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.