Environments Program
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USGS Environments Program scientists conduct research for the restoration and management of 500 million acres managed by DOI. Scientists work in estuaries, coastlines, deserts, grasslands, rivers and forests from Alaska to Florida to predict how systems respond to change, evaluate restoration, improve habitat for biodiversity and provide services including clean water, food, and storm protection.
Ecosystem Management
Our ecological research improves the Nation’s understanding of how management decisions and environmental variation are impacting ecosystems now and in the future.
Find out howWildland Fire Research
Wildfires are a natural process in most regions of the U.S. They serve a vital role in nature but can also be unusually intense, widespread, or frequent. As a result, response and recovery costs are increasing.
Learn moreEnvironments Science
USGS scientists conduct research to inform the management and conservation of ecosystems across the US. Explore our science using the links below.
Learn MoreNews
New Report Highlights Declining Sagebrush Ecosystem, Provides Foundation for Next Generation of Conservation and Management
Fort Collins, CO – Considered one of the most imperiled ecosystems in the world and home to mule deer, pronghorn, sage-grouse, pygmy rabbits and more than 350 other species of conservation concern, the sagebrush ecosystem continues to shrink rapidly due to a host of growing threats, according to a new scientific report.
Fort Collins Science Center Scientists Share Expertise at Society for Range Management Meeting
Scientists from the US Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center will be presenting on topics ranging from sage-grouse to invasive plant species at the upcoming Society for Range Management Annual Meeting.
RAMPS NEWSLETTER - Winter 2021 Edition
Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS)
A Program of the Southwest Biological Science Center & Ecosystems Mission Area
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Publications
Global virtual water trade and the hydrological cycle: Patterns, drivers, and socio-environmental impacts
The increasing global demand for farmland products is placing unprecedented pressure on the global agricultural system and its water resources. Many regions of the world, that are affected by a chronic water scarcity relative to their population, strongly depend on the import of agricultural commodities and associated embodied (or virtual) water....
D'Odorico, Paolo; Carr, Joel A.; Dalin, Carole; Dell'Angelo, Jampel; Konar, Megan; Laio, Francesco; Ridolfi, Luca; Rosa, Lorenzo; Suweis, Samir; Tamea, Stefania; Tuninetti, Marta
Potential sea level rise for the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana
Situated in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain of the Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative (GCP LCC), the Chitimacha Tribe is one of four federally recognized tribes in Louisiana. The Tribal seat, trust lands/ reservation, and adjacent Tribal owned lands are located near Charenton, Louisiana, totaling nearly 1,000 acres. The...
Spear, Kathryn A.; Jones, William; Griffith, Kereen; Tirpak, Blair E.; Walden, Kimberly Drivers and uncertainties of forecasted range shifts for warm-water fishes under climate and land cover change
Land cover is an important determinant of aquatic habitat and is projected to shift with climate changes, yet climate-driven land cover changes are rarely factored into climate assessments. To quantify impacts and uncertainty of coupled climate and land cover change on warm-water fish species’ distributions, we used an ensemble model approach to...
Bouska, Kristen L.; Whitledge, Gregory W.; Lant, Christopher; Schoof, Justin