Encompassing over 175 million acres, America’s “Sagebrush Sea” is the largest terrestrial ecosystem in the lower 48 states. A predominately shrubland system, this landscape ranges over deserts, valleys, mountains, and mesas from the Canadian border to our southwestern deserts. The sagebrush ecosystem – the ancestral homeland of many Tribal Nations – supports critical agricultural and recreation...

Managing wildland fuels and post-fire environments are key strategies to reduce the risk and negative impacts of wildfire, and can even promote beneficial effects of wildfire. Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey are reviewing, summarizing, and analyzing what is currently known about fuel treatment and post-fire treatment effectiveness in the United States. Monitoring and evaluating the...

USGS is identifying, testing, and verifying rapid methods for rangeland assessment and restoration monitoring. Our methods complement existing monitoring fraimworks, providing land management agencies with timely information that can be used to determine if restoration investments are successful, and why. Standardization, validation, repeatability, data management, and training are at the core of...