WASHINGTON, DC—Need the best available science? Have a critical restoration project? Want to connect communities to the resources they depend on? We've got you. In Research and Development, our scientists are conducting in-depth ecological research to empower and serve all employees, the public and the planet alike. When we better understand how organisms relate to one another and how energy, nutrients and other resources flow through their environments, we can all do our part better to care for these amazing lands.

Some examples of recent ecological research in the agency include assessing how logging beetle-killed trees affects the Canadian lynx and developing noninvasive methods for monitoring the northern spotted owl. Additionally, scientists are analyzing how human land use might impair species as they migrate in response to climate change. This research can inform and improve how we interact with and steward our natural lands. 

By collecting long-term data about how different elements of an ecosystem relate to and interact with each other, agency scientists and partners are able to track environmental changes over time. After assessing their results, they develop new ways to simulate processes that would take too long to observe naturally and predict what might happen within ecosystems. Finally, they work with many groups — including other governmental agencies, state and private foresters and concerned community members — to develop science-informed management strategies.

Our nation’s forests and grasslands play key roles in mitigating climate change, supplying clean water and air and meeting our needs for food, fiber and fuel. By studying the ecology of forests and grasslands, Forest Service scientists gain a better understanding of how to sustain these interconnected natural networks.