Welcome to the US Forest Service,
Rocky Mountain Research Station's home page.
I am very proud of our employees and the work that they do.
We are here to serve the American public, and through this website we have provided a host of information that
we think will help you understand our natural environment. Our research results help decision makers
develop informed choices about the conservation of natural resources. Please explore our website and
learn what we have to offer. You will find links to websites for our research programs.
The Station's published research is available free of charge through this website.
our welcome video.
Science Now
What’s Happening to the Western Aspen?
Those who live in the western mountain areas look forward to the spectacular fall coloration of aspen. But some aspen stands are dying here in the West, with many stands being replaced by conifers, prompting researchers to examine the reasons and look for the best restoration methods.
Bark Beetles: Not All Bad?
Bark beetles have taken a toll on the coniferous forests of the west, and it’s not a pretty sight. The beetle outbreaks have left behind acres and acres of dead trees with rust-colored needles. But the outbreaks are not all bad. Tree die-offs affect the scenery and introduce management challenges in high-value areas such as ski areas, campgrounds, and sites managed for forest products. But the bark beetles have a place in ecological processes such as nutrient cycling, providing food and habitat for wildlife.
How Lynx Choose Dens
Finding a suitable home is an important challenge facing Canada lynx, a species listed in 2000 as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. But the specific type of habitat the Canada lynx prefer hasn’t been well defined, which makes managing the ecosystems that affect the lynx difficult. A new study that tracked lynx habitat behavior from 1999 to 2006 helps answer some of the questions about lynx habitat.
Are Wildfires Good for Amphibians?
Boreal toads like it hot. Although wildfires can threaten some sensitive species, a recent study finds that certain amphibians are resistant, and boreal toads might even benefit from wildfires.
Domestic Sheep Bad Company for Bighorn Sheep?
Researchers have long suspected that domestic sheep might be bad neighbors for bighorn sheep. Contact between these species could cause various diseases in bighorn sheep. A new review of studies finds support for this theory, adding another piece to the complicated puzzle of managing bighorn sheep, some of which share space with domestic sheep and goats on National Forest System (NFS) lands.
What's New
2008 Strategic Framework Update
The
2008 Strategic Framework Update
has recently been published. This and the
Strategic Framework (2003)
will help guide the station over the next decade. It is the product
of a dialog with our stakeholders and employees to examine the
station’s capabilities, anticipate research issues, and describe our
future role.
Stream Temperature Modeling
Stream Temperature Modeling,
a site developed by the Air, Water and Aquatics Science Program,
describes three different statistical procedures for predicting suitable fish habitat by modeling or inferring stream temperature. Statistical temperature models are well suited for broad-scale applications because they are less data intensive than mechanistic stream models, provide estimates of parameter precision, and can often be easily derived from existing databases.
2008 RMRS Research Accomplishments Report
The 2008 RMRS Research Accomplishments report
highlights the station's activities in 2008, including long-term research at experimental forests and rangelands, conserving biological diversity in
research natural areas, conservation education, and science and resource management.
Middle Rio Grande Basin Research Report
The 2008
Middle Rio Grande Basin Research Report
on the
understanding, conserving, and
restoring southwestern ecosystems
is available.
An ecosystem is rarely static. A natural system composed of plants, animals, and
microorganisms interacting with an area’s physical factors, an ecosystem is always
fluctuating and evolving. But sometimes, often at the hands of humans, ecosystems
change too much. Such is the case with many of the ecosystems of the Middle Rio
Grande Basin of New Mexico.
Treesearch citation.
Invasive Species Science Update Newsletter
The
Invasive Species Science Update
newsletter publishes contributions concerning the ecology and management of invasive species. Articles in this
second
issue
include
fire effects on invasive species
and
biological control of invasive plants.
The newsletter will be published three times yearly.
Recent Publications
Visit
RMRS Publications for
access to all station publications. Printed copies of all station publications can be
ordered
free of charge.
For externally refereed publications, visit either