USGS Ecosystems Global Change Research
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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 > |
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. 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.
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Related USGS Programs
Additional Resources
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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.
Go to the Western Mountain Initiative website for more information, and access the WMI Fact Overview Sheet.
Photo: Tripod Fire, Washington State. Photograph by Philip Higuera, National Parks Ecological Research.
Featured Publication
Preview of Our Changing Planet is a report from the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research that supplements the President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2008.
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