Cave scientist Michael Spilde of the University of New Mexico prepares a sample of limestone corrosion residue taken from the wall of Spider Cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park for examination in the laboratory. Like nearby Lechuguilla Cave, Spider Cave harbors diverse microbial life. Both caves are being studied for insights into the evolution of life in these subterranean environments where nutrient levels are extremely low. Copyright 2001 by Kenneth Ingham, used by permission.
Download a PDF file of this section of this report (367 KB).
The parks themselves are wonderful natural laboratories, relatively well controlled, where species can be investigated in depth [and] where the whole constellation of species found in individual areas can be explored … on a large scale.
—Peter Raven
President-elect, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Featuring some of the best-preserved ecosystems on earth, the many units of the national park system are great repositories of biological and geological diversity. The scientific knowledge and applications that are being discovered in these strongholds have the great potential to improve society and enhance the protection of the parks themselves. To bring such discoveries to light, the National Park Service relies on its research partners to design and conduct experiments that yield useful information. Conversely, scientists look to the National Park Service for access to parks and for leadership in research on biodiversity, ecology, and conservation. As the following articles suggest, this relationship is growing and must continue to grow. Recent research and scientific advances are adding to our knowledge of parks and improving their management, and national parks are increasingly fulfilling a vital role in the quest for knowledge and understanding of our world.
Articles
Survival in extreme environments
By Paul Burger
Mapping the floor of America’s deepest lake with sonar
By William M. Brock
What does NASA have to do with the National Park Service?
By Anita Davis
Sidebars
National Cave and Karst Research Institute begins organizational phase
New moth and butterfly species identified in the Smokies
Award-Winner Profile - Dr. Howard Ginsberg honored
“New” waterfalls discovered in Yellowstone
This material is from Natural Resource Year in Review--2000, published by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, in May 2000 (publication D-1459)
/YearInReview/yir/yir2000/pages/03_parks_as_labs/03_001_parks_as_labs.html
Last Updated: 06/17/2001
Direct comments on this website to jeff_selleck@nps.gov