Inventories

A primary management issue for many NPS parks is the lack of basic resource information. This extensive data void prevents informed management decisions on nearly all resource questions, and hinders development of effective monitoring programs. All three parks in the Central Alaska Network are composed of vast expanses of land with extremely limited access, and consequently have not been thoroughly and scientifically surveyed for baseline data. Moreover, what data are available commonly lack organization, synthesis, and adequate archival storage.

All networks were funded to conduct biological inventories for their parks. Via an extensive scoping workshop, the Central Alaska Network chose to conduct inventories for vascular plants, freshwater fish, and small mammals. Prior to the the vital signs program, a bird inventory was funded for Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve in 1998. Additionally, a soils inventory was funded for Denali National Park & Preserve which was completed in 2003.

• Targeted plant inventory to document the occurrence of 90% of the plant species estimated to exist in Central Alaska Network parks (2001–2004)
• Fish inventory to document the occurrence and distribution of 90% of the freshwater and anadromous fish species estimated to exist in Central Alaska Network parks (2001–2004)
• Synoptic water quality inventories in each park in the Central Alaska Network (2001–2004); conducted in conjunction with the fish inventory
• Small mammal inventory to document the occurrence of 90% of shrews, microtines, and small weasels estimated to exist in Central Alaska Network parks (2001–2004)
• Comprehensive avian inventory of Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve (completed 2003)
• Comprehensive soils inventory of Denali National Park and Preserve (1998–2003)
• Compilation of historical and predicted species ( 490Kb pdf) data into the NPS species database-login (completed by AKNHP in 2002)

Evidence of species of plants, mammals, fish and birds found in CAKN parks is recorded in the NPS "NPSpecies" online database (login). Numbers in boxes below indicate number of species in NPSpecies as present or probably present in park as of December 2003. Click on number to view a list of those species (all lists are in pdf format). Please note that data are provisional and subject to revision.

	Wrangell- St. Elias	Denali	Yukon- Charley
Vascular Plants	1279	1222	886
Mammals	54	37	39
Fish	25	14	18
Birds	234	181	169

Inventory Reports:

• An Inventory of the Vascular Flora, Wrangell-St. Elias (2007)
• CAKN Climate Reports (2006)
• The Vascular Plant Floristics of Denali National Park and Preserve (2004)
• YUCH Vascular Plant Inventory (2004) (5.8Mb pdf)
• CAKN Geologic Resources Evaluation (2004)
• CAKN Freshwater Fish Inventory Final Report (2004) (1.1Mb pdf)
• Yukon-Charley Avian Inventory Report (2003) (9.8Mb pdf)
• AKNHP Compilation of Existing Species Data in Alaska's National Parks (2002) (490Kb pdf)
• Biological Inventory Study Plan (2000) (1.3Mb pdf)

 

National Park Service 12 Baseline Inventories

The following 12 core natural resource inventories were identified nationally for all NPS parks. These inventories were chosen and conducted by the Inventory and Monitoring Program Center at the Washington Office level.

1. Natural Resource Bibliography
2. Base Cartography Data
3. Air Quality Data
4. Air Quality Related Values
5. Climate Inventory
6. Geologic Resources Inventory
7. Soil Resources Inventory
8. Water Body Location and Classification
9. Baseline Water Quality Data
10. Vegetation Inventory
11. Species Lists
12. Species Occurrence and Distribution