Skip to Main Content
- Follow Us:
Evidence of drought on public grazing land in Malheur County, Oregon, during summer 2021. Photo courtesy of the Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) 2021.
Droughts—prolonged times of low precipitation that occur periodically—are becoming more severe with climate change.
A watershed in southeast Alaska draining into the Gulf of Alaska. USDA Forest Service photo by Rick Edwards.
The rivers of southeast Alaska annually drain an incredible amount of water rich in dissolved organic carbon into the Gulf of Alaska.
Interior Alaska’s boreal forest was inventoried by the Forest Inventory and Analysis program. USDA Forest Service photo.
About one-third of the world’s forested area is boreal forest, making it important in global biogeochemical cycles.
Willows (technically shrubs) in the upper Ship Creek drainage, near Anchorage, Alaska. USDA Forest Service photo by Hans-Erik Andersen
Rapid climate warming over the past half century has increased the total shrub cover and size of individual shrubs across arctic and boreal ecosystems.
A researcher collects soil samples from volcanic-derived soil in the Heén Latinee Experimental Forest within the Tongass National Forest, Alaska. These samples were later analyzed to determine the carbon content. USDA Forest Service photo by Dave D'Amore.
Soil absorbs an estimated 30 percent of fossil fuel carbon emissions.
Researchers can calculate aboveground biomass and identify tree species from this type of 3-dimensional imagery. Image courtesy of Mike Alonzo.
Alaska’s boreal forests are vast and remote, making it challenging to accurately monitor forest struc
A plot with heaving logging debris one year after the forest harvest in Matlock, Washington. USDA Forest Service photo by Dave Peter.
Harvesting methods such as clearcutting can disrupt the native plant community, leaving the site vulnerable to invasion by non-native plants like Scotch broom.
Fire Effects Monitor Dustin Smith taking field weather observations. National Interagency Fire Center photo by Kari Greer.
Predicting the weather is notoriously complicated, which can be a challenge for fire managers.
A frozen, snow-covered stream in northern Alaska serves a winter snowmachine trail. Photo courtesy of Kean Mihata, Western Arctic National Parklands/Flickr.
In northern Alaska, frozen rivers often serve as winter roads.
An aerial view of the braided waterways on the Copper River Delta, Alaska. Coho salmon are visible in the center channel, holding in deeper water while they wait to spawn in the smaller channels. USDA Forest Service photo by Steve Wondzell.
Alaska’s Copper River Delta is renowned for its salmon.
