Vegetation Monitoring at Channel Islands National Park (CHIS) by the Mediterranean Coast Network (MEDN): 1984-2025 — Data Package

Channel Islands National Park, and later in collaboration with the Mediterranean Coast Network (MEDN) have been monitoring vegetation at Channel Islands National Park (CHIS) as a “vital sign” of ecosystem health since 1984. The goal of the program is to provide timely information on the status and trends in key communities and taxa for resource managers at National Park units. The CHIS Vegetation Monitoring data package comprises 8 CSV files that contain information on: (1) the location and characteristics of transects surveyed as part of the monitoring program, (2) taxa encountered during survey efforts, and (3) results of surveys documenting vegetation height, soil cover, tree density, shrub density, and species richness along 263 transects. Most transects are 30 meters in length; some are shorter or longer. Thus, the data package contains files and EML metadata that provide comprehensive information on the terrestrial vegetation at CHIS from 1984-2025. This publicly available information is crucial for tracking changes in plant communities and informing management decisions in a highly biodiverse ecoregion.