USGS FRESC: Research Themes

FRESC Research - Change & Disturbance

Species and habitats can be affected by both natural and human-associated disturbances, such as climate change, extreme weather, wildfire, invasive species, contaminants, urbanization, and energy development. Organisms have different abilities to adapt to changes, so some events can be catastrophic to one species and inconsequential to another, resulting in a complex of interacting effects on communities, ecosystems and landscapes. FRESC scientists study the effects of disturbances on aquatic and terrestrial species, biogeochemistry, habitat connectivity, restoration, water quality, and landscape patterns.

Research Efforts:

Climate Change

Climate and Aquatic Ecosystems	Effects of Climate Change and Other Environmental Stressors on Water Birds and Their Habitats
Climate and Ecosystem Biogeochemistry	Nitrogen Deficiency and Excess in Forests: Patterns, Mechanisms and Management
Climate Responses of Dominant Wildland Species and Ecosystems	Water Temperature in Rivers and Streams
Developing Tools for Climate Change Adaptation

Contaminants

Contaminant Bioaccumulation through Food Webs	Mercury Cycling and Effects on Ecological Communities
Ecological Effects of Contaminants	Raptor Biology, Ecology, and Land-Use Effects
Habitat and Land-Use Influences on Contaminant Bioaccumulation

Fire

Fire Effects and Forest Recovery	Fire, Fuel Treatments, and Restoration Ecology
Fire Rehabilitation Effects and Effectiveness	Role of Fire and Fuels in Ecological Restoration

Human Influence

Applied Statistical Methods and Tools	Effects of Wind Energy Development on Wildlife
Effects of Management on Wildlife and Habitats	Restoration of Shrub Steppe Ecosystems

Invasive Species

Aquatic Invasive Species	Threat of Invasives to Native Species and Ecosystems
Invasive Species Ecology

Multiple Disturbances

Avian Habitat Relationships	Landscape Patterns and Disturbance
Collaborative Partnering in Science and Land Management	Modeling Disturbance and Ecosystem Change at Landscape Scales
Declining Amphibians	Role of Human and Natural Disturbance in Shaping Sagebrush Ecosystems
Disturbance History in Natural Communities	Terrestrial Vegetation Dynamics
Ecology of Aspen-Associated Avian Species	Wildlife Responses to Climate, Land Use, and Invasive Species
Fire and Other Disturbance Effects, Soil Erosion, and Restoration in Sagebrush Steppe

Sensitive Species

Ecology of Rare and Declining Species and Communities of Conservation Concern

Habitat and Population Connectivity in Sagebrush Ecosystems