Some studies fall into more than one of the categories.
Having an idea of what species are present in what habitats on the refuge is important for identifying refuge resources and allows visitors to know what animals and plants they may see in different areas of the refuge. Examples of ongoing inventory efforts include studies on the vegetation, vertebrates, and insects on tree islands, migratory bird surveys, and reptile and amphibian surveys in the cypress swamp and impoundments. Monitoring provides information on how things change over time. This may be the number of species, the condition of a habitat, or the amount of phosphorus in the water. Monitoring can show if the objectives of a management action have been achieved or not.