Natural Resource Monitoring at Manassas National Battlefield Park

Monitoring amphibians in a seasonal forest wetland (vernal pool).

NPS/Paradis

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 Manassas National Battlefield Park. The results of that monitoring provide park managers with scientific information for decision-making.

Manassas National Battlefield Park is made up of over 4,000 acres of forests, grasslands, streams, and ponds on rolling hills in the central Piedmont region. Nearly half the park is grassland that provides crucial habitat for grassland birds and pollinators while the other half is forest, ranging from early-successional Virginia pine stands to relatively mature oak-hickory and bottomland hardwood forests.

The park’s main natural resource management concerns are encroaching urban development, overpopulation of deer, and invasive plants and diseases. 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 Manassas
Species Lists for Manassas
View a Map of Manassas

NCRN Monitoring at Manassas by the Numbers

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

What We Monitor	Sites at Manassas*	Monitoring Frequency	Information We Collect
Amphibians	66 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	24 (forest bird) 44 (grassland bird)	Forest plots are monitored twice a year Grassland plots are monitored three times a year	Forest bird species and abundance Grassland bird species and abundance Bird habitat quality
Forest vegetation	19 (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	1 (stream site) on Young's Branch	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