AND

 

   

  Bighorn Canyon Natl Recreation Area

Grand Teton National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Vital Signs Monitoring
in
Bighorn Canyon, Grand Teton, & Yellowstone National Parks

_______________________________________________________________________
      A Survey of Scientists & Resource Professionals

 

Thank you for taking time to provide input into the Vital Signs Monitoring project. Below you can read about our process in more detail and review the definitions of key terms that you will encounter in the survey.

 

What is Vital Signs Monitoring and how does this survey process fit in? 

This project is part of a larger process to identify and implement monitoring of critical “vital signs” of national park health. This component solicits expert opinion about monitoring needs. Other components include

  • documenting the history of monitoring efforts within each park,

  • incorporation of recommendations from a Science Advisory Committee, and

  • final selection of monitoring models and/or methods.  


Round 1
Round 2
Round 3

A detailed discussion of National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring program, including Vital Signs Monitoring, can be viewed at http://www.nature.nps.gov/im/  or http://www.nature.nps.gov/im/monitor/handbook.htm 

 

What does this survey entail? 

The survey involves three rounds of questions that progress from very general to more specific. In this round (Round 1), we ask resource experts to identify what you consider to be the most important resource components, conditions, or processes that should be monitored. The results will be used to compile a comprehensive list. In the second round, you will be asked to rank order these monitoring needs. In the final round, those indicators emerging as the top priorities within each resource area will be systematically evaluated according to a variety of criteria.

How are we using terminology?

Monitoring: Monitoring involves carefully designed programs intended to track and evaluate the condition of specifically designated resources. Natural resource monitoring is conducted to:

  1. Detect significant changes in resource abundance, condition, population structure, or ecological processes;

  2. Develop information on linkages between changes in resource conditions and their causes;

  3. Provide field validation for and modeling efforts associated with monitoring;  and

  4. Evaluate the effects of some management action on population or community dynamics or ecological processes.

Vital Signs are key elements that indicate the health of an ecosystem.  Vital signs may occur at any level of organization including landscape, community, population or genetic levels. They may be compositional (based upon constituent elements of the system), structural (based upon the organization of the system), or functional (based upon ecological processes).

        Vital signs can be any measurable feature of the environment that provides insights into the state of the ecosystem. They are things that:

  • Identify status and trends of ecosystem health

  • Define normal limits of variation

  • Provide early warning of situations that require intervention

  • Suggest remedial treatments and frame research hypotheses

  • Determine compliance with laws and regulations

  Vital Signs Monitoring: The goal of “Vital Signs” monitoring is to be able to assess the basic health or integrity of park ecosystems and to be able to formulate management actions whenever necessary to maintain the integrity of those ecosystems.

 
You can be assured of complete confidentiality. The data you submit will be summarized and your name will not be associated with any of your answers.

Please enter your name:
What is your title or position?
Please enter the Email address at which you prefer to be contacted:

Please enter your Zip code:

 For what agency, institution, or organization do you work?
Do you have familiarity with natural resources or ecosystems found in any of these three parks: (Check all that apply)

  Yellowstone         Grand Teton          Bighorn Canyon 
 

_________________________________________________________________

For each of the resource areas listed below , what should we be watching to assess the condition and trend of ecosystems in these national parks? Please answer for those resource areas in which you have expertise. 


  PHYSICAL RESOURCES
  		   AQUATIC  RESOURCES

  VEGETATION
    		  VERTEBRATE SPECIES

  INVERTEBRATE SPECIES
   		   OTHER RESOURCE COMPONENTS OR 
  ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES 


Please identify those things that you think should be monitored, regardless of cost. You may include items that are currently being monitored as well as those that are not currently monitored.

 

1.  PHYSICAL RESOURCES (including air, soil, geology)
  
 

 

 

  

 

Physical Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:

Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Physical Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Physical Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Physical Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon


Are there any other physical resource components or ecosystem processes that you think we should be watching to assess the condition and trend of ecosystems in these national parks? (Please explain below:)

Go to:

Physical
Aquatic
Vegetation

Vertebrate
Invertebrate
Other 

  

2.  AQUATIC  RESOURCES (including water quality)
  
  

Aquatic Resource Component
or Ecosystem Process:


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Aquatic Resource Component
or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 


In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Aquatic Resource Component
or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Aquatic Resource Component
or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon

Are there any other aquatic resource components or ecosystem processes that you think we should be watching to assess the condition and trend of ecosystems in these national parks? (Please explain below:)

   

Go to:

Physical
Aquatic
Vegetation

Vertebrate
Invertebrate
Other   

 


3.
VEGETATION RESOURCES
  
    

Vegetation Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Vegetation  Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Vegetation Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Vegetation Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon

Are there any other vegetation resource components or ecosystem processes that you think we should be watching to assess the condition and trend of ecosystems in these national parks? (Please explain below:)

   

Go to:

Physical
Aquatic
Vegetation

Vertebrate
Invertebrate
Other   

 

4.
VERTEBRATE SPECIES 
             
    

Vertebrate Species  Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Vertebrate Species  Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 


In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Vertebrate Species  Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Vertebrate Species  Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon

Are there any other vertebrate species resource components or ecosystem processes that you think we should be watching to assess the condition and trend of ecosystems in these national parks? (Please explain below:)

   

Go to:

Physical
Aquatic
Vegetation

Vertebrate
Invertebrate
Other 

 

5.
INVERTEBRATE SPECIES
          
    

Invertebrate Species  Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Invertebrate Species  Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 


In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Invertebrate Species  Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon
 


Invertebrate Species  Resource Component or Ecosystem Process:

 


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon

Are there any other invertebrate species resource components or ecosystem processes that you think we should be watching to assess the condition and trend of ecosystems in these national parks? (Please explain below:)

   

Go to:

Physical
Aquatic
Vegetation

Vertebrate
Invertebrate
Other  

 

6.


OTHER RESOURCE COMPONENTS OR ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES
   
 

Are there any other resource components or ecosystem processes that you think we should be watching to assess the condition and trend of ecosystems in these national parks? 


Other Resource Components or Ecosystem Processes:


Reason for selection as an important monitoring priority (including existing or potential threats):
 

In which national park(s) should this be monitored?

Yellowstone   Grand Teton
Bighorn Canyon

    

Go to:

Physical
Aquatic
Vegetation 

Vertebrate
Invertebrate
Other 

Do you have any other suggestions concerning Vital Signs Monitoring in Bighorn Canyon, Grand Teton or Yellowstone National Parks? (Please enter in the space below:)

 

Finally, do you know of any other knowledgeable persons who have expertise relative to monitoring the vital signs of Bighorn Canyon, Yellowstone, or Grand Teton ecosystems that you think should be sent this survey?  Please enter name, affiliation, and email address below. (Please do not forward this survey!)

 
Name Name     
Affiliation Affiliation  
 
 
Email  Email   
 
phone phone
 

If you know of more people who should be sent this inquiry, please email your recommendations to troyh@uidaho.edu 

 

 

Thank you for your input.  When you have finished completing this survey, please click on the "submit" button below.