Vegetation Monitoring at Channel Islands National Park (CHIS) by the Mediterranean Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network (MEDN) 1984-2026 : Data Package
Williams CB , Mendelsohn M , Pandori L , Little A, Ostermann-Kelm S , Weisenborn K , Kompella MD . 2026. Vegetation Monitoring at Channel Islands National Park (CHIS) by the Mediterranean Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network (MEDN) 1984-2026 : Data Package. National Park Service. Fort Collins CO https://doi.org/10.57830/2318467
Channel Islands National Park, and later in collaboration with the Mediterranean Coast Network (MEDN) have been monitoring vegetation at Channel Islands National Park (CHIS) as a “vital sign” of ecosystem health since 1984. The goal of the program is to provide timely information on the status and trends in key communities and taxa for resource managers at National Park units. The CHIS Vegetation Monitoring data package comprises 8 CSV files that contain information on: (1) the location and characteristics of transects surveyed as part of the monitoring program, (2) taxa encountered during survey efforts, and (3) results of surveys documenting vegetation height, soil cover, tree density, shrub density, and species richness along 263 transects. Most transects are 30 meters in length; some are shorter or longer. Thus, the data package contains files and EML metadata that provide comprehensive information on the terrestrial vegetation at CHIS from 1984-2025. This publicly available information is crucial for tracking changes in plant communities and informing management decisions in a highly biodiverse ecoregion.
- Type
- Data Package
- Authors
- Williams, Cameron; Mendelsohn, Mark; Pandori, Lauren; Little, Annie; Ostermann-Kelm, Stacey; Weisenborn, Kimberly; Kompella, Melina
- Date of Issue
- 2026-05-19
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- DOI
- 10.57830/2318467
- Units
- CHIS , MEDN
- Keywords
- biomass, CHIS, disturbances, ecology, fires, MEDN, plant cover, plant ecology, shrubs, terrestrial ecosystems, transects, trees, vascular plants, vegetation dynamics
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Shrubland Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Vegetation Complex
- License
- Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal