Climate, vegetation trends, big game topics 3/6: 2025 USGS webinar series

The US Geological Survey Land Management Research Program and the Great Basin Fire Science Exchange teamed up to bring you updates in sagebrush, fire, and wildlife related research. On 3/6/2025, USGS researchers, Matt Rigge, Martin Holdrege, and Shawn O’Neil shared research on vegetation trends and their relationships to climate, invasion, and disturbance, Gregor Siegmund, Alice Stears, Mike Duniway, and Gayle Tyree shared their latest research on planning and predicting succss of restoration treatments, and Will Janousek shared science on elk management. Below are the webinar recording and resources associated with each presentation.

To view a complete list of resources (completed and planned), please view the program for this slate of presentations.

3/6 – Climate, vegetation trends, and big game

Rangeland Condition Monitoring Assessment and Projection (RCMAP) vegetation trend summaries
Project webpage
Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium
RCMAP fractional component time-series data across western North America (1985-2023)

Integrating climate, sagebrush ecological integrity, and grazing
Project webpage
Observed wildfire frequency, modelled wildfire probability, climate, and fine fuels across the big sagebrush region in the western US

Influence of future climate scenarios on habitat and population dynamics of greater sage-grouse
Project webpage

Understanding and forecasting environmental controls over plant establishment in sagebrush ecosystems to enhance restoration success
Project webpage

Treatment and post-fire assessment tools for management of the sagebrush ecosystem
Project webpage

Science to support elk management efforts to reduce chronic wasting disease (CWD) risk
Project webpage