Mojave Desert I&M Network
Inventory and Monitoring Program

The Mojave Desert I&M Network (MOJN) is one of 32 National Park Service inventory and monitoring networks developing Vital Signs Monitoring Plans to assess the condition of park ecosystems. The Inventory and Monitoring Program is a major component of the National Park Service’s strategy to preserve park natural resources "unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations"

The MOJN is composed of seven units managed by the National Park Service (NPS) in Arizona, California, and Nevada. The majority of network parks are within the Great Basin-Mojave Desert region, which forms a broad wedge between the Sierra Nevada, the Transverse ranges, the Southern Rocky Mountains, and the Columbia and Colorado plateaus.

The biota of MOJN parks are diverse and contain elements of neighboring ecosystems, including the Sonoran Desert (JOTR, LAME, MOJA), the Southern California Mountains (DEVA, JOTR, MANZ, MOJA), the Great Basin (GRBA), and the Colorado Plateau (PARA). Biological diversity across the network is concentrated primarily in riparian habitats (e.g. springs, oases, stream corridors), montane islands, and specialized habitats (e.g. sand dunes). The network parks contain a variety of regionally, nationally, and globally significant resources.

Network parks are often characterized by significant topographic relief and elevation gradients. These elevation gradients influence temperature regimes (though the interaction of air density, solar radiation, precipitation, and slope), soil development and ultimately the distribution of plant and animal communities across the region.

Park Name	Park Codes	Hectares	Elevation Range (m)
Death Valley National Park	DEVA	1,374,420	-86 to 3,368
Great Basin National Park	GRBA	31,194	1,615 to 3,981
Joshua Tree National Park	JOTR	321,327	0 to 1,772
Lake Mead National Recreation Area	LAME	521,346	152 to 1,719
Manzanar National Historical Site	MANZ	329	1,158
Mojave National Preserve	MOJA	619,923	274 to 2,438
Parashant National Monument	PARA	424,242b	366 to 2,447
		3,292,732	-86 to 3,981

 

Vital Signs Monitoring Program Goals

1. Determine the status and trends in selected indicators of park ecosystems to allow managers to make decisions based on the best available scientific information and to work more effectively with other agencies and individuals for the benefit of park resources.
2. Offer early warning of abnormal conditions and/or impairment of selected resources to help develop effective mitigation measures and reduce costs of management.
3. Provide data to foster better understanding of the dynamic nature and condition of park ecosystems and to provide reference points for comparisons with other, altered environments.
4. Provide data to meet certain legal and Congressional mandates related to natural resource protection and visitor enjoyment.
5. Provide a means of measuring progress towards performance goals.
6. Share accomplishments and information with others and form partnerships for reaching common goals and objectives.