Climate Change in the Southern Plains Network (U.S. National Park Service) Freshwater habitats are diverse and productive ecosystems, providing habitat for aquatic plant, invertebrare, and vertebrate species, and the availability of groundwater has critical consequences for flora and fauna, as well as nutrient, water, and energy flows. Water resources in the Southwest have been strongly affected by human activity and are projected to be influenced by climate change. Climate change may have direct and/or indirect effects on streamflow and water quality and on groundwater resources. As temperature and precipitation patterns affect the abundance, type, and distribution of vegetation cover in watersheds, changes in tlood magnitude and duration, sediment loads, and water chemistry will occur. Southern Plains Network (SOPN) monitoring of surface water quantity and quality and groundwater levels will allow park managers to address issues occurring within park boundaries and will provide an index of overall watershed condition. Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens) is an invasive plant that has invaded the Southern Plains Photo by Steve Dewey, Bugwood.