Natural Resource Monitoring at Gauley River National Recreation Area

The National Park Service will improve the ecological health of eastern forests in 38 parks using an array of management techniques. The NPS has selected forest ecosystems of high ecological and cultural value across multiple parks from Virginia to Maine that are at greatest risk of forest loss due to chronic and interacting stressors.

The word “prairie” usually conjures images of herds of bison, rolling hills of grass waving in the wind, maybe a covered wagon and a little house. While the prairies along the New and Gauley Rivers are much smaller in size, they contain the same tall prairie grasses as found in the Midwest. They also harbor many rare plant species. The Eastern Rivers & Mountains Network collects information on the condition of riverscour prairies and how they are changing over time.

Much of the forest in the eastern United States is around the same age, regrowing after widespread land clearing that peaked between the 1880's and 1920's. Throughout the twentieth century, forests began to regenerate, eventually spreading onto abandoned agricultural lands.

From coast to coast, the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Division is helping park managers improve the health and function of forest ecosystems. From promoting resilient forests in the Northeast, to conserving whitebark pine in the West, to protecting Hawaiian forest birds from avian malaria, scientific partnerships are helping parks to share information, leverage funding sources, and work together for outcomes that extend beyond what any park could accomplish on its own.

In Appalachia, forests are crucial to the health of ecosystems and local communities in and around National Parks. However, forest health monitoring in eastern National Parks has shown that park forests are rapidly changing, and don’t have enough tree regeneration to replace canopy trees as they fall or die. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds are being used to support the Resilient Forest Initiative in the restoration efforts within these parks.

NPS Inventory and Monitoring Networks have been tracking forest health in eastern national parks since 2006. This monitoring information can guide resilient forest management and support parks in adapting to changing conditions through the actions described below.

Park forests are threatened by invasive plants and pests. Strategically tackling invasive plants to protect park’s highest priority natural resources and planning around forest pests and pathogens are important actions in managing resilient forests.

Forests cover tens of thousands of acres in eastern national parks and these critical resources face a range of interacting stressors: over-abundant white-tailed deer populations, invasive plant dominance, novel pests and pathogens, among other threats. The Resilient Forests Initiative will help parks address these issue collectively.

Forests in the northeastern U.S. are in peril. Over-abundant deer, invasive plants, and insect pests are negatively impacting park forests, threatening to degrade the scenic vistas and forested landscapes that parks are renowned for. With regional collaboration, parks can manage these impacts and help forests be resilient. This article series explores tools available to park managers to achieve their goals.

Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports.