Natural Resource Monitoring at Valley Forge National Historical Park

General Washington's headquarters during the 1777-1778 Valley Forge Encampment.

NPS

Valley Forge 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 Macroinvertebrates

  This diverse group of creatures occupies stream beds and is a vital component of all healthy stream ecosystems.

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  Breeding Birds

  Many network parks have birds that are declining throughout their range, highlighting the need for understanding their status and trends.

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  Forest Vegetation

  All 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 Quantity

  Monitoring water quality & quantity helps the National Park Service fulfill its duty to protect pristine (or improve impaired) park waters.

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  Weather & Climate

  Climate is a dominant factor driving the physical and ecologic processes affecting Mid-Atlantic Network parks.

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  Air Quality

  Park managers benefit from knowing the type and extent of various air pollutants in order to evaluate their impacts on park resources.

Website Articles

Park Monitoring Documents

Resource Briefs

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.

Monitoring Reports

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.