USGS Submissions

Previous studies have established that livestock grazing in sagebrush habitats affects wildlife species that depend on healthy sagebrush. USGS scientists evaluated existing datasets about sagebrush ecosystems managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in six states to determine the range-wide effects of grazing. Results showed that in general, local monitoring data were not collected consistently to support range-wide analyses, and more standardized data collection is required for analyses at broader scales.

Identifying critical landscapes for wildlife before human developments proceed is a critical step for proactive conservation necessary to maintain far-ranging populations.  We used remotely sensed climate, land cover, and human impact data to identify habitat relationships conducive to golden eagle nesting sites across Wyoming.  Mapping habitat quality for nesting golden eagles gives multiple stakeholders the science-based tools necessary to make complex management decisions.  Using habitat maps and wind energy potential maps, a “SWOT” analysis (Strengths, Weakness, Opportuni

Escaped Burmese pythons are believed to be severely affecting the Everglades National Park ecosystem by consuming large numbers of native prey animals. These prey animals include federally endangered species (for example Key Largo woodrats and wood storks) and Species of Concern in Florida (for example limpkin and round-tailed muskrats). A better understanding of the ecological impacts of pythons is required to protect natural resources and prioritize python control efforts.

Crocodilians are present throughout virtually all Everglades freshwater wetlands and estuarine areas. Everglades National Park has undergone a number of hydrological engineering projects to improve water delivery to south Florida that impact the health of this ecosystem. Crocodiles and alligators are among top predators within the Greater Everglades ecosystem, and the   impacts are a concern for all life stages. Crocodilian response is directly related to suitability of environmental conditions and hydrologic change.

Dams provide beneficial functions such as flood control, recreation, and water supply, but they also entail risk. The State of Oklahoma requires each owner of a high-hazard dam to develop an emergency action plan that includes a hydraulic model simulation and inundation maps for a flood resulting from a possible dam breach. An area of concern lies near the City of Lawton, Oklahoma.

Measuring surface motion at Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes is critical for tracking eruptive activity and volcanic unrest in Hawaii.

The USGS uses AVHRR satellite data and weather information to assess fuel conditions and create the Fire Potential Index (FPI) to identify areas most susceptible to fire ignition. The forecast for large fire probability has been improved to include all land nationwide. The forecast is based upon historical large fire occurrence from the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity project and FPI. The USGS produces 7-day forecast maps showing the probability distributions for the number of ignitions and number of large fires (>1000 acres) for each Predictive Service Area (PSA).

The City of Miami, Oklahoma, is at risk from frequent and severe flooding. A flood on July 5, 2007, caused extensive damage in the city and forced the evacuation of approximately 1,700 people from 500 homes and 30 businesses. To help Miami with flood preparation and response, the USGS and U.S Army Corps of Engineers used high-resolution airborne lidar elevation survey data and a hydraulic model to generate 78 digital flood inundation maps for Miami and surrounding areas.

A digital library of flood-inundation maps is being produced for St. Paul, Minnesota, in a geographic information system by combining results from a one-dimensional hydraulic model with high-resolution digital elevation data. The high-resolution digital elevation data, obtained from aerial lidar sensors, and aerial photography (National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP)) provided a backdrop for the flood inundation maps.

The USGS uses remote sensing to map wildland fuel in the United States. USGS leads the Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools (LANDFIRE) program, which provides consistent and comprehensive maps and data describing vegetation, wildland fuel, and fire regimes across the United States, and (recently) in US-affiliated insular areas in the Pacific and Caribbean regions.