NPS: Nature & Science » Networks: Northern Colorado Plateau Network

Human Demographics and Development

Importance
Land-use activities outside park borders can pose substantive threats to park resources. Encroaching urbanization increases the risk of edge effects, including loss of critical habitat and migration corridors, water pollution, and disruption of hydrologic flow regimes. Adjacent agricultural development increases the threat of erosion, altered flow regimes, and agro-chemical pollution on park lands. More distant land-use activities-for instance, dam operations and industrial air pollution that may originate hundreds of miles away-can also be detrimental. Monitoring the status and trends of such activities may help us to understand the reasons for changes on park lands. Monitoring land-use indicators with known linkages to ecological function can also help us to predict how park resources may be impacted over time. Managers may use land-use information to anticipate mitigation for park lands, motivate conservation agreements with private or other public agencies, and influence change in area land-use policies.

Golf course at the urban-park interface, Colorado National Monument.

Current Status of Protocol
Although human demographics were identified as a high-priority vital sign in the NCPN’s Phase III Monitoring Plan, the development of this protocol is currently postponed. At a programmatic review of the network in January 2008, it was determined that the NCPN needed to focus its efforts on developing and implementing 10 other protocols across 16 network parks for the near future. At this time, we do not anticipate beginning development of the human demographics protocol until at least 2013, when the network’s next program review is scheduled to occur. At that time, the NCPN will examine all protocols and determine if there are efficiencies in other protocols that will allow us to initiate the development of this protocol.

For more detailed information, see the In-depth Information box below.

Network park units where human demographics and development will be monitored
Arches NP	Dinosaur NM
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP	Fossil Butte NM
Bryce Canyon NP	Golden Spike NHS
Canyonlands NP	Hovenweep NM
Capitol Reef NP	Natural Bridges NM
Cedar Breaks NM	Pipe Spring NM
Colorado NM	Timpanogos Cave NM
Curecanti NRA	Zion NP
NP = National Park; NM = National Monument; NRA = National Recreation Area; NHS = National Historic Site

In-depth Information:

Monitoring Brief:	Human Demographics, 2008
Contact:	Dustin Perkins, dustin_w_perkins@nps.gov

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