Welcome to the Southwest Biological Science Center
Terrestrial Systems: Ecology, Biology, and Restoration
High-Flow Experiments on the Colorado River
SBSC Tribal Partnerships
Southwest Biological Science Center
Welcome to the Southwest Biological Science Center! We conduct quality, objective research on the terrestrial and aquatic systems of the Colorado Plateau, Colorado River and its tributaries, drylands across the larger Southwest US, and beyond.
Terrestrial Dryland Ecology (TDE)
Terrestrial Dryland Ecology (TDE)
The Terrestrial Dryland Ecology (TDE) Branch of the SBSC studies the biology, ecology,and processes of semi-arid and arid lands (known as drylands). TDE researchers study plant-soil-water relationships and the wildlife found in drylands.
GCMRC, River Ecosystem Science & Lake Powell Research
GCMRC, River Ecosystem Science & Lake Powell Research
The River Ecosystem Science (RES) Branch of the SBSC, which includes the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC), studies the biology, ecology, and processes of rivers in the western United States, with an emphasis on the Southwest.
Quick Links
Quick Links
- New Tools for Modern Land Management Decisions
- Research supporting native plant restoration across the Colorado Plateau & beyo…
- Restoration Assessment & Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS)
- SBSC Tribal Partnerships
- The Southwest Repeat Photography Collection
- Modeling the impacts of Glen Canyon Dam operations on downstream Colorado River…
- Colorado River Basin Science across the USGS
News
Biological Science Technician jobs open at the SBSC
Biological Science Technician jobs open at the SBSC
In a recently published study, FORT scientists and collaborators synthesize data from 26,729 post-burn vegetation plots to determine the effects of fire and climate on non-native plant invasion
In a recently published study, FORT scientists and collaborators synthesize data from 26,729 post-burn vegetation plots to determine the effects of fire and climate on non-native plant invasion
Historic photographs and records show profound transformation of a dryland river over the last 100 years
Historic photographs and records show profound transformation of a dryland river over the last 100 years
Publications
Modeling the impacts of Glen Canyon Dam operations on Colorado River resources
At the time of this report, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is writing two supplemental Environmental Impact Statements (sEIS ) and a new Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will analyze the effects of changing water flow out of Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) (U.S. Department of Interior, 2024). These actions have the potential to affect downstream resources, including threatened and endanger
Fishes move to transient local refuges, not persistent landscape refuges during river drying experiment
Anthropogenically driven flow intermittency is increasing in freshwater streams, with important implications for the management and conservation of aquatic ecosystems. Because most freshwater fishes are mobile, they are expected to emigrate from intermittent reaches, but this may not be true in streams transitioning from perennial to intermittent. Here, we attempt to determine if riverine fishes v
Multiple stressors mediate the effects of warming on leaf decomposition in a large regulated river
Predicting how increasing temperatures interact with other global change drivers to influence the structure and dynamics of Earth's ecosystems is a primary challenge in ecology. Our study made use of multiple simultaneous “natural experiments” to examine how rapid warming, declining nutrients, invasive consumers, and riparian invasive species management interact to influence leaf decomposition in
Science
Rainbow Trout in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon
Rainbow trout are a desirable sport fish that have been introduced in many locations around the world, including the Colorado River. Although introductions of rainbow trout and other nonnative fishes provide recreational fishing opportunities, they can also pose threats to native fish populations. The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program has tasked scientists and managers with identifying...
USGS Colorado River Basin Science
Click on the image blocks below & the Science, Tools, and News tabs to learn more about USGS science across the Colorado River Basin.
Modeling the impacts of Glen Canyon Dam operations on downstream Colorado River resources
USGS Southwest Biological Science Center's Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center leadership and PIs prepared a cooperator publication and a presentation that report on modeling results to evaluate potential effects of reservoir management on various resources in Lake Powell and Grand Canyon.