There are few places outside of parks where mushrooms, flying squirrels, goshawks, and other species can be studied in the context of their complex interrelationships with the thousands of other species that inhabit old-growth forests. National parks present unparalleled opportunities to study and learn about the effects of our activities on the world around us, and to obtain the information we need to help ensure that the ecosystems upon which we depend continue to thrive. If you are interested in possibly conducting natural science research in a specific national park, contact the Chief of Natural Resources at the park for more information on things to consider as you develop the proposal, permitting and regulatory requirements, and possible ways in which the National Park Service may cooperate in your research efforts. Monitoring The nature of an ecosystem is to change. Wildlife populations increase and decline.
Birds migrate with the seasons.
A fire may burn a given area of grassland once every 10 years, on average, while a hurricane may strike once every 250 years. Soils develop, and are eroded away. Stream channels meander, and their flows rise and fall. Water quality changes with the season. Some of these chages are regular fluctuations that occur over a certain period, such as a day or a year.