Science & Research

National Park Service places like the Potomac Heritage Trail are an oasis for visitors and for researchers because they offer some of the best protected cultural heritage and natural landscapes in the nation. Each year, numerous research projects are permitted at Potomac Heritage Trail that visitors may never see. Our staff need the accurate and current natural and cultural resource information this research provides to best care for the park. Research here ranges from studies of rare habitats in the Potomac Gorge, to amphibian populations, to the architecture of historic park buildings.

Scientific research is conducted by National Park Service staff, experts from other federal agencies, scientists and graduate students in academia, and independent researchers. Research permits are granted by individual national parks that make up the trail.

Links

• Read Nature & Ecology articles on botany, wildlife, geology, and more.
• Read History & Culture articles on archeology, history, ethnography, and more.
• Learn about long-term scientific monitoring of key vital signs at the park.
• Learn about how research is coordinated at the park.
• Browse natural and cultural resource programs in the National Capital Region.

 

Published Nature & Ecological Research about Potomac Heritage Trail

Source: Data Store Saved Search 5595. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

 

Published History and Culture Research about Potomac Heritage Trail

Source: Data Store Saved Search 5594. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

 

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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:

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park George Washington Memorial Parkway Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail

Select a Species Category (optional):

All Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Vascular Plants

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Species attribute definitions

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