Biology In Your Backyard
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At least 13 amphibian species are found on the Colorado Plateau, although some have very limited distributions in this bioregion. Amphibian declines have been documented in many parts of the world, but knowledge of amphibians on the Colorado Plateau is inadequate to determine population status or trends for most species. We have yet to even delineate distribution across the Colorado Plateau for some species, much less be able to state whether a species is declining. (more...)  ustsBiological soil crusts are commonly found in semiarid and arid environments throughout the world. Areas in the United States where crusts are a prominent feature of the landscape include the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, Sonoran Desert, and the inner Columbia Basin. Crusts are also found in agricultural areas, native prairies, and Alaska. Outside the United States, crusts have been studied in the Antarctic, Australia, and Israel, among other locations. In fact, microbiotic crusts have been found on all continents and in most habitats, leaving few areas crust free. (more...)  iesScientists from NASA, Colorado State University, and the Fort Collins Science Center (CO) have combined expertise to develop the Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS), a new Web-based tool to combat invasive plant species across the United States. The ISFS links data on occurrence, field information on species abundance and spread, and NASA satellite data to analyze past and present distributions of non-native plants and predict their future distribution and abundance, based on ecological factors. Land and resource managers can use the ISFS to generate color-coded maps that will help them limit the spread of existing invaders and prevent new invasions. Data used in model development included results of vegetation studies at Grand-Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Ephemeral pools can be found in many parts of the world. These pools range in size from small rock basins holding no more than 1-2 liters, to large vernal lakes covering hundreds of hectares. They occur at high elevations, below sea level, on bedrock, and on very old soils. They fill in different seasons depending on climatic patterns, and may have a single annual wet phase, or fill and dry many times a year. (more...) Fire rehabilitation programs have existed within federal agencies since the early 1960s. However, formal policies, for example, Emergency Fire Rehabilitation, were not established until the mid 1980s. The main goals of the policy were to protect sites from soil erosion and to minimize potential changes in vegetation communities that may result from the dominance of weedy species. (more...) Greater Sage-Grouse currently inhabit 56% of their historic range, leaving some populations isolated from each other. Questions remain about the genetic viability of and distinctions between different populations of this bird. Scientists from the Fort Collins Science Center (CO) are completing DNA analysis of Greater Sage-Grouse sampled across their entire range of 11 states (including Utah) and two Canadian provinces. These data will provide information to help understand gene flow, genetic diversity, and evolutionary history between many populations of grouse and enable comparisons between all surveyed populations. With this information, managers can develop species-wide management strategies that take into account the entire "genetic landscape" of this species.  reScientists at the Fort Collins Science Center (CO) are developing the Southwest Information Node (SWIN) of the National Biological Information Infrastructure to provide access to hundreds of biological databases and a suite of information tools tailored to address the complex environmental issues of the Southwest. SWIN will let users browse, model, map, simulate, forecast, interpret, and visualize biological and environmental conditions and processes. Current tools include a searchable database of scientific research and collection activities on federal lands in southwestern states; an interactive GIS map viewer; a GIS-based decision support system addressing critical habitat for threatened and endangered species; and, in partnership with New Mexico State University, an index of water, drought, and fire-related datasets from state and federal agencies. The recent decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to not list greater sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act was based on an assessment of long-term, range-wide factors that influence populations and the sagebrush habitats on which they depend. (more...) Although cheatgrass has been widely distributed across western rangelands for >70 years, the full ecologic and economic impacts of this non-native invasive plant have not yet occurred. Unfortunately, several independent lines of evidence indicate that the rate at which acreage becomes infested with cheatgrass is increasing rapidly. (more...) The goal of this project is to develop a study design that, when implemented, will provide the information needed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to evaluate harvest proposals and ensure that an expanded harvest does not pose a threat to golden populations. (more...)  lagueThe federally endangered black-footed ferret, on the rebound from near extinction, still faces serious recovery obstacles. One of them, sylvatic plague, is found in the prairie dog colonies upon which the ferrets depend. Eliminating plague from prairie dog colonies is essential for ferret recovery, so researchers at the Fort Collins Science Center (CO) are testing two approaches. One involves developing vaccines against plague for both of these animals, currently in field trials. A second approach involves eliminating or reducing the incidence of plague from test areas by reducing the population of fleas that transmit the disease. Scientists are assessing the efficacy and cost of flea control dusting in burrows and are measuring the responses of prairie dog and other associated mammal populations. Wildlife and Terrestrial Resources 5-year goal: Develop tools such as predictive models, decision support, and expert systems for science-based management of wildlife and plant populations and their habitats. (more...)  Reestablishment of Utah Prairie Dog PopulationsAlthough methods for translocating Utah prairie dogs have been refined over the past 25 years, post-release loss rates remain high at many sites, and persistence of populations is low. Biologists at the Fort Collins Science Center (CO) are testing methods to improve the short-term retention and survival of prairie dogs at release sites, including visual barrier fences and electric fencing to temporarily restrict the post-release movements of prairie dogs, and artificial burrow structures and mowing to increase the attractiveness of sites to prairie dogs. Additional longer term studies are being conducted to investigate effects of plague and habitat quality on populations.  As a species of conservation concern, the Marbled Godwit is the focus for a recently initiated international shorebird conservation effort, the Tri-National Marbled Godwit Initiative. This initiative aims to take a large-scale view in developing a hemispheric conservation plan for this medium-sized shorebird. Relatively little is known about Marbled Godwits during migration, especially the key stopover sites used during both spring and fall migration. At the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Fort Collins Science Center (CO) researchers attached lightweight solar-powered satellite transmitters to two birds, which have been providing information as to their routes, length of stay at stopover sites, and where they settled to breed. The satellite transmitters are expected to send data for up to two years. Managers can use this information to identify and prioritize areas used by these birds that are critical to their survival. |
U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://biology.usgs.gov/wro/backyard/ut.html
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Page Last Modified:
Monday, 23-Oct-2006 14:47:18 MDT
