Program Components

Intoduction

Ecosystems that are preserved in the National Park System are diverse and complex. They support thousands of species, many types of water bodies, soil types, and geologic features. Shenandoah demonstrates this diversity and complexity. Brief descriptions of these resources are found in the Nature and Science portion of the park’s main website.

As explained on the Main Monitoring Page, the ultimate intent of monitoring is to provide park managers with an understanding of the condition and trend of park resources. That is, are they “healthy and functioning normally” or not. This information allows park managers to take corrective actions to restore ecosystem health or to take precautions if resources appear to be deteriorating in condition. Just as a doctor may choose to track blood pressure or heart rate in a human patient, natural resource managers choose “vital signs” to determine the condition of resources.

Staff and financial resources are limited so choices must be made in identifying what natural resources are to be monitored and specifically what is to be measured. For instance, if one chooses to monitor animals, decisions need to be made about which species or groups of species (i.e. large mammals or fish/ bears or brook trout) and what specifically about those (i.e. population size, reproductive rates, sex and age ratios, or various combinations of measurements) will be measured. Various criteria are used to aid park staff members in making these decisions. In some circumstances, rather than monitoring park resources themselves, those things that influence the condition of those resources are monitored. An example of this would be monitoring of air pollutants.

Shenandoah’s monitoring program includes many sub-programs. The following table provides access to the details of Shenandoah’s program. These links lead you to pages that explain specifically what is being monitored. For information related to Protocols (written monitoring procedures), Data Management, and Condition/Trend Information, you should return to the tabs above. You will find information within those categories organized in the same manner as the table below.