Science & Research

A person wearing a windbreaker stands over a transect tape amid waist-high vegetation. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison River is in the background.
The Northern Colorado Plateau Network monitors key resources at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, including vegetation.

NPS

Scientific research is key to protecting the 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 park ecosystems change over time, and what amount of change is normal. But park staff can’t do it alone.

Like a physician monitoring a patient's heartbeat and blood pressure, scientists with the Northern Colorado Plateau Network collect long-term data on Black Canyon’s “vital signs.” They monitor key resources, like plant communities, soils, and the quality and quantity of water. Then they analyze the results and report them to park managers. Knowing how key resources are changing can provide managers with early warning of potential problems. It can also help them to make better decisions and plan more effectively.

Studying park vital signs is only part of the picture. Scientific research is also conducted by park staff, graduate students, and independent researchers. Because many parks prohibit activities that occur elsewhere, scientists can use the parks as "control" 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.

You can learn about recent research or generate a park species list below.

 

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    Source: Data Store Saved Search 3684 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

     

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    Last updated: November 24, 2020

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    Contact Info

    Mailing Address:

    102 Elk Creek
    (GPS/physical address = 9800 Highway 347, Montrose, CO)

    Gunnison, CO 81230

    Phone:

    970-641-2337

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