Science & Technology

Recent Science Stories

How people manage their yards can help, or not help, native wildlife

Jane Hodgins, 

When you add it up, backyards make up the biggest chunk of green space found in cities. For urban ecologists, the persistent question is whether this habitat can sustain native species. Susannah Lerman, a research ecologist with the USDA Forest Service’s Northern Research Station, revisited research she conducted as part of her Ph.D. dissertation 13 years ago to discover whether trends she found in the number of bird species and the abundance of birds in Phoenix, Ariz., were holding true and, if so, what that means for native species in an increasingly urban world. Researchers found a…

A picture of a desert bird, the verdin, from the Phoenix, Arizona area.

Climate change

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Energy & Forest Products

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Fish, Wildlife and Plants

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Fire

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Forest Health

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  • Partner with landowners
  • Provide forest insect, disease, and invasive plant survey and monitoring information
  • Technical and financial assistance to prevent, suppress, and control outbreaks threatening forest resources
  • Cutting-edge research and tools

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Loss of Open Space

  • What is open space?
  • How are you affected?
  • What is the agency doing?
  • Quick facts

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People & Forests

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  • Ecosystem services
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Tools & Products

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Water, Air & Soil

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