FWS

Abandoned gas and oil wells are commonly a source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and can leak hydrocarbon-related fluids such as oil or brine, particularly when unplugged wells go undetected over long periods. Older wells are challenging to discover when vegetation has overgrown abandoned sites. As in other parts of the country, FWS National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) in Oklahoma and Texas contain a large number of abandoned wells from historical oil and gas development.

Mixed composition and bottomland hardwood forests are essential habitat for imperiled songbird populations on Texas and Oklahoma National Wildlife Refuges (NWR). Point-count data were collected for focal songbird species on five refuges together with remotely sensed data to estimate densities and model habitat relationships.

Sea level rise inundation on important Department of Interior (DOI) conservation lands was estimated using U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) high-resolution light detection and ranging (lidar) data coupled with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) models.

Accelerating declines and geographic shifts of salt marshes and species of conservation concern in the northeastern United States have prompted land managers to revise management objectives and monitoring methods to inform decision making.

Nearly 1 million Attwater’s greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri) once occupied 6 million acres of coastal prairie grasslands in Texas and Louisiana. Loss and fragmentation of habitat nearly drove this species to extinction, and it was listed as endangered in 1967. Today, two populations have been established in the wild through release of captive-reared birds.

Preserving avian flyway connectivity has long been challenged by our capacity to meaningfully quantify continental habitat dynamics and bird movements at the temporal and spatial scales underlying long-distance migrations. Waterbirds migrating hundreds or thousands of kilometers depend on networks of wetland stopover sites to rest and refuel.

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS)-National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) Virtual Pitch Fest, virtually hosted in early June 2020, was a creative collaboration inspired by the need for virtual connection due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Forested animal habitat is impacted by disturbance agents such as wind, insect outbreaks, fire, silvicultural treatments, and climate change.

Continuous data on vegetation cover, height, and relative density are increasingly sought as useful metrics for determining animal habitat conditions across large areas. Airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) multi-return information provides a ready source of remotely sensed data that can directly estimate vegetation height and cover at appropriate spatial scales. The U.S.