Natural Resource Monitoring at Prince William Forest Park

Measuring the diameter of a tree as part of forest vegetation monitoring. Photo: 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 Prince William Forest Park. The results of that monitoring provide park managers with scientific information for decision-making.

Prince William Forest Park sits at the transition from the rolling Piedmont Plateau to the low-lying Atlantic Coastal Plain and protects the largest piedmont forest ecosystem in the national park system. It is home to unique geological features like waterfalls and rock outcroppings, and several rare plant communities.

The park’s main natural resource management concerns are invasive plants and diseases, overpopulation of deer, and encroaching urban development. 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 

Other Content

• Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Prince William
• Species list for Prince William
• View a map of Prince William

NCRN Monitoring at Prince William by the Numbers

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

What We Monitor	Sites at Prince William*	Monitoring Frequency	Information We Collect
Amphibians	120 known wetland pools 72 known stream transects	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	132 (forest bird)	Forest plots are monitored twice a year	Forest bird species and abundance Bird habitat quality
Forest vegetation	145 (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	9 (stream sites) on Boneyard Run, Carters Run, Mary Bird Branch, Mawavi Run, North Fork Quantico Creek, Orenda Run, South Fork Quantico Creek, Sow Run, and Taylor Run	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