The Biological Resources Discipline (BRD) is a program of the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

(USGS). Its stated task is to work with other stakeholders to provide the scientific understanding and technologies needed to support the sound management and conservation of the United States' biological resources.

General principles

The following are "general principles" the BRD states guide the implementation of its mission and form the basis of its strategic planning: * BRD develops scientific and statistically reliable methods and protocols to assess the status and trends of the United States's biological resources. * BRD utilizes tools from the biological, physical, and

social science Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soc ...

s to understand the causes of biological and ecological trends and to predict the ecological consequences of management practices. * BRD leads in the development and use of the technologies needed to synthesize, analyze, and disseminate biological and ecological information. * BRD strives for quality, integrity, and credibility of its research and technology by constantly improving its scientific programs through internal quality control, external

peer review Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

, and competitive funding. * BRD enters into partnerships with scientific collaborators to produce high-quality scientific information and partnerships with the users of scientific information to ensure this information's relevance and application to real problems. * BRD provides reliable scientific information to all American citizens while recognizing a special obligation to serve the biological information needs of Department of the Interior bureaus.

References

External links

Official site
United States Geological Survey {{US-gov-stub