NPS: Nature & Science » Networks: Central Alaska Network

Vital Signs: Human

Hikers in Wrangell-St. Elias

Human vital signs are of prime concern to park managers. Recognizing human driven influences on the ecosystem (such as trail use/development, vehicle traffic, and surrounding human population growth) can help lessen or prevent their impact on park resources. This potential for impact comes in several forms:

• Consumpive use, primarily in the form of fishing, trapping, and hunting in national preserves, and subsistence activities by local rural residents in both the preserves and the parks.

• Recreational use, which affects the parks through increased visitation and added pressure to provide new trails, campsites, and other related infrastructure.

• Private land development in and near the parks and preserves.

• Resource management in and near parks and preserves by the National Park Service and by other agencies (such as the Alaska Department of Fish & Game). Issues include transportation, park access, and predator control.

• Park specific concerns include coastal issues in Wrangell-St. Elias and military training overflights in Yukon-Charley Rivers.

CAKN Vital Signs:

Humans

Human Population
Human Presence
Natural Resouce Consumption
Trails

Vital Sign	Where	Details
Human Population	Network wide	Track population census
Human Presence	Network wide	Track presence & absence
Natural Resource Consumption	Network wide	Track fish & wildlife harvests (numbers & locations), marine derived nutrients, number of trees harvested for fire & house logs
Trails	Network wide	Track miles of trail

TOP OF PAGE

Vital Signs: Human

Vital Sign

Where

Details