Science & Research

Scientific research is key to protecting the natural and cultural wonders of our national parks. To make sound decisions, park managers need accurate information about the resources in their care. They also need to know how and why systems and landscapes change over time, and what amount of change is normal.

Like a physician monitoring a patient's heartbeat and blood pressure, scientists with the Southern Plains Network collect long-term data on Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site's “vital signs.” They monitor key indicators, like air quality, climate, exotic plants, grasslands, riparian plants, soils, and water. Then they analyze the results and report them to park managers. Knowing if and how key resources are changing can provide managers with early warning of potential problems. It can also help them to make decisions and plan more effectively.

Studying park vital signs is only part of the picture. Scientific research is also conducted by park staff and researchers from universities and other agencies. Because many parks prohibit activities that occur elsewhere, scientists can use the parks as areas for determining the effects of these activities where they do occur. Especially in the American West, national park lands often serve as the best model for what a relatively undisturbed landscape looks like.