Science & Research

Monitoring the status of park glaciers can give the park an early indication of changes to downstream ecosystems that rely on cold glacial meltwaters.

NPS/Bill Baccus

Olympic is vast—a largely roadless area nearly the size of Rhode Island encompassing complex natural systems from the rocky Pacific coast to glacier-capped peaks. To understand and protect this ever-changing wilderness, park managers need information. What changes are we observing? How much change is normal?

Like a doctor feeling a patient’s heartbeat, scientists monitor ecological “vital signs” in Olympic and throughout the parks of the North Coast & Cascades Network. Shifts in vegetation, glaciers, intertidal communities, bird populations, and other sensitive environmental indicators can provide early signals of change.

Tracking vital signs is only part of the picture. Olympic scientists also conduct a wide range of research and monitoring in collaboration with tribal, state, and federal agencies; university researchers; and other park partners. Some research, like northern spotted owl monitoring, is just one puzzle piece in a much larger conservation effort spanning the species’ range. Other projects, like the volunteer teams that collect observations of endemic Olympic marmots, are led by park biologists.

Results from scientific study allow park managers to make better decisions and plan ahead to protect Olympic’s ecosystems against emerging issues. But data collected here is also valuable beyond park boundaries.

Olympic’s geography means that clean air from the Pacific Ocean and unpolluted water from mountain snowmelt provide a baseline for water and air quality elsewhere. Meanwhile, low levels of human disturbance in the wilderness allows us to pinpoint signs of ecological disruption from human and other causes. As we move into a future beyond historical climate norms, scientific study will continue to provide us with the tools to be informed stewards of this living laboratory—and our interconnected planet.

 

 

 

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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: NPS DataStore Saved Search 5093 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the NPS DataStore.

 

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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:

Olympic National Park

Select a Species Category (optional):

All Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Vascular Plants

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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.