What We Monitor (U.S. National Park Service)

We monitor the status and health of national park ecosystems in the North Coast and Cascades Network. We do this by tracking certain physical, chemical, and biological indicators of park environmental conditions.

These indicators are a called “vital signs.” We track vital signs over long periods to better understand if, and how, national park ecosystems are changing. Information we collect and report from this monitoring supports management decisions and the National Park Service’s mission to preserve natural resources “unimpaired” for this and future generations.

To preserve the accuracy, security, longevity, and accessibility of data for the long-term, we actively manage our data and information.