Natural Resource Monitoring at National Capital Parks - East

Water monitoring in Still Creek at Greenbelt Park.

NPS

The National Capital Region Inventory & Monitoring Network monitors air quality, amphibians, birds, forest pests, vegetation, invasive plants, stream water, and stream fish and macroinvertebrates at National Capital Parks - East. The results of that monitoring provide park managers with scientific information for decision-making.

National Capital Parks - East is made up of 13 individual parks that span 8,000 acres within the Atlantic Coastal Plain, stretching from Capitol Hill to the nearby Maryland suburbs. These sites protect a diversity of wildlife and vegetation in natural areas including tidal marshes, wetlands, stream valleys, and forests.

The park’s main natural resource management concerns are surrounding land use, regionally poor air quality, and overpopulation of deer. Stormwater management is a big concern for stream ecosystems. Regional air quality and land use patterns can have strong effects on park resources.

Want to Know More?

Resource Briefs: Air & Climate, Amphibians, Forest Birds, Forest Vegetation, Stream Biota (Fish & Macroinvertebrates), Water and Other Vital Signs 

Reports: Air & Climate, Amphibians, Forest Birds, Forest Vegetation, Geology & Fossils, Small Mammals, Soil Data, Stream Biota (Fish & Macroinvertebrates), Water Quality 

Natural Resource Condition Assessment for National Capital Parks - East
Species Lists for National Capital Parks - East
View a Map of National Capital Parks - East

NCRN Monitoring at National Capital Parks - East by the Numbers

*Site numbers as of 2022. These can change over time.

What We Monitor	Sites at National Capital Parks - East*	Monitoring Frequency	Information We Collect
Amphibians	113 known wetland pools	Annual sampling on a subset of known wetlands Wetland sites are monitored twice per sampling period	Species occupancy and richness for salamanders, frogs, and toads in vernal pools
Birds – forest only	30 (forest bird)	Forest plots are monitored twice a year	Forest bird species and abundance Bird habitat quality
Forest vegetation	49 (forest vegetation)	Approximately a quarter of plots each year on a four-year cycle	Deer browse Fallen and standing woody debris Targeted diseases and pests Targeted invasive plant species Trees, shrubs, vines, and specific non-woody plants
Stream biota – fish and macroinvertebrates	At streams listed below	Periodic sampling 2007-2014, 2019-2023	Aquatic macroinvertebrates taxa and abundance Fish species and abundance Stream physical habitat including bank stability, stream shading, and distance from developed areas
Stream water quality	3 (stream site) on Henson Creek, Oxon Run, and Still Creek	Stream sites are monitored every other month	Acid neutralizing capacity Dissolved oxygen pH Salinity/specific conductance Stream width, depth, flow, and discharge Total nitrate and phosphorus Water temperature
Marsh elevation	5 on Kenilworth Marsh 5 on Kingman Lake	Marsh elevation sites are monitored once a year	Marsh surface elevation