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ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Liz Thuman C period
Location
The Rocky Mountain National Park is located in Colorado.
Weather & Climate
Continental Divide runs northwest and southeast through the center of the park 2 distinct climates
Arid climate on the east side
Humid on the west side with two times the annual precipitation
Landforms
Glaciers Rocky Mountains Highest national
park in the United States
1/3 of the park is above treeline
Montane Ecosystem Large ponderosa
pines North-facing slops
of the mountain contain soil with more available water
Waterways
The Riparian Ecosystem (wetland) 150 lakes 450 miles of streams and rivers
Vegetation
Common Burdock Redtop Quackgrass Fiddleneck
Large variety of trees Grow between
5500 ft to 11500 ft. Many dense pine
forests that rise to elevations of 1000 feet.
Exotic plants Native plants
Animals
250 species of birds Specialty species
White-tailed Ptarmigan, Blue Grouse, Gray Jay, and Clark’s Nutcracker.
In 2000, the park was designated as a Global Important Bird Area.
7 native fish, 4 exoctic fish
66 mammal species Beaver, Elk,
Moose, Mule Dear, and Mountain Lion.
Birds Other animals
Environmental issues
Air quality Affected by the air pollution that comes from outside the park’s
boundaries West Nile Virus
Mosquito-borne disease Affects birds, horses, and humans causing them to have
suppressed immune systems Chronic Wasting Disease
Fatal neurological disease found in deer and elk.
History/culture
Congress passed the Rocky Mountain National Park Act in 1915
After WWII, Mission 66 was developed as a nationwide development and improvement program for the park. It brought new comfort stations, overlooks, employee
housing, campgrounds and visitor centers. In the 1960s Congress passed significant
environmental laws to protect the Rocky Mountain National Park.
Preservation efforts
Wilderness Preservation System The Rocky Mountain National Park is
managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
The Elk and Vegetation Management Plan Provides fencing, elk redistribution,
vegetation restoration, and culling.
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