Rapdoode / 2012 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Environmental Setting
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is one of ten parks in the Mid-Atlantic Network which is part of a nation-wide effort of the National Park Service to generate scientifically sound information on the changing conditions of park ecosystems. In addition to the natural resource management activities performed by park staff, our scientists monitor the status and long-term trends of natural resources at the park. Each year, with the help of park staff and volunteers, we collect information for the monitoring programs listed below. Back at the office we analyze the data and share the information with park managers to help them better understand how to best preserve park ecosystems for future generations.
To learn more about these programs and key findings, choose from the options below.
Monitoring Programs
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Benthic MacroinvertebratesThis diverse group of creatures occupies stream beds and is a vital component of all healthy stream ecosystems.
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Breeding BirdsMany network parks have birds that are declining throughout their range, highlighting the need for understanding their status and trends.
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Forest VegetationAll Mid-Atlantic Network parks have forests that form an essential part of the landscape and provide habitat for a diversity of wildlife.
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Water Quality and QuantityMonitoring water quality & quantity helps the National Park Service fulfill its duty to protect pristine (or improve impaired) park waters.
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Weather & ClimateClimate is a dominant factor driving the physical and ecologic processes affecting Mid-Atlantic Network parks.
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Air QualityPark managers benefit from knowing the type and extent of various air pollutants in order to evaluate their impacts on park resources.
Website Articles
Showing results 1-10 of 13
- Type: Article
- Locations: Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site,Antietam National Battlefield,Appomattox Court House National Historical Park,Bluestone National Scenic River,Booker T Washington National Monument, more »
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.
- Type: Article
- Locations: Acadia National Park,Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site,Antietam National Battlefield,Appalachian National Scenic Trail,Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, more »
- Offices: Eastern Rivers and Mountains Inventory & Monitoring Network,Greater Yellowstone Inventory & Monitoring Network,Inventory and Monitoring Division,Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network,National Capital Inventory & Monitoring Network, more »
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.
- Type: Article
- Locations: Acadia National Park,Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site,Antietam National Battlefield,Appomattox Court House National Historical Park,Bluestone National Scenic River, more »
- Offices: Inventory and Monitoring Division
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.
- Type: Article
- Locations: Acadia National Park,Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site,Antietam National Battlefield,Appomattox Court House National Historical Park,Bluestone National Scenic River, more »
- Offices: Eastern Rivers and Mountains Inventory & Monitoring Network,Inventory and Monitoring Division,Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network,National Capital Inventory & Monitoring Network,Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, more »
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.
- Type: Article
- Locations: Acadia National Park,Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site,Antietam National Battlefield,Appomattox Court House National Historical Park,Bluestone National Scenic River, more »
- Offices: Eastern Rivers and Mountains Inventory & Monitoring Network,Inventory and Monitoring Division,Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network,National Capital Inventory & Monitoring Network,Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, more »
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.
- Type: Article
- Subtype: Series
- Locations: Acadia National Park,Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site,Antietam National Battlefield,Appomattox Court House National Historical Park,Blue Ridge Parkway, more »
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.
- Type: Article
- Locations: Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
- Offices: Geologic Resources Division
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.
- Type: Article
- Locations: Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
- Offices: Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network
The year 2023 was very warm and wet at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. The year ended as the 3rd warmest and 15th wettest on record (since 1895) for Appomattox County, VA.
- Type: Article
- Locations: Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
- Offices: Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network
In all, 2022 was warmer than average but had near-normal total precipitation at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.
- Type: Article
- Locations: Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
- Offices: Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network
In all, 2021 was much drier and warmer than average at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.
Tags:
midn
Park Monitoring Documents
Resource briefs are short PDFs summarizing our monitoring programs or results.
Source: Data Store Saved Search 4876 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Periodically, we publish reports that describe what we are learning in the field. These monitoring reports are more in-depth than resource briefs and include data analysis and a discussion of our findings.
Source: Data Store Saved Search 4877 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Last updated: January 21, 2022