Vital Signs Monitoring

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The long-term goals of the Inventory and Monitoring (I & M) Program are to monitor vital signs to better understand the status and trends of each park's natural resources. Vital signs provide information about the health of our park ecosystems. They are (1) select physical, chemical, and biological elements and processes of park ecosystems; (2) known or hypothesized effects of stressors; or (3) elements that have important human values. You can examine the vital signs that the NCRN plans to monitor by clicking on the table to the right.

This scientifically sound information can serve as an early warning system and can be used by natural resource managers to make informed decisions. Each network is designing a single, integrated program to monitor both physical and biological resources such as air and water quality, geologic resources, weather, fire effects, threatened and endangered species, exotic species, and other flora and fauna. The NCRN I & M Program's staff has worked with a Science Advisory Committee to develop a detailed monitoring plan for the parks in the region. The monitoring plan will provide information essential to preserving and enhancing the region's most important natural resources. The program will be implemented in 2006 in coordination with partners including neighboring universities, Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units, local, state, and federal government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Browse park vital signs below using the integrated map or view a larger map.