What We Inventory

Grayish-green toad peeks out of a dirt burrow.
Toad's hideout, Yellowstone National Park.

NPS Photo

A natural resource inventory is a comprehensive, point-in-time gathering of information. It can assess either the location or condition of a specific resource, or both. It provides baseline information essential to effectively managing park resources over the long term. During its startup in the early 2000s, the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Division identified and helped complete 12 “basic” inventories. These were foundational elements common to all parks with significant natural resources. Some of the more complex inventories are still in progress.

  • Air Quality Data

  • Air Quality Related Values

  • Base Cartography Data

  • Baseline Water Quality Data

  • Climate Inventory

  • Geologic Resources Inventory

  • Natural Resource Bibliography

  • Soil Resources Inventory

  • Species Lists

  • Species Status and Abundance

  • Vegetation Inventory

  • Water Body Location and Classification

Learn more about NPS inventories and the 12 basic types of information gathered for all parks in the nation.

Explore species lists and the results of inventories for parks in the Greater Yellowstone Network by clicking below.

  • Pink flower with greenish color on its lower petals.
    Species Lists

    View or download a list of species in a park based on the NPSpecies online database

  • Brown streaked owl with yellow eyes perched on branch.
    Inventory Reports

    Find results from baseline surveys of significant natural resources in Greater Yellowstone Network parks

Photo credits: Image for Species Lists by NPS/Danielle Lehle. Image for Inventory Reports by NPS/David Gluckman.

Last updated: March 21, 2024

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