Natural Resource Monitoring at Yellowstone National Park

Looking out over Yellowstone from Custer Gallatin National Forest.

NPS Photo/Diane Renkin

Established by Congress in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is one of the world’s first national parks. Yellowstone is at the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest intact ecosystems in the continental United States. Here, nature operates under a smaller human footprint than most other places in the nation, and even the world. This makes the park an invaluable nature reserve, but also a rich source of information about the natural world. In Yellowstone, scientists conduct a wide variety of research. They examine how large-scale landscape changes affect local ecosystems. They study tiny organisms that have the potential to change the lives of people the world over. Yellowstone also has a rich archeological history, with 11,000 years of documented human use. Twenty-six American Indian tribes have officially recognized ties to Yellowstone National Park lands.

Monitored Here

alpine environments

amphibians and wetlands

climate

land use

upland vegetation

water resources

whitebark pine

Many additional research studies and resource management activities take place in the park. To learn more please visit:

Yellowstone National Park home page
Yellowstone National Park Nature & Science page

Want to know more about the park's plants and animals? Download a species list.

Publications

Monitoring Reports

Alpine Vegetation & Soils

Source: Data Store Saved Search 2650. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Amphibians

Source: Data Store Saved Search 2649. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Climate

Source: Data Store Collection 4066. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Land Use

Source: Data Store Saved Search 2653. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Vital Sign Overviews

Source: Data Store Collection 9225. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Water Resources

Source: Data Store Saved Search 2654. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Whitebark Pine

Source: Data Store Saved Search 2656. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Inventory Reports

Inventory Reports

Source: Data Store Collection 4038. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Quick Reads

Resource Briefs

Source: Data Store Saved Search 2635. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.