Soils are naturally occurring loose rock particles and organic surface matter changed through physical, chemical, and biotic processes with the ability to support plant life. Soils are the basis of an ecosystem and sustain the living systems above and below the ground surface. Soils regulate water flow and perform vital functions, such as filtering, immobilization, and detoxification. In addition to storing and cycling nutrients, soils support organisms that decompose, release nutrients, create pores, and stabilize soils. Natural and cultural resources are affected by soil properties. The National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program conducts soil inventories in cooperation with the National Cooperative Soil Survey, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and other federal agencies. In order to track changes in ecosystem condition, Networks within the NPS Inventory and Monitoring program monitor soil stability, structure and/or chemistry.
Projects
Showing results 1-6 of 6
- White Sands National Park
Constructing the Dune-Field Pattern at White Sands National Monument
- Locations: White Sands National Park
Sand dunes cover vast areas of the Earth’s desert regions and are widespread across Venus, Mars, and Saturn’s moon Titan. Sand dunes are very sensitive indicators of changing climate and environmental conditions, and landscapes created by sand dunes can provide a detailed record of past surface conditions on the planetary surfaces.
- Locations: Big Bend National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Chiricahua National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, more »
It might come as a surprise to learn that in the sublime expanses of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, some of the most interesting life around can be found in the dirt right in front of your feet! Biological soil crusts form a living groundcover that is the foundation of desert plant life.
- Locations: Big Bend National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Chiricahua National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, more »
Vegetation and soils are two of many natural resources monitored by the National Park Service (NPS) Division of Inventory & Monitoring (I&M). Learning about vegetation dynamics helps us to better understand the integrity of ecological processes, productivity trends, and ecosystem interactions that can otherwise be difficult to monitor. In NPS units of the American Southwest, three I&M networks monitor vegetation and soils using the scientific protocol described here.
- Locations: Aztec Ruins National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Canyon National Park, more »
Vegetation and soils are the foundation upon which all terrestrial ecosystems are built. Soils provide the medium for the storage and delivery of water and nutrients to plants, which in turn provide animal populations with both habitat and food.
- Locations: Petrified Forest National Park
- Offices: Southern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Network
The Southern Colorado Plateau Network of the National Park Service has been monitoring grasslands in Petrified Forest National Park since 2007. Data collected from the park between 2007 and 2018 was analyzed to investigate how the condition of the grasslands changed over time.
- White Sands National Park
White Sands as a Dust Emission Hotspot
- Locations: White Sands National Park
The Chihuahuan Desert is one of the most intense source areas of dust storms in the Western Hemisphere; and because white gypsum dust is often visible on weather satellite images on dry, windy days, the White Sands are one of the most notable sources of dust in the Chihuahuan Desert.
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american southwest soils
Last updated: September 7, 2016