duniway, SBSC, USGS.
A pumpjack on an active oil or gas drilling site in New Mexico
A pumpjack on an active oil or gas drilling site near Farmington, New Mexico. Photo by Mike Duniway, USGS, SBSC.
A pumpjack on an active oil or gas drilling site near Farmington, New Mexico. Photo by Mike Duniway, USGS, SBSC.
30m resolution soil map for the Colorado River Basin, Four Corners region
30m resolution soil map for the Colorado River Basin, Four Corners region showing uncertainty in electrical connectivity.
30m resolution soil map for the Colorado River Basin, Four Corners region showing uncertainty in electrical connectivity.
USGS discusses rangeland conditions and drought with managers and partners on the Colorado Plateau
linkThe USGS Southwest Biological Science Center discusses rangeland conditions and our research on drought with managers and partners on the Colorado Plateau. Photo courtesy of Mike Duniway, USGS.
USGS discusses rangeland conditions and drought with managers and partners on the Colorado Plateau
linkThe USGS Southwest Biological Science Center discusses rangeland conditions and our research on drought with managers and partners on the Colorado Plateau. Photo courtesy of Mike Duniway, USGS.
Colorado Plateau Extreme Drought in Grassland Experiment (EDGE)
In drylands, short-term extreme droughts can have profound ecosystem effects. In this study, we are examining the impacts of extreme seasonal drought on grassland communities of the Colorado Plateau & recovery from drought.
In drylands, short-term extreme droughts can have profound ecosystem effects. In this study, we are examining the impacts of extreme seasonal drought on grassland communities of the Colorado Plateau & recovery from drought.
Canyonlands National Park panorama
A panoramic photo of Canyonlands National Park, Utah. Photo by Mike Duniway, Southwest Biological Science Center, USGS.
A panoramic photo of Canyonlands National Park, Utah. Photo by Mike Duniway, Southwest Biological Science Center, USGS.
Active oil and gas pad near Canyonlands National Park
Active oil and gas pad on Bureau of Land Management lands near Canyonlands National Park, Utah.
Active oil and gas pad on Bureau of Land Management lands near Canyonlands National Park, Utah.
USGS and US Forest Service staff installing dust monitoring equipment
USGS and US Forest Service staff installing dust monitoring equipment at a uranium mine near Grand Canyon National Park.
USGS and US Forest Service staff installing dust monitoring equipment at a uranium mine near Grand Canyon National Park.
Dry conditions at cattle water sources in western Colorado
Dry conditions at cattle water sources in western Colorado.
Dry conditions at cattle water sources in western Colorado.
Cattle walking across biological soil crusts in southeastern Utah
Cattle walking across biological soil crusts in southeastern Utah.
Cattle walking across biological soil crusts in southeastern Utah.
Drilling for mineral resources near Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Drilling for mineral resources near Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Drilling for mineral resources near Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Four-wheel drive enthusiasts during Jeep Safari in Moab Utah
Four-wheel drive enthusiasts during Jeep Safari in Moab Utah.
Four-wheel drive enthusiasts during Jeep Safari in Moab Utah.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 22
Supporting energy and mineral development through successful reclamation
Federal lands of the US contain important reserves of oil, gas and other resources important for Unleashing American Energy (SO 3418). After development of these resources is complete, successfully reclaiming disturbed lands is a necessary step towards restoring wildlife habitat, forage production, and maintaining natural resources for future use. To improve reclamation outcomes on these lands and...
WebDART: A Cutting-edge Web Tool that Evaluates Land Condition
WebDART is an online ecological assessment tool available to a wide audience that incorporates Landsat satellite remote sensing imagery, topography, geology, soil conditions, and rangeland geospatial and vegetation mapping to compare altered terrain with an unspoiled area that has similar characteristics in the same region. The tool gives resource managers, landowners, companies, and other...
Colorado Plateau Extreme Drought in Grassland Experiment (EDGE)
In drylands, short-term extreme droughts can have profound ecosystem effects, depending on the timing (seasonality) of drought and the sensitivities of the dominant plants and plant functional types. Past work suggests that cool season drought may disproportionately impact regionally important grass and shrub species. In this study, we are examining the impacts of extreme seasonal drought on...
Chronic Drought Impacts on Colorado Plateau Ecosystems (Rain-Out Experiment)
In drylands, chronic reductions in water availability (press-drought) through reduced precipitation and increased temperatures may have profound ecosystem effects, depending on the sensitivities of the dominant plants and plant functional types. In this study, we are examining the impacts of moderate, but long-term chronic drought using a network of 40 drought shelters on the Colorado Plateau...
Oil and Gas Reclamation - About
What is reclamation? Reclamation means to assist in the repair or recovery of highly disturbed or degraded ecosystems to benefit native plants and animals by setting sites on a trajectory towards functioning habitats and ecological communities that are similar to surrounding, naturally occurring environments. During this process, the impacts of oil and gas development are minimized.
New Tools for Modern Land Management Decisions
In an era of rapid land use changes and shifting climates, it is imperative that land managers and policymakers have actionable and current information available for decision processes. In this work, we seek to meet these needs through new data products and decision support tools built on digital soil mapping, new vegetation cover maps, agency inventory and monitoring data sets, and cutting-edge...
Drought Adaptation Strategies for Arid Grasslands
Helping National Parks in the 4-Corners region manage grasslands in a changing world.
Biological Soil Crust ("Biocrust") Science
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are commonly found on the soil surface in arid and semi-arid ecosystems (collectively called drylands). Biocrusts can consist of mosses, cyanobacteria, lichens, algae, and microfungi, and they strongly interact with the soil. These organisms or consortium of disparate organisms, depending on the specific biocrust, are important to the functioning of ecosystems...
Developing a Decision Support Framework for Prioritizing Pinyon Juniper Forest Treatments on the Colorado Plateau
Across the western U.S., pinyon and juniper trees are expanding into sagebrush and grassland plant communities. This vegetation change has been perceived to have a significant impact on the economic value of these grasslands, which support activities such as livestock grazing and hunting, but expanding pinyon and juniper forests may also lead to increased risk of fire. Over the past...
Drought & Grazing Experiment: Understanding Impacts and Identifying Mitigation Strategies
Drylands (sometimes called ‘deserts’ or ‘arid and semi-arid' ecosystems) are defined by water scarcity. Understanding how land-use activities may effect dryland ecosystems and dryland ecological processes is a high priority for land conservation and management. Grazing by domestic livestock (typically cattle but also sheep and goats) is the most widespread land-use in drylands globally and a large...
Remote Sensing of Energy Development
Oil and gas development across the western United States has increased substantially in recent decades, including within the Colorado Plateau. The Colorado Plateau is a high desert region of grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands and is home to a large number of world-renowned national and tribal parks and monuments (e.g., Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, Monument Valley, and Mesa...
Well Pad Reclamation and Research
Reclamation on lands impacted by energy development is complicated and extremely challenging in arid environments due to unstable soils, exotic species, and low and variable precipitation. The reclamation tactics employed by energy operators vary widely and outcomes can differ across plant communities and soil types. In order to address the knowledge gaps regarding how to successfully and...
An example of successful reclamation of a reclaimed oil or gas well pad site, Utah
An example of successful perennial grass establishment on a reclaimed oil and gas well pad site in the Book Cliffs, Utah. Photo by Mike Duniway, SBSC, USGS.
An example of successful perennial grass establishment on a reclaimed oil and gas well pad site in the Book Cliffs, Utah. Photo by Mike Duniway, SBSC, USGS.
Ecological site group map for the Upper Colorado River Basin
An ecological site group map for the Upper Colorado River Basin that displays a quantitative soil-geomorphic framework in the Four Corners region, USA.
An ecological site group map for the Upper Colorado River Basin that displays a quantitative soil-geomorphic framework in the Four Corners region, USA.
Cathedral Valley, Capital Reef National Park, Utah
Cathedral Valley, Capital Reef National Park, Utah. Photo by Chris Benson, USGS.
Cathedral Valley, Capital Reef National Park, Utah. Photo by Chris Benson, USGS.
A panorama of Cathedral Valley, Capital Reef National Park, Utah
A panorama of Cathedral Valley, Capital Reef National Park, Utah. Photo by Chris Benson, USGS, 2021.
A panorama of Cathedral Valley, Capital Reef National Park, Utah. Photo by Chris Benson, USGS, 2021.
A pronghorn uses habitat with oil and gas development infrastructure, Utah
A pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) using habitat with oil and gas development near Vernal, Utah. Photo by Mike Duniway, SBSC, USGS.
A pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) using habitat with oil and gas development near Vernal, Utah. Photo by Mike Duniway, SBSC, USGS.
Canyonlands National Park panorama
A panoramic photo of the Colorado River Basin in Canyonlands National Park. Photo by Mike Duniway, Southwest Biological Science Center, USGS.
A panoramic photo of the Colorado River Basin in Canyonlands National Park. Photo by Mike Duniway, Southwest Biological Science Center, USGS.
Hydroseeding during oil and gas well pad reclamation
Hydroseeding for reclamation at an oil and gas well pad in the Uinta Basin, Utah. Hydroseeding involves spraying seeds, water, mulch and sometimes other materials over a disturbed area. Photo by Rebecca Mann, SBSC, USGS.
Hydroseeding for reclamation at an oil and gas well pad in the Uinta Basin, Utah. Hydroseeding involves spraying seeds, water, mulch and sometimes other materials over a disturbed area. Photo by Rebecca Mann, SBSC, USGS.
A map of Shay Mesa, Utah, showing an area of pinyon-juniper clearing treatments
A dynamic illustration of how pixel matching can be used for finding control points on a map of Shay Mesa, Utah, showing an area of pinyon-juniper clearing treatments. For more information, see the paper: What determines the effectiveness of Pinyon-Juniper clearing treatments?
A dynamic illustration of how pixel matching can be used for finding control points on a map of Shay Mesa, Utah, showing an area of pinyon-juniper clearing treatments. For more information, see the paper: What determines the effectiveness of Pinyon-Juniper clearing treatments?
A technician places a pin drop on a transect during oil and gas reclamation vegetation monitoring
linkA USGS technician places a pin drop on a transect during monitoring soil and vegetation outcomes on a reclaimed oil or gas pad near Grand Junction, Colorado. Photo by Mike Duniway, SBSC, USGS.
A technician places a pin drop on a transect during oil and gas reclamation vegetation monitoring
linkA USGS technician places a pin drop on a transect during monitoring soil and vegetation outcomes on a reclaimed oil or gas pad near Grand Junction, Colorado. Photo by Mike Duniway, SBSC, USGS.
A pumpjack on an active oil or gas drilling site in New Mexico
A pumpjack on an active oil or gas drilling site near Farmington, New Mexico. Photo by Mike Duniway, USGS, SBSC.
A pumpjack on an active oil or gas drilling site near Farmington, New Mexico. Photo by Mike Duniway, USGS, SBSC.
30m resolution soil map for the Colorado River Basin, Four Corners region
30m resolution soil map for the Colorado River Basin, Four Corners region showing uncertainty in electrical connectivity.
30m resolution soil map for the Colorado River Basin, Four Corners region showing uncertainty in electrical connectivity.
USGS discusses rangeland conditions and drought with managers and partners on the Colorado Plateau
linkThe USGS Southwest Biological Science Center discusses rangeland conditions and our research on drought with managers and partners on the Colorado Plateau. Photo courtesy of Mike Duniway, USGS.
USGS discusses rangeland conditions and drought with managers and partners on the Colorado Plateau
linkThe USGS Southwest Biological Science Center discusses rangeland conditions and our research on drought with managers and partners on the Colorado Plateau. Photo courtesy of Mike Duniway, USGS.
Colorado Plateau Extreme Drought in Grassland Experiment (EDGE)
In drylands, short-term extreme droughts can have profound ecosystem effects. In this study, we are examining the impacts of extreme seasonal drought on grassland communities of the Colorado Plateau & recovery from drought.
In drylands, short-term extreme droughts can have profound ecosystem effects. In this study, we are examining the impacts of extreme seasonal drought on grassland communities of the Colorado Plateau & recovery from drought.
Canyonlands National Park panorama
A panoramic photo of Canyonlands National Park, Utah. Photo by Mike Duniway, Southwest Biological Science Center, USGS.
A panoramic photo of Canyonlands National Park, Utah. Photo by Mike Duniway, Southwest Biological Science Center, USGS.
Active oil and gas pad near Canyonlands National Park
Active oil and gas pad on Bureau of Land Management lands near Canyonlands National Park, Utah.
Active oil and gas pad on Bureau of Land Management lands near Canyonlands National Park, Utah.
USGS and US Forest Service staff installing dust monitoring equipment
USGS and US Forest Service staff installing dust monitoring equipment at a uranium mine near Grand Canyon National Park.
USGS and US Forest Service staff installing dust monitoring equipment at a uranium mine near Grand Canyon National Park.
Dry conditions at cattle water sources in western Colorado
Dry conditions at cattle water sources in western Colorado.
Dry conditions at cattle water sources in western Colorado.
Cattle walking across biological soil crusts in southeastern Utah
Cattle walking across biological soil crusts in southeastern Utah.
Cattle walking across biological soil crusts in southeastern Utah.
Drilling for mineral resources near Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Drilling for mineral resources near Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Drilling for mineral resources near Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Four-wheel drive enthusiasts during Jeep Safari in Moab Utah
Four-wheel drive enthusiasts during Jeep Safari in Moab Utah.
Four-wheel drive enthusiasts during Jeep Safari in Moab Utah.