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U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Photo by Terry Steele

 Fact Sheet 2005-3004

 January 2005

Biological Science in the Great Basin

Biological Science Capabilities

• Aquatic and riparian ecology • Migratory birds

• Contaminants • Rangeland ecology

• Fire ecology • Restoration

• Invasive species • Wetland ecology 

• Landscape ecology • Wildlife biology

the habitat use and migratory patterns of an isolated greater 

sage-grouse population in Mono County. Information gathered 

will be incorporated into a species conservation plan to help 

improve population management and guide future land-use 

decisions in this region.

Rangeland Health 

Assessments

On a bright day 

with patchy clouds 

in the sky, 30 participants from federal 

agencies, non-profit 

organizations, and 

private industry gather 

in eastern Oregon 

to participate in a 

rangeland health training session offered 

jointly by the USGS and the Bureau of Land Management. Rangelands are natural ecosystems where the 

native vegetation consists predominantly of shrubs, 

The Great Basin is an expanse of desert and high mountains situated between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra 

Nevada of the western United States. The most explicit 

description of the Great Basin is that area in the West where 

surface waters drain inland. In other words, the Great Basin 

is comprised of many separate drainage areas – each with 

no outlet. What at first glance may appear as only a barren 

landscape, the Great Basin upon closer inspection reveals 

island mountains, sagebrush seas, and intermittent aquatic 

habitats, all teeming with an incredible number and variety 

of plants and animals. Biologists at the USGS are studying 

many different species and ecosystems in the Great Basin in 

order to provide information about this landscape for policy 

and land-management decision-making. The following stories 

represent a few of the many projects the USGS is conducting 

in the Great Basin.

Range-Wide Conservation Assessment of Greater 

Sage-Grouse and Sagebrush Habitats

Declining numbers of greater sage-grouse over the past 

three decades across most of their range, accompanied by 

increasing habitat degradation and loss, represent major 

conservation and management challenges. Eight petitions 

have been filed for listing of the greater sage-grouse under 

the Endangered Species Act since 1999. The USGS partnered 

with western state wildlife agencies to produce a Conservation 

Assessment of Greater Sage-Grouse and Sagebrush Habitats 

to unravel the complex group of factors contributing to sage 

grouse declines across the speciesʼ range. Agencies, private 

organizations, and landowners throughout the west can now 

use this assessment to understand which factors are detrimental to sage-grouse in their local area, state, or region. The 

assessment provides the best scientific information to date 

and was one of the primary tools used for status determination 

by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The document is also 

currently being used as a framework to develop conservation 

strategies throughout the West. The results of the assessment and a host of other pertinent information (maps, tables, 

figures, and documents) are available on the internet portal 

called SageMap (http://sagemap.wr.usgs.gov), which has 

been particularly successful in providing information about 

sage grouse and their habitats since its inception in 2001. At 

a more local level, USGS scientists in California are studying 
grasses, and herbaceous plants. Landowners, land managers, 

and extension specialists must assess the health of rangelands 

in order to know where to focus management efforts. In a 

collaborative effort, the USGS, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural 

Research Service, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation 

Service have jointly developed a system in which 17 indicators are used to gauge three attributes of rangeland health. A 

qualitative, observational procedure provides an assessment of 

the functional status of these indicators. This quick technique 

helps interpret rangeland health by providing an understanding 

about each attribute.

Restoring Cheated Shrublands

As the sun sets over eastern Oregon and southwestern 

Idaho, hot air from a shadeless day lingers over the expansive 

grassland. A vast landscape once covered by native shrubs, 

grasses, and herbaceous plants is now largely a monoculture 

of an exotic and invasive annual grass called cheatgrass. 

Cheatgrass has invaded and “cheated” native plants out of 

essential water and nutrients. It has created fuel loads that perpetuate fires on a nearly annual basis, threatening human communities, wildlife, and traditional ranching practices. USGS 

scientists are investigating techniques for removing cheatgrass 

and restoring native shrub and grass species in an effort to 

preserve the valuable lands that so many people, plants, and 

animals call home. 

Imperiled Fishes Grace Sacred Waters 

Pyramid Lake holds special traditional and cultural values 

to the Northern Paiute Indians of Nevada. The endangered cuiui, a favorite fish of the Northern Paiutes, is endemic to Pyramid Lake. Although affected by past practices and changing 

environmental conditions, unlike the Lahontan cutthroat trout 

that became locally 

extinct in Pyramid 

Lake during the 

1940s, cui-ui can 

live upwards of 50 

years, and this incredible longevity 

has allowed the species to survive. USGS scientists involved 

in species recovery planning have deciphered the cui-uiʼs 

complex life cycle and migrational pattern to assist managers in their attempts to link critical lake and river habitats to 

conserve the species. Current USGS studies are focused on 

improving stream flows and nursery conditions for young cuiuiʼs in order to preserve the species and its subsistence role in 

Native American lifestyles.

Contaminants Impacting Wildlife in the Great Basin

Mining is important in 

many portions of the Great 

Basin, and wildlife may be 

adversely affected by either 

present mining operations 

or wastes associated with 

historic mining. Perhaps the 

most serious historic mining contamination in the 

Great Basin is associated 

with the Comstock Lode. 

From 1859 to 1890, mercury was used to extract gold and 

silver from the ore using mills located along the Carson River 

to take advantage of waterpower. An estimated 7,500 tons of 

mercury were lost down the Carson River. Much of the river is 

now an EPA Superfund site. USGS researchers are conducting 

studies to evaluate effects of the mercury on black-crowned 

night-herons, snowy egrets, and double-crested cormorants, 

because mercury concentrations in the birds are among the 

highest reported in the world. USGS biologists have investigated current mining practices, where cyanide at gold mines 

in Nevada killed a large number of migratory birds from the 

mid-1980s through the early 1990s. USGS biologists documented the exposure of wildlife to cyanide, described wildlife 

reactions to cyanide solutions, and discussed procedures for 

eliminating wildlife loss from cyanide poisoning. Since then, 

substantial progress has been made at reducing wildlife loss. 

Contact:

USGS Biological Resources Discipline

Western Regional Biologist

909 1st Ave., 8th floor, Seattle, WA 98104

Phone: (206) 220-4600