Research Associates monitor landscape recovery after wildfires, tracking erosion, mapping weeds and evaluating the recovery of native plant species across the western states. Post fire recovery efforts stabilize soils to reduce susceptibility to wind and water erosion and to protect watersheds. Rangeland managers rehabilitate fire scars to desired conditions, ensuring public lands remain productive, functional ecosystems that provide for wildlife, grazing and recreation. Several native wildlife ESA candidate species, including sage-grouse and pygmy rabbit, are sagebrush-obligates and are sensitive to habitat disturbance, such as high severity wildfire. Restoring sagebrush habitats is essential for the survival of these species. 

The Great Basin Institute provided field technicians to implement Level I Spring Inventories in Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, and Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Hiking cross-country, teams collected data on hundreds of springs, assessing water quality and turbidity, source substrata, surrounding plant communities, and use by wildlife. Data on the presence of rare, endemic spring snails was also collected. Upon completion of the field surveys, the populate databases with detailed biological and hydrologic data and photo points of each spring.

In 2014, GBI signed an agreement with the National Park Service, Mojave Network (Great Basin NP, Mojave National Preserve, Lake Mead NRA, Death Valley NP, Manzanar National Historic Site, Joshua Tree NP, and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument) for Research Associate botanists to implement integrated Upland Monitoring protocol on upland areas (away from riparian areas) throughout these parks. As part of the Vital Signs Monitoring Program, standardized data on vegetation change, invasive species, and soils supports NPS management of natural resources.

Springs in Nevada’s Winnemucca District provide essential brood habitat for sage-grouse and are also valuable to other wildlife, ranching operations, hunters and recreational land users. GBI technicians take to the backcountry through prime sage-grouse habitat in order to conduct inventory and assessment of these springs.  Surveys assess the condition, health and flow of springs, and provide inventories of native and invasive plants, and the environmental impact of horses, cattle, and humans. This work provides the BLM with spring assessment data, detailing habitat vitality and potential threats to the health of these important sources of life in the arid backcountry.

Research Associates mapped, documented and measured the health of more than 300 springs in the BLM’s Winnemucca District.