Science & Research

Park scientists inventory the fish and amphibians that make their home in park waterways using environmental DNA, a technique that uses tiny particles of biological matter suspended in the water. By establishing baseline data on aquatic communities, scientists can detect change over time.

NPS / Kayla Fermin

Clatsop and Lower Chinook peoples have long observed, understood, and cared for their homelands at the mouth of the Columbia River. But to the Corps of Discovery, the landscape revealed where the river met the sea was vibrant, diverse—and largely unknown. Tidal marshes, estuarine mudflats, and coastal dunes rose up to meet a fog-shrouded, coniferous rainforest with towering Sitka spruce six feet in diameter. Lewis and Clark, both skilled amateur naturalists, filled expedition journals with their efforts to observe and catalogue their surroundings. These records form part of the continuing work to understand and protect these increasingly rare ecosystems.

Today as always, stewardship requires knowledge of a place. In a time when areas around the park are being shaped by ongoing development and timber harvest, the park itself is confronting rising temperatures, changing seas, and biological newcomers like purple loosestrife. All this leads scientists to ask: What changes are we observing? How much change is normal?

Like a doctor tracking a patient’s pulse, National Park Service scientists monitor ecological “vital signs” in Lewis and Clark National Historical Park and throughout the North Coast & Cascades Network. Sensitive ecological indicators monitored in the park include intertidal communities, elk populations, water quality, and others.

Park scientists also conduct a wide range of research in collaboration with tribal, state, and federal agencies; universities; and other park partners. Plant and animal inventories, community science to monitor mercury in ponds and lakes, and sound-based studies of bats and migratory birds all help us better understand the park—how to care for it.

Stewardship and conservation work builds on this foundation of knowledge. Park staff are actively removing invasive plants, restoring forests degraded by timber harvest, and reconnecting floodplains for endangered salmon habitat—all while monitoring the effectiveness of these restoration efforts. As we move into a future beyond historical climate norms, scientific study will continue to give us the tools to be informed stewards of this diverse and complex place.

 

 

 

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Published Science Reports

 

 

More Reports and Publications

The NPS DataStore archives studies and reports by park scientists or produced in collaboration with the NPS. Some reports below are part of the NPS Natural Resource Report Series or Science Report Series and are only published in the DataStore. Explore scientific journals and databases to find studies by researchers unaffiliated with the park.
To learn more or request information, please contact the North Coast & Cascades Research Learning Center.

Source: Data Store Saved Search 5325 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

 

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Park Species List

 

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Species Attribute Definitions

Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

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Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

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Abundance

Abundant:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

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Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

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List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

Select a Park:

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park

Select a Species Category (optional):

All Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Vascular Plants

Get Checklist Get Full List List Differences

Species attribute definitions

Search results will be displayed here.

Visit NPSpecies for more comprehensive information and advanced search capability. Have a suggestion or comment on this list? Let us know.