»Data Management
Data management is a cornerstone of the NPS Inventory & Monitoring Program. The goal of the Northern Colorado Plateau Network’s (NCPN) data management program is to maintain the network’s ecological data and related analyses in perpetuity.
The NCPN has developed a data management plan to ensure the accuracy, security, longevity, and usability of network data. The plan documents the resources and processes used by the network to
- acquire, store, manage, and archive data;
- ensure data quality;
- document, analyze, summarize, and disseminate data; and
- ensure long-term access to data.
The NCPN produces or contributes to the following data sets and analytical tools, with the goal of making resource information available to park staff, resource specialists, researchers, and the interested public:
Park Species Lists
The NCPN worked with network parks to develop certified vascular plant and vertebrate species lists for each network park. The information presented here is a subset
of data managed in NPSpecies, which is the master biodiversity database for the National Park Service.
Natural Resource Bibliography
The Natural Resource Bibliography has been developed by the National Park Service in order to catalog and manage natural resource-related information products pertaining to national parks. The NCPN has cataloged thousands of records from network parks into this bibliography. The data system supporting the bibliography has undergone an extensive redesign, and in 2010 records in the previous system, known as NatureBib, were migrated to the NPS Data Store, which is part of the Integrated Resource Management Applications (IRMA) Portal.
Climate Data
NCPN web-based climate reports provide a quick and easy means to view comparative data from five climate-monitoring programs in or adjacent to NCPN park units.
NCPN Tools
NCPN is developing models and interactive tools to process, simulate, and display specific data as well as data management tools. Documentation and downloadable executable files are available for some of these tools.
Data Management I Climate Charts I WQ Charts I GIS Page I IRMA Portal I Tools I Species Lists