Weather and Climate Inventory, National Park Service, Southeast Coast Network
Davey CA, Redmond KT, Simeral DB. 2007. Weather and Climate Inventory, National Park Service, Southeast Coast Network. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/SECN/NRTR—2007/010. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Climate is a dominant factor driving the physical and ecologic processes affecting the Southeast Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network (SECN). Climate variations are responsible for short- and long-term changes in ecosystem fluxes of energy and matter and have profound effects on underlying geomorphic and biogeochemical processes. Southeastern climates are humid and warm-temperate to subtropical, with significant maritime influences from the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The southern end of the Appalachian Mountains also influences climate patterns in the SECN park units located in eastern Alabama and northern Georgia. Extreme weather events in the SECN drive both coastal and riverine geomorphic changes. Impacts from storm washover episodes associated with strong nor’easter events in the winter and tropical systems in the summer and fall, and the recovery periods from such events, are an important issue for coastal SECN ecosystems. Thunderstorms are an integral part of the SECN climate, especially during the spring and summer months. The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) plays a large role in the interannual variations of the climate of the SECN, with El Niño years typically bringing lower temperatures in winter and spring, increased winter precipitation, and fewer tropical systems. Potential sea-level rises due to predicted global-scale climate changes are also a concern for many SECN park units. Periods of prolonged drought introduce stressors to vegetation communities with potentially severe effects. Human impacts on the landscape of the SECN region have introduced local- and regional-scale climate changes in the SECN, many of which are adversely impacting the region’s plant and animal communities. Because of its influence on the ecology of SECN park units and the surrounding areas, climate was identified as a high-priority vital sign for SECN and is one of the 12 basic inventories to be completed for all National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring Program (I&M) networks.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Davey, C; Redmond, K; Simeral, D
- Date of Issue
- 2007
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- CAHA , CALO , CANA , CASA , CHAT , CLI , CONG , CUIS , FOCA , FOFR , FOMA , FOPU , FOSU , HOBE , KEMO , MOCR , NRSS , OCMU , SECN , TIMU
- Keywords
- Climate, Inventory, Southeast Coast Network, Weather, Weather and Climate Inventory, WRCC-Report