Climate Resources for Understanding Biodiversity in Harriman State Park

Studying biodiversity in Harriman State Park requires understanding not only species and habitat patterns but also the climate processes that influence them. Temperature, precipitation, drought, seasonal timing, and extreme weather events all shape forest ecosystems, wetlands, wildlife movement, and plant communities. Climate data are especially relevant in Harriman State Park because the region contains diverse habitats including mixed forests, lakes, streams, wetlands, and rocky ridge systems that can respond differently to changing environmental conditions (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation [NYSDEC], 2015).

For this project, I selected several climate resources that provide information at different scales, ranging from local weather records to broader climate trends. Together these sources create a useful toolkit for understanding both present environmental conditions and long-term ecological changes.

1. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information provide historical climate records and long-term datasets including temperature, precipitation, snowfall, drought, and severe weather information. This source is especially useful because it provides access to archived observational data that can help connect biodiversity observations with local environmental conditions (NOAA NCEI, 2026).

For my Harriman study area, this resource could help answer questions such as:

• Have average temperatures changed over time?

• Has precipitation become more variable?

• Are extreme weather events increasing?

2. National Weather Service Climate Resources and NOWData

The National Weather Service climate portal provides local climate summaries, records, and customizable weather datasets. Unlike broader national summaries, these tools allow users to examine local station information and seasonal trends. This may help connect field observations in Harriman with weather conditions experienced by organisms at smaller scales (National Weather Service, 2026).

Potential applications include:

• Comparing rainfall patterns with plant growth

• Evaluating seasonal timing of wildlife activity

• Examining unusually warm or cold years

Example: Monthly Precipitation Data from West Point, NY (closest located data station to the park) 

3. NASA Earth Observatory Climate Resources

NASA Earth Observatory combines satellite imagery with climate science and environmental monitoring. Satellite observations are useful because ecological changes often occur across landscapes larger than individual field sites. Images and analyses can help visualize land cover changes, drought patterns, vegetation productivity, and regional environmental trends (NASA Earth Observatory, 2026).

Potential uses:

• Monitoring vegetation changes

• Observing regional drought impacts

• Connecting landscape patterns to ecological responses

4. New York State Mesonet (NYSM)

The New York State Mesonet is a statewide network of high-quality weather stations that provides real-time and archived observations of temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, soil moisture, snow depth, and other environmental variables. Because the network includes stations throughout the Hudson Valley, it offers much more localized information than national climate summaries and can help relate field observations in Harriman State Park to the weather conditions occurring at the time of sampling (New York State Mesonet, 2026).

Potential uses:

    • Monitoring temperature and precipitation during field visits
    • Comparing weather conditions between different areas of the Hudson Valley
    • Examining soil moisture and drought conditions that may influence vegetation and wildlife
    • Relating short-term weather events to changes in species activity or habitat conditions

 Example: Various available datasets from the site, mostly raster sets spanning the state boundaries of NY:

 

No single climate resource fully explains ecological patterns in Harriman State Park. Instead, multiple sources are needed because climate operates at several scales. Historical weather records provide local detail, while satellite imagery and statewide assessments provide broader context. Combining these resources should help strengthen interpretations of biodiversity patterns and improve understanding of how climate influences ecosystems over time.


References:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2024). Climate change indicators in the United States. https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Observatory. (2026). Earth Observatory. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Centers for Environmental Information  (NOAA NCEI). (2026). National Centers for Environmental Information. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/

National Weather Service. (2026). Climate services and NOWData. https://www.weather.gov/climate/

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). (2015). New York State Wildlife Action Plan.

New York State Mesonet. (2026). New York State Mesonet. https://www.nysmesonet.org/

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