Climate

Importance / Issues

Climate is a key driver of natural systems that affects system structure, composition, and function. Climate data can provide a background explanation for changes or variation in other vital signs. Measures of climate such as precipitation and temperature are critical to understanding the ecological condition of aquatic and terrestrial resources and biota (Hynes 1975, Poff 1997). Monitoring basic climate variables will provide a long-term record of the trends associated with climate change. While management applications related to climate are limited, climate data is useful for ruling out other causes for system responses.

Protocol Development & Status

At this time the Northeast Temperate Network is not developing a protocol for this vital sign. The NETN will work with the national I&M program weather monitoring project to integrate existing weather monitoring networks into park specific weather reporting. We will also consider summarizing existing snow cover monitoring programs and obtaining snow cover trends. For more information on how the National Park Service is addressing climate, please see the NPS Climate Friendly Parks webpage.

Potential Measures

Air temperature, precipitation by type, relative humidity, total solar radiation, wind speed, wind direction, snow water equivalent, snow depth

Preliminary Monitoring Objective

Monitoring objectives will be developed with the protocol.

Contact Information

NPS lead: Brian R. Mitchell

Email: Brian R. Mitchell

802-457-3368 ext. 37

References

Hynes, H. B. N. 1975. The ecology of Running Water. Toronto, University of Toronto Press. 555 pp.

Poff, N.L. 1997. Landscape filters and species traits: Towards a mechanistic understanding and prediction in stream ecology. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 16:391-409.