Ecological Condition of U.S. National Parks

A. J. Hansen, Montana State University, Bozeman
S. J. Goetz, Woods Hole Research
J. E. Gross, National Park Service
D. T. Theobald, Colorado State University
F. S. Melton, California State University
R. R. Nemani, NASA-Ames Research Center

     U.S. National Parks need improved scientific information to help them meet management challenges, including land use and climate change within and surrounding their boundaries. While many parks have computer systems that can perform mapping and analysis of spatial data, few parks use these capabilities to anticipate future changes in ecosystem health. Consequently, present day management decisions are often made without the full suite of scientific information available. Our research will address these deficiencies by converting raw satellite imagery and other spatial data into scientific information that tracks changes in vital ecosystem parameters and forecasts their future status.   The specific objectives of this study are to:   1. Select satellite imagery and other NASA datasets that can track the status of ecosystem "vital signs," which are key measures of ecosystem health defined by the National Park Service (NPS). These landscape-level indicators will be consistent with the conceptual models embedded in the NPS Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) program and identify the boundaries of the greater park ecosystem appropriate for each vital sign.   2. Establish procedures to directly incorporate spatial data and products from existing NASA programs into the NPS Inventory and Monitoring program.   3. Add value to the NASA spatial data sets that are selected for analysis by using ecological knowledge to guide the analysis and portrayal of changes in NPS vital signs. Parameters to be measured may include land use, land cover, climate variables, ecosystem productivity (total plant growth), hydrology, biodiversity, and the indicators developed in #1. This monitoring will be used to forecast ecosystem changes that might result from alternative NPS management decisions.   4. Integrate data acquisition, analysis, forecasting, and display of ecosystem changes into the NPS I&M’s decision support framework. We will collaborate with NPS personnel in the development of computer-based tools that meet management needs.   In addition to tracking current resource changes and forecasting their future status, our work will define the historical conditions of the NPS vital signs using NASA data from the period 1985–2005. This baseline data will help managers detect changes and determine whether they are within the range of natural variability—or whether they require management action.