Weather and Climate Inventory, National Park Service, Southern Plains Network

Davey, C; Redmond, K; Simeral, D

Climate is one of the 12 basic inventories to be completed for all National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring Program (I&M) networks and it is a dominant factor driving the physical and ecologic processes affecting the Southern Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (SOPN). The SOPN climate is typified by highly variable and stormy weather patterns. Moist air masses from the Pacific Ocean lose their moisture over the Rocky Mountains, causing precipitation over the mountains and drier conditions on the leeward side of the mountains. These drier conditions result in the short-grass ecosystem of the western plains. As these air masses continue across the broad flat plain they experience increasing interaction with arctic air masses from the north and more humid air masses to the east. The increased precipitation in these areas supports the mixed-grass of the central plains and the tall-grass prairie of the eastern plains. The organisms that live in this area must be adapted to surviving extreme climate conditions. In some cases, native SOPN plants actually take advantage of these climate extremes in order to colonize areas. Drought can lead to massive local extinctions of annual forbs and grasses that have invaded stands of perennial species. The impact of global climate change may be exacerbated in the SOPN due to the region’s periodic droughts and the large number of habitat specialists. Species extinctions may occur due to the inability to re-colonize in response to future climate changes.

Weather and Climate Inventory, National Park Service, Southern Plains Network

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