• Image of mountains and river

    Gates Of The Arctic

    National Park & Preserve Alaska

Connecting People to Ecosystems

The National Park Service recognizes that animal, human, and ecosystem health are inextricably linked and viewed holistically. A healthy ecosystem is a place where people, animals, plants, and natural processes interact in ways that support life within an historic range of variability. The living and nonliving components of the ecosystem are often connected in ways that are obscure, or are very complex and unexpected. Science (both western science and local knowledge) is essential in understanding these connections. By focusing research and monitoring on vital resources within an ecosystem, Park biologists and cooperating scientists can provide management with crucial information on current conditions and long-term trends of these vital resources. This will help ensure that the ecosystems are sustained for future generations.

Select 'Vital Resources' marked in red on the ecosystem graphic below for more information.
You can also select vital resources from the list at the bottom of the page.

 
Ecosystem Vital Resources Dalls SheepFireBirdsBrown BearsVegetationPeoplePermafrostCaribouLandscape Dynamics
 
Vital Resources

Landscape Dynamics - Vegetation - Permafrost - Caribou - Dall's Sheep - Fire - Brown Bears - People - Birds

 
Connecting Further

Conducting Research in Gates of the Arctic

Published Research

ARCN Newsletter

Did You Know?

A land status map showing the federal units that protect the Brooks Range.

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is the central component of the 700 square mile protected Brooks Range.  Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is to the east, and the Noatak Preserve is to the west.