USGS Ecosystems Global Change Research
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The USGS Global Change Research Program site describes USGS participation in the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) in the area of biology.
This work is conducted under the Biological Resources Discipline's (BRD) Ecosystems Program Element. BRD's global change activities contribute to the broader global change programs of the USGS and the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Climate Change Science Program.
A primary focus of BRD global change research and monitoring is on the effects of global change on Department of Interior lands and resources. |
| Newly-released USGS information from 9 recent studies presents relationships of polar bears to present and future sea ice environments. More on USGS Polar Bears > |
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Following the links below, you can see the list of current projects (2004-2008), or browse research conducted in the previous program cycle (1999-2003) by thematic areas:
To see projects from 1999-2003 grouped by Science Center, visit the Ecosystems Global Change Research by Science Center page.
For related USGS resources on Western Mountain Initiative, visit the WMI page.
Crown of the Continent Newsweek Videos - A collection of videos created by Newsweek on the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem, Glacier National Park, Montana. Listen to USGS NOROCK scientist Dan Fagre, USGS West Glacier Field Station, as he describes the impact of climate change on this "jewel" ecosystem.
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Related USGS Programs
Additional Resources
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 Publications in .PDF format require Adobe Reader. Go to the Adobe website to Download the latest version of Adobe Reader.
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Partnership in Action
Western Mountain Initiative:
Predicting Ecosystem Responses to Climate Change - Irreplaceable resources such as water, timber, biodiversity and recreational opportunities are all being affected by the earth's global changing climate. Ecological disturbances - wildfire, insect outbreaks, and the spread of invasive species - are also accelerating and changing the earth's ecosystems. US Geological Survey (USGS) and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) scientists are collaborating with WMI and university partners to study and better understand global trends in mountain ecosystems in the western United States, and to be able to predict the responses, with an emphasis on sensitivities, thresholds, resistance, and resilience to climatic variability and change.
WMI Fact Overview Sheet
Photo: Tripod Fire, Washington State. Photograph by Philip Higuera, National Parks Ecological Research.
Featured Publication
 A recent article from the National Wetlands Research Center examines how plant populations may adapt to environmental conditions over time by developing genetically based morphological or physiological characteristics. Using baldcypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) L.C. Rich) from the southeastern United States, findings suggest that adaptations of coastal baldcypress to broad (rather than narrow) environmental conditions may promote ecophysiological and growth enhancements under a range of global-change-induced stressors, perhaps reflecting a natural resilience to environmental change while precluding adaptations for specific flood regimes.
For more information contact
Ken W. Krauss, National Wetlands Research Center.
Krauss, K.W., Doyle, T.W., and Howard, R.J. Is there evidence of adaptation to tidal flooding in saplings of baldcypress subjected to different salinity regimes? Environmental and Experimental Botany, Volume 67, Issue 1, November 2009, Pages 118-126. doi:10.1016/j.envexpbot.2009.05.005
Online abstract >>
For a list of featured Global Change Research publications, visit the Global Change Featured Publications page.
Additional Resource
 FORT science is largely driven by the needs of the DOI and other clients and partners. With change agents such as warming temperatures and the attendant complications described above, managers have their hands full as they strive to keep ecosystems functioning and native species from becoming listed or disappearing altogether while balancing this with other human needs and activities. The scientists and other specialists at the Fort Collins Science Center have the breadth and depth of expertise to meet managers’ ongoing needs and new challenges brought about by the cascading effects of climate change. Visit Fort Collins Science Center's Climate Change page >>
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
