![Conducting an inventory A scientist conducts a soil inventory.](/subjects/aknatureandscience/images/AKInventory_ANIA_027_05Sc.jpg?maxwidth=650&autorotate=false)
The inventory program provides information for a variety of resources, from bibliographies to species occurrence and distribution. This baseline is used to inform monitoring efforts, long-term management, and stewardship of natural resources in Alaska’s parklands.
Over two-thirds of the land managed by the National Park Service is in Alaska. Because of the vast landscapes, coupled with extreme weather and short field seasons, a regional management approach has been established for base cartography, soils, and landcover inventory programs. The other nine inventories have been managed at a national level.
12 Basic Inventories
When the Inventory & Monitoring Program started, a set of 12 basic inventories was identified to help us better understand and manage park natural resources. These inventories were point-in-time surveys to learn about the location or condition of certain resources, including the presence, distribution, or status of plants and animals, air, water, soils, landforms, and climate.
![Imagery of the Yukon River.](/common/uploads/grid_builder/aknatureandscience/crop16_9/526786CA-1DD8-B71B-0B54DE3BFF9155FA.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Imagery of the Yukon River, part of base cartography for Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve.
![A soil core showing organic and mineral layers.](/common/uploads/grid_builder/aknatureandscience/crop16_9/52884D59-1DD8-B71B-0B52237ABCEF36D0.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Soils inventories use soil cores, like this one from Kobuk Valley National Park, to map soil types.
![A hiker walks a steep vegetated slope above a fjord, next to a rocky cliff.](/common/uploads/grid_builder/aknatureandscience/crop16_9/52A2F423-1DD8-B71B-0BAA47EDDE53EC3E.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Landcover inventories map vegetation types in Alaska's parks.
![A rock wall showing folds of different strata.](/common/uploads/grid_builder/aknatureandscience/crop16_9/533B885E-DFD5-D7BC-AD58B65B87C53F5D.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Geologic resources are clues to the past and a way to understand the local ecology and physical processes.
![A large lake's glassy surface reflects the mountains and sky.](/common/uploads/grid_builder/aknatureandscience/crop16_9/5364FA6F-DEE3-D68E-18EADDBD34D56C64.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
The National Hydrography Dataset includes lakes, streams, glaciers, and more.
![A woman in an inflatable raft takes measurements of water quality.](/common/uploads/grid_builder/aknatureandscience/crop16_9/5389FFF1-E1BB-901A-153A28B83A2147C6.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Primary sources of water quality information come from the National Water Quality Information System and STORET.
![A remote climate station high in the mountains.](/common/uploads/grid_builder/aknatureandscience/crop16_9/53A8F9E2-A85D-F9B4-BFB88B378C0D93EB.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Climate information is a critical piece to understand resource trends.
![The air quality monitoring station at sunset.](/common/uploads/grid_builder/aknatureandscience/crop16_9/53C014C2-F073-9D24-046072C9D70E369C.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Air quality inventories focus on indicator pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act.
![Lichens grow on the bark of a tree.](/common/uploads/grid_builder/aknatureandscience/crop16_9/53D4B8B3-F94D-78B8-BF675A4F966A2F50.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Some resources are sensitive to air quality, including vegetation, soils, water, and wildlife. This inventory identifies those values.
![A ptarmigan well camouflaged in a snowy bush.](/common/uploads/grid_builder/aknatureandscience/crop16_9/6647395C-DBA1-FDA2-B6A555FE0C7DDBEC.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Species inventories provide lists of species occurrence in parks.
![Indian paintbrush](/common/uploads/grid_builder/aknatureandscience/crop16_9/66EDBCCA-C3AF-DD34-622215AD536A43C3.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Additional inventories have been conducted in some parks for species of particular interest.
![A red sea star in beach stones.](/common/uploads/grid_builder/aknatureandscience/crop16_9/67006D84-DD8F-2885-D78297F0E30C186C.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
This inventory of park natural resource documents is now a Data Store, the main location to find all park natural resource reports.
Source: Data Store Collection 8080. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Last updated: January 4, 2024