Arctic national parks evaluation: proposed climate monitoring plan.

Redmond, Kelly; Simeral, David

Includes five parks in ARCN. The National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program Arctic Network (ARCN) has identified climate as an important vital sign, and proposed the establishment of a climate monitoring network for the five northernmost parks in the NPS system. These include Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Kobuk Valley National Park, Noatak National Preserve, and Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. These parks encompass a vast area of 19 million acres and comprise a quarter of all NPS acreage. The severe climate of the Arctic is integral to the character of these park units, and imposes a significant influence on biological, cultural, and physical function.Climate change is expected to be greatly accentuated in the higher latitudes, and many forms of empirical evidence indicate that projected changes have begun. Information on climate for national park units is currently in wide-ranging demand by visitors, managers, the research community, and for routine operations by park staff. Only a few climate stations now exist in this immense region, and a large portion has no monitoring at all, resulting in the lowest spatial station density of all NPS units nationwide. The existing ARCN climate station network is currently inadequate to describe the spatial and temporal variations and trends with sufficient detail to understand the effects of fluctuations and slow changes in climate on ecological communities, hydrology, landscape alteration, and human activities. This report serves to: 1) perform an evaluation of the proposed station network, 2) examine the rationale behind various choices and suggestions, and 3) provide comments on the process followed. The latter comments address: 1) allowance for special circumstances such as the large amount of designated and de facto wilderness, 2) the stations themselves and their placement, and 3) the overall approach. As a whole, the proposal is well written and well reasoned, incorporates lessons and experience from similar past efforts, and anticipates upcoming stages of further comment and review. The proposed networkand activities will greatly improve knowledge and understanding of the climate in this region, and produce significant net benefits to park managers and visitors.

Arctic national parks evaluation: proposed climate monitoring plan.

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