Wildlife Monitoring in National Parks Completed
Maintaining a current understanding of ecological conditions is fundamental to the National Park Service in meeting its mission to preserve park resources in an unimpaired state for future generations. Ecological monitoring establishes reference conditions, which over time help to define the normal limits of natural variation, determine standards for comparing future changes, and identify the need for corrective management actions. The USGS Olympic Field Station is working closely with the North Coast and Cascades Monitoring Network in developing standard protocols for monitoring status and trends of wildlife resources of National Parks in the Pacific Northwest. We have also worked with individual parks to develop monitoring programs for wildlife resources not covered under the auspices of the North Coast and Cascades Network.
Below are publications associated with this project.
A sightability model for mountain goats
A double-observer method for reducing bias in faecal pellet surveys of forest ungulates
Landbird Monitoring Protocol for National Parks in the North Coast and Cascades Network
A Framework for Long-term Ecological Monitoring in Olympic National Park: Prototype for the Coniferous Forest Biome
- Overview
Maintaining a current understanding of ecological conditions is fundamental to the National Park Service in meeting its mission to preserve park resources in an unimpaired state for future generations. Ecological monitoring establishes reference conditions, which over time help to define the normal limits of natural variation, determine standards for comparing future changes, and identify the need for corrective management actions. The USGS Olympic Field Station is working closely with the North Coast and Cascades Monitoring Network in developing standard protocols for monitoring status and trends of wildlife resources of National Parks in the Pacific Northwest. We have also worked with individual parks to develop monitoring programs for wildlife resources not covered under the auspices of the North Coast and Cascades Network.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 16A sightability model for mountain goats
Unbiased estimates of mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) populations are key to meeting diverse harvest management and conservation objectives. We developed logistic regression models of factors influencing sightability of mountain goat groups during helicopter surveys throughout the Cascades and Olympic Ranges in western Washington during summers, 20042007. We conducted 205 trials of the abilityAuthorsC.G. Rice, K.J. Jenkins, W.-Y. ChangA double-observer method for reducing bias in faecal pellet surveys of forest ungulates
1. Faecal surveys are used widely to study variations in abundance and distribution of forest-dwelling mammals when direct enumeration is not feasible. The utility of faecal indices of abundance is limited, however, by observational bias and variation in faecal disappearance rates that obscure their relationship to population size. We developed methods to reduce variability in faecal surveys and iAuthorsK.J. Jenkins, B.F.J. ManlyLandbird Monitoring Protocol for National Parks in the North Coast and Cascades Network
This protocol narrative outlines the rationale, sampling design and methods for monitoring landbirds in the North Coast and Cascades Network (NCCN) during the breeding season. The NCCN, one of 32 networks of parks in the National Park System, comprises seven national park units in the Pacific Northwest, including three large, mountainous, natural area parks (Mount Rainier [MORA] and Olympic [OLYM]AuthorsRodney B. Siegel, Robert L. Wilkerson, Kurt J. Jenkins, Robert C. Kuntz, John R. Boetsch, James P. Schaberl, Patricia J. HappeA Framework for Long-term Ecological Monitoring in Olympic National Park: Prototype for the Coniferous Forest Biome
This report is the result of a five-year collaboration between scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Olympic Field Station, and the natural resources staff of Olympic National Park to develop a comprehensive strategy for monitoring natural resources of Olympic National Park. Olympic National Park is the National Park Serviceʼs prototype monitoringAuthorsKurt Jenkins, Andrea Woodward, Ed Schreiner