Holistic Conceptual Model

One of the most fundamental questions in establishing a long-term ecological monitoring program is exactly which parts of the ecosystem should be monitored to best track change. The Central Alaska Network has developed a list of indicators, or "vital signs," based on a conceptual model that looks at the area's biota in holistic terms - that is, operating as an interactive whole.

The three network parks occur within four broad ecoregion types defined by the driving forces of climate and landform. These ecoregions span a gradient from maritime to continental climate regimes, and include a mountainous transition zone between them.

A holistic approach was initially conceived as a way to monitor change in the Central Alaska Network on an ecosystem-wide scale. This model uses habitat change as a central theme by which we anticipate seeing changes in the other ecosystem components.

A second model was developed based on resource protection concerns regarding human activities which are affecting the ecosystems of Central Alaska Network parks. These concerns can be divided into near-field drivers - those in and near parks which have direct impacts on the resources - and far-field drivers such as global industrialization, which have more indirect impacts.

The final holistic model is a combination of the habitat change and resource protection concerns models. Habitat change is at the model's core, with primary, interacting components (or "footings") including vegetation, fauna, and physical and near-field human drivers. Far-field human drivers are also recognized as having an indirect, but significant influence on habitat change.