COVID-19 Pandemic Causes Impacts and Opportunities for U.S. National Parks

By Abe Miller-Rushing

“What institutions of man can survive a morning experience?”

Henry David Thoreau in his Journal

 

In the early stages of the pandemic in April 2020, visitation to U.S. national parks declined by about 87 percent. In some parks visitation rebounded quickly as the summer progressed, while in others it remained low. For example, Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska got less than 10 percent of its normal visitation in 2020. Other parks, particularly those near urban areas, experienced increased numbers of visitors as people sought safe areas for recreation and exercise.

Some park programs continued, though with masks and distancing.

Many long-term research projects and management actions at national parks were delayed or cancelled due to COVID 19, which complicates the challenge of collecting adequate data for analysis.

 

Researchers continued a project restoring mountain meadows
at Acadia National park, but many other projects were cancelled.

Parks and partner organizations hired fewer seasonal employees and cancelled many internship and volunteer programs, creating hardships for those who rely on these opportunities to gain experience and skills.

 

At the same time, many parks, such Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana, offered more online programs and content.

 

Researchers are now evaluating how these changes have affected wildlife protection, visitor services, education, and park management, and what lessons can be learned.

 

The paper was published in Biological Conservation: Abraham J. Miller-Rushing et al. 2021. COVID-19 pandemic impacts on conservation research, management, and public engagement in US national parks. Biological Conservation 257: 109038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109038

Thoreau’s observations of fruiting times inform climate change research

By Tara K. Miller
 

“To replenish the possibility of mutual flourishing, for birds and berries and people, we need an economy that shares the gifts of the Earth, following the lead of our oldest teachers, the plants.”

- Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Serviceberry

 
In a recent Annals of Botany article, we compared Thoreau’s fruiting observations from the 1850s in Concord, MA with museum records from the past 150 years across New England to investigate the biological effects of climate change. We found a strong sequence of fruiting, with species such as blueberries fruiting in mid-summer and hollies fruiting later in autumn.   

Digitized museum specimens, such this bluebead lily,
were used to determine the time of fruit ripening.
© Consortium of Northeast Herbaria

 
This is the first use of Thoreau’s fruiting observations in scientific research, and builds on previous studies of Thoreau’s observations of flowering and bird arrival times. The present study was possible because pressed plant specimens – also known as herbarium specimens – have only recently been digitized in large numbers and made available on-line.

Lowbush blueberry plants were observed to fruit early in the year,
based on both Thoreau’s observations and museum specimens. © Jason S. 

 
Both Thoreau’s observations and museum specimens detect similar patterns of plant fruiting times, confirming that they can be combined to create larger and more powerful data sets for climate change and ecological research. However, the museum specimens, collected over a larger area and over more years than Thoreau, show an earlier start to fruiting and later ending than Thoreau’s Concord observations.

This deciduous holly, also known as winterberry, fruits later in the year. © SB Johnny 

Article: Comparing fruiting phenology across two historical datasets: Thoreau’s observations and herbarium specimens

Wildlife impacts during the pandemic

By Richard B. Primack
 

“All change is a miracle to contemplate; but it is a miracle which is taking place every instant.”

- Henry David Thoreau in Walden

 
The pandemic dramatically reduced levels of human activity and provided a chance to learn about wildlife ecology, management and conservation. In many cases, less human activity allowed animals to change their behavior and explore new areas.  Elsewhere, reduced management resulted in increased poaching and other illegal activities, harming wildlife.

Mountain lions were less likely to be hit by vehicles during the pandemic and were more often seen in urban areas.
Photo from the NPS.

 
Many of these examples were gathered together by the new organization PAN-ENVIRONMENT and featured in a special issue of Biological Conservation. 
 
The goal of this effort was to use the pandemic as an opportunity to advance conservation science and improve the management of endangered species and protected areas.
 
This material also provided key background information for a popular article in National Wildlife about wildlife during the time of the pandemic: Room to Roam: The pandemic has offered scientists an opportunity to study how slowdowns in human activity impact wildlife. By Barry Yeoman, 2021. 

This material was also featured in the Wildlife Professional: Wildlife in the Pandemic: The “Big Experiment” wildlifers wish they never had. By Joshua Rapp Learn, 2021.