Natural Resource Monitoring at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

Downloading water data from continuous loggers.

NPS

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

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts surrounds a premiere arts venue with a natural oasis of woodlands, streams, wetlands, a native meadow, and ‘no-mow zones’. Less than half of Wolf Trap's land is developed, leaving about 65 acres for a wide variety of plants, animals, birds, and wildflowers.

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 Wolf Trap 
Species Lists for Wolf Trap
View a Map of Wolf Trap

NCRN Monitoring at Wolf Trap by the Numbers

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

What We Monitor	Sites at Wolf Trap*	Monitoring Frequency	Information We Collect
Birds – forest only	6 (forest bird)	Forest plots are monitored twice a year Wetland sites are monitored twice per sampling period	Forest bird species and abundance Bird habitat quality
Forest vegetation	6 (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	2 (stream site) on Courthouse Creek and Wolf Trap 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