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Monitoring Populations of Sage-Grouse: Proceedings of a Symposium at Idaho State University Hosted by University of Idaho and Idaho State University

The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and the Gunnison sage-grouse (C. minimus) are species of concern because of their population declines and shrinking geographic distributions. Of continuing interest is the question of population abundance and trends. This publication answers the questions that deal with sage-grouse population, More...

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Vegetation responses to natural regulation of elk in Rocky Mountain National Park

A quasi-experimental situation exists in Rocky Mountain National Park, where elk (Cervus elaphus) populations have increased 3-fold since 1968 following their release from artificial controls within the park. Increases in elk habitat use and decreases in deer habitat use were observed. Significant increases in cover of mosses and lichens occurred More...

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Biological Soil Crusts: An Introduction

The Biological Soil Crusts website studies the community of organisms that live at the surface of desert soils. Components include cyanobacteria, green algae, microfungi, mosses, liverworts, and lichens. The website discusses structure and formation of crusts, species composition, ecological functions (soil stability, water infiltration, effects More...

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Development of Ecological Indicator Guilds

The whole study, conducted at Fort Benning, Georgia, partially funded through the US Army, involves testing of water and soil quality, physical and biotic indicators of stress at both the population and community level. Anthropogenic stress in the present study comes from disturbance by vehicles, particularly tanks used in army training, and from More...

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Symbiosis as a Potential Mechanism of Non-Indigenous Plant Invasiveness and Novel Control Strategy

The objective of this research is to determine if symbiotic fungi are responsible for the invasiveness of plants in non-native habitats. One of the least studied but critical aspects of plant community structure and dynamics involves symbiotic interactions with endophytic and mycorrhizal fungi. In the last several decades it has become apparent More...

  • Image of growth enhancements in tomato plants

Reducing Pesticide Pollution of Aquatic Ecosystems

In an attempt to decrease pesticide pollution of aquatic ecosystems, we have begun a project to develop biological control agents to protect plants against fungal diseases. This study has three objectives: (1) understanding how fungi cause disease; (2) understanding how plants that are symbiotic with certain fungi are resistant to fungal diseases; More...

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Wyoming Sagebrush Fire

Periodic fire is a natural part of sagebrush steppe ecosystems in the Great Basin. However, a suite of human-caused factors has dramatically changed fire regimes in many of these systems. Decades of fire suppression and livestock grazing have produced dense, single-aged sagebrush stands and invasion by cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) has increased More...

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Fire and Fire Surrogate Study Sequoia National Park Site

The Fire and Fire Surrogate study is a network of 13 long-term sites established nationwide to evaluate the ecosystem impacts of different fire hazard reduction treatment in forests that historically experienced short-interval, low- to moderate-severity fire regimes. The fuel reduction treatments being investigated by USGS researchers at Sequoia More...

  • Forest Fire

Effectiveness of Postfire Seeding to Reduce Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) Growth and Reproduction in Recently Burned Sagebrush Steppe

This web resource addresses the positive relationship between cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and fire frequency as a major concern for land managers in semi-arid shrublands throughout western North America, particularly in Great Basin sagebrush steppe. Management tools are needed to break this cycle, and in this project we will evaluate the use of More...

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SAGEMAP: GIS Database for Sage Grouse and Shrubsteppe Management in the Intermountain West

SAGEMAP - Spatial Data for Sage Grouse and Shrubsteppe Systems is needed for research and management of sage grouse and sagebrush steppe habitats in the western United States. This website is a product of the NBII Great Basin Information Project. Find out more from this resource on sage grouse as endangered species, habitat information, More...

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Evaluation of Water Level Reduction as a Habitat Management Tool for the Upper Mississippi River

The diversity of habitat types, plants, and animals in the Upper Mississippi River has declined considerably over the last 50 years, creating loss of aquatic vegetation, loss of islands and side channels behind dams, and changes in river sediments, potentially caused by the method of managing water levels, which maintains artificially high water More...

  • Pool 8 - Reach 1 - Upper Mississippi River

Impact of invasive species on reptiles and amphibians

Native amphibian and reptile populations worldwide are under threat from exotic invasive species of plants and animals, including other reptiles and amphibians. As habitats are changed and plant community organization is modified by exotic species, delicate relationships between plants and animals are altered or eliminated, creating a negative More...

  • Green turtle (Chelonia mydas L.)