Natural Resource Monitoring at Monocacy National Battlefield

Monitoring vegetation in a particularly dense stand of sycamore saplings. Photo: NPS

The National Capital Region Inventory & Monitoring Network monitors air quality, amphibians, birds, forest pests, vegetation, invasive plants, stream water, and stream fish and macroinvertebrates at Monocacy National Battlefield. The results of that monitoring provide park managers with scientific information for decision-making.

Monocacy National Battlefield is made up of 1,647 acres of rolling farmland, forest, and grasslands. Most park land is used for agriculture, with a small portion covered with mixed-oak deciduous forest.

The park’s main natural resource management concerns are surrounding land use, invasive plants and diseases, and overpopulation of deer. Stormwater management is a big concern for stream ecosystems. Regional air quality and land use patterns can have strong effects on park resources.

Want to Know More?

Resource Briefs: Air & Climate, Amphibians, Forest Birds, Forest Vegetation, Stream Biota (Fish & Macroinvertebrates), Water and Other Vital Signs 

Reports: Air & Climate, Amphibians, Forest Birds, Forest Vegetation, Geology & Fossils, Small Mammals, Soil Data, Stream Biota (Fish & Macroinvertebrates), Water Quality 

Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Monocacy
Species Lists for Monocacy
View a Map of Monocacy

NCRN Monitoring at Monocacy by the Numbers

Site numbers as of 2022. These can change over time.

What We Monitor	Sites at Monocacy*	Monitoring Frequency	Information We Collect
Amphibians	70 known wetland pools	Annual sampling on a subset of known wetlands Wetland sites are monitored twice per sampling period	Species occupancy and richness for salamanders, frogs, and toads in vernal pools
Birds – forest and grassland	15 (forest bird) 69 (grassland bird)	Forest plots are monitored twice a year Grassland plots are monitored three times a year	Forest bird species and abundance Grassland bird species and abundance Bird habitat quality
Forest vegetation	15 (forest vegetation)	Approximately a quarter of plots each year on a four-year cycle	Deer browse Fallen and standing woody debris Targeted diseases and pests Targeted invasive plant species Trees, shrubs, vines, and specific non-woody plants
Stream biota – fish and macroinvertebrates	At streams listed below	Periodic sampling 2007-2014, 2019-2023	Aquatic macroinvertebrates taxa and abundance Fish species and abundance Stream physical habitat including bank stability, stream shading, and distance from developed areas
Stream water quality	2 (stream site) on Bush Creek and Gambrill Mill Creek	Stream sites are monitored every other month	Acid neutralizing capacity Dissolved oxygen pH Salinity/specific conductance Stream width, depth, flow, and discharge Total nitrate and phosphorus Water temperature