National Park Service Monitors Invasive Plants and Water Quality in 16 Units
The U.S. National Park Service (NPS), through its Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN), is conducting long-term monitoring of key natural resources across 16 National Park Service units. This initiative focuses on collecting data on 'vital signs' such as plant communities, soils, and the quality and quantity of water. The goal is to establish baselines, track changes, and provide information to decision-makers for sound, science-based management of park resources. The NCPN is one of 32 inventory and monitoring networks contributing to this knowledge base. After more than ten years of data collection for some resources and up to 20 years for others, the program has yielded significant insights into the ecosystems under study. The monitoring efforts help understand what is considered 'normal' for a given ecosystem and identify deviations from these typical conditions.
