Science Features are a great way to find out about the science activities conducted at the FORT both in the past and today. Written in plain english, science features highlight the exciting work conducted everyday by FORT Scientists.
With an increasing human population and a finite supply of water, management of rivers and their associated ecosystems is becoming an ever-more complicated issue for decision-makers across the Nation. Smart River GIS allows simultaneous views of river hydraulics, species-specific habitat, and fish population simulations, for a better understanding of complex ecological interactions.
For many years, researchers at the USGS Fort Collins Science Center have led ongoing research projects that address climate change and its direct and indirect impacts to living resources. Recent studies have found not only that climate change has its own particular impacts, but that temperature changes can exacerbate the effects of more traditional disturbances, like air pollution, drought, or habitat loss.