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"During the last ice age, glaciers formed high in the Rocky Mountains and carved out the peaks and valleys visible today. Recreating the landscape and life forms of this era of the last great glaciations (from 10,000 to 125,000 years ago), this guidebook describes a little-known yet pivotal period in the ecological history of four western national parks: Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Rocky Mountain." "Scott A. Elias describes how great sheets of ice spread over and changed the shape of the land - forming the steep-walled valleys and braided rivers of Glacier National Park, the chain of so-called "pater noster" lakes in the lower Rockies, and the end moraines that dammed Jenny, Bradley, Taggart, and Phelps lakes in the Grand Teton park. Drawing on fossil evidence, he also introduces the large animals that thrived 21,000 years ago - dire wolves, short-faced bears, American cheetahs, and mammoths - and that quickly died off at the end of the last glaciation. He recounts the coming of humans to the region, the ascendance of the ecosystems we see today, and the lasting features (plant, animal and topographical) of the ice age." "This guidebook, along with its companion on the ice-age history of Alaskan national parks, relates as well the kinds of evidence and methods scientists use to recover past environments. Covering geology, climate, ancient plant and animal life, and human presence, Elias introduces paleoecology - the interactions among plants, animals, and the prehistoric ecosystem - to hikers, tourists, and armchair travelers."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Elias describes how the increased precipitation and cooler temperatures of the Pleistocene affected the desert environment. He also traces the impact of ancient cultures on the landscape, from the earliest inhabitants to the Anasazi.
Drawing from his years of biological research within and adjacent to the sixth most visited park in the US, and from files and reports of the park's own biologists, Hess presents a strongly worded, well- documented indictment of gross mismanagement. His analysis diverges from Alston Chase's Playing God in Yellowstone in a number of respects; the case he makes is his own, and he presents a proposal for rescue. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Constructed from 1929 to 1932 and opened to tourists and drivers the following year, Trail Ridge Road earned immediate inclusion among the scenic wonders of the world. The new path through the park followed the ancient trail across Tombstone Ridge and offered visitors breathtaking views and a privileged glimpse at unique ecosystems. Today, Trail Ridge Road endures as a truly otherworldly place. It is the country's highest continuous paved road, peaking at over twelve thousand feet and running forty-eight miles. Join author Amy Law on a tour across the Continental Divide and through the history of Colorado's most famous byway.
Until recently a geologist was visualized by most people as a queer sort of fellow who went around the countryside breaking rocks with a little hammer. Fortunately, the general public today has a much clearer picture of the geologist and his science, but there are still many among us who mistakenly feel that geology is something too remote for practical application.Geology is the science of the Earth. It includes a history of our planet starting with its origin, and a history of the life that has lived upon it. From it, we can determine the reason for every feature of the landscape and every rock structure underneath the surface, and we can further learn what processes gave rise to them.
Focusing on more than 30,000 years of Alaskan prehistory, The Ice-Age History of Alaskan National Parks vividly describes the geology, climate, ancient plant and animal life, and human presence in four of Alaska's national parks and preserves - Denali, Kenai Fjords, Glacier Bay, and Bering Land Bridge. Scott A. Elias uncovers a time when glaciers shaped the landscape, gouging out valleys, carving cirques and peaks, and leaving moraines that blocked rivers and formed lakes. Using fossils as "witnesses" of past environments, he recreates the bogs and steppe tundra where caribou, moose, saber-toothed cats, and mammoths reigned 35,000 years ago. This guidebook presents a unique perspective for the modern traveler. Geared toward the general reader, it is the first in a series that will also survey the prehistory of the Rocky Mountain and Southwest national parks.
This book will provide a complete overview of an alpine ecosystem, based on the long-term research conducted at the Niwot Ridge LTER. There is, at present, no general book on alpine ecology. The alpine ecosystem features conditions near the limits of biological existence, and is a useful laboratory for asking more general ecological questions, because it offers large environmental change over relatively short distances. Factors such as macroclimate, microclimate, soil conditions, biota, and various biological factors change on differing scales, allowing insight into the relative contributions of the different factors on ecological outcomes.
From Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas, this volume provides a snapshot of the most spectacular and important natural places in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. America's Natural Places: Rocky Mountains and Great Plains examines over 50 of the most spectacular and important areas of this region, with each entry describing the importance of the area, the flora and fauna that it supports, threats to the survival of the region, and what is being done to protect it. Organized by state within the volume, this work informs readers about the wide variety of natural areas across the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains and identifies places that may be near them that demonstrate the importance of preserving such regions.
Rocky Mountain National Park is a destination for birders from around the world. No other locale offers such ready access to the pristine high-elevation habitat required by species such as White-tailed Ptarmigan, Brown-capped Rosy Finch, Blue Grouse, Gray Jay, Black Swift, Northern Pygmy-owl, Three-toed Woodpecker, Williamson's Sapsucker, Band-tailed Pigeon, and Pine Grosbeak. In Birding Rocky Mountain National Park, author Scott Roederer takes you on a tour of the Park's best birding areas. In great detail, he describes where to find the most sought-after birds of the montane forests and alpine tundra. From when to go to where to park, he'll lead you to specific places to find White-tailed Ptarmigan on Trail Ridge Road and to an out-of-the-way part of the Park where Black Swifts are regularly sighted roadside. He'll show you how to make the most of an all-too-short vacation by telling you where to find the best birding for the most species. Join him on a world-class birding adventure to Rocky Mountain National Park.
A dramatic account of the earth's history revealed through the rock formations of national parks and monuments--including geologically important recreation areas, seashores, and wildlife preserves. All of the parklands within a particular geologic province are included in each chapter. Features the most detailed coverage available of the new parklands in Alaska. Extensively illustrated with photographs--both color and black and white--line drawings, and maps.