Yellowstone National Park is a national park located in the US state of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. It was founded by the US Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone is the first national park in the US and is also widely owned as the world's first national park. The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful geysers, one of the most popular features. It has many types of ecosystems, but the subalpine forest is the most abundant. It is part of the ecoregion of the South Central Mountain forest.
Native Americans have lived in the Yellowstone region for at least 11,000 years. In addition to visits by mountain men during the early to mid-19th century, organized exploration did not begin until the late 1860s. The management and control of the park initially fell under the jurisdiction of the Interior Secretary, the first being Columbus Delano. However, the US Army was subsequently assigned to oversee the management of Yellowstone for 30 years between 1886 and 1916. In 1917, the park administration was transferred to the National Park Service, which had been made years earlier. Hundreds of structures have been built and protected for their architectural and historical interest, and researchers have examined more than a thousand archaeological sites.
Yellowstone National Park stretches 3,468.4 square miles (8,983 km 2 ), consisting of lakes, valleys, rivers and mountains. Lake Yellowstone is one of the largest altitude lakes in North America and is centered over Yellowstone Caldera, the continent's largest volcano. The caldera is considered an active volcano. It has erupted with tremendous power several times in the last two million years. Half of the world's geothermal features are in Yellowstone, fueled by this ongoing volcanism. The lava flows and rocks from volcanic eruptions cover most of the land in Yellowstone. This park is the center of the Great Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest ecosystem still intact in the northern climate zone of Earth. In 1978, Yellowstone was named the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Hundreds of species of mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles have been documented, including some that are threatened or endangered. The vast forests and meadows also include unique plant species. Yellowstone Park is the largest and most famous megafauna location in the United States adjacent. Grizzly bears, wolves, and herds of free-living bison and deer live in this park. The Yellowstone Park bulls are the oldest and largest public bison herd in the United States. Forest fires occur in parks every year; in the great forest fire of 1988, nearly a third of the park was burned. Yellowstone has many recreational opportunities, including hiking, camping, boating, fishing, and sightseeing. Paved roads provide close access to the main geothermal area as well as several lakes and waterfalls. During the winter, visitors often access the park through a guided tour using a snow coach or snowmobile.
Video Yellowstone National Park
History
This park contains the upstream of the Yellowstone River, from which it takes its historical name. Toward the end of the 18th century, the French trapper named the river Roche Jaune , which may be a translation of Hidatsa name Mi tsi a-da-zi ("Yellow Rock River"). Later, American trappers translated the French name in English as "Yellow Stone". Although it is generally believed that the river was named for yellow stones seen in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the source of the original American name is unclear.
The human history of the park began at least 11,000 years ago when Native Americans began hunting and fishing in the area. During the construction of a post office in Gardiner, Montana, in the 1950s, the point of the obsidian projectile from Clovis was discovered which dates back about 11,000 years ago. These Paleo Indians, from the Clovis culture, use a large number of obsidians found in the garden to make cutlery and weapons. Arrows made of Yellowstone obsidian stone have been found as far as the Mississippi Valley, suggesting that regular obsidian trade exists between local tribes and tribes in the far east. When the first white explorers entered the area during the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805, they met the Nez Perce, Crow, and Shoshone tribes. As it passed Montana today, expedition members heard about the Yellowstone area in the south, but they did not investigate.
In 1806, John Colter, a Lewis and Clark Expedition member, went to join a group of feather trappers. After parting with other catchers in 1807, Colter passed some of what later became a park, during the winter of 1807-1808. He observed at least one geothermal area in the northeastern part of the park, near Tower Fall. After passing the wounds he suffered in battle with members of the Gagak and Blackfoot tribes in 1809, Colter described the "fire and brimstone" places that most people consider delirium; an imaginary place dubbed "Colter's Hell". Over the next 40 years, many reports of mountain men and trappers tell of boiling mud, steaming streams and petrified trees, but most of these reports are believed to be mythical at the time.
After the exploration of 1856, the mountain man Jim Bridger (also believed to be the first or second European to ever see the Great Salt Lake) reported observing boiling springs, spraying water, and a mountain of glass and yellow stone. These reports are ignored because Bridger is known as "yarn spinner". In 1859, a US Army Surveyor named Captain William F. Raynolds began a two-year survey of the northern Rockies. After the winter in Wyoming, in May 1860, Raynolds and his party - which included naturalists Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden and guide Jim Bridger - attempted to cross the Continental Divide over the Two Ocean Plateau of the Wind River in northwestern Wyoming. Heavy spring snow was blocking their way, but if they were able to cross the gulf, the party would be the first organized survey to enter the Yellowstone region. The American Civil War prevented further exploration until the late 1860s.
The first detailed expedition to the Yellowstone region was the 1869 Cook-Folsom-Peterson Expedition, which consists of three privately-funded explorers. The Folsom party follows the Yellowstone River to Yellowstone Lake. The members of the Folsom party made a journal and based on the information it reported, a Montana party organized the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition in 1870. The event was led by Montana's general surveyor Henry Washburn, and included Nathaniel P Langford (later known as "Taman National "Langford" and the US Army detachment commanded by Lieutenant Gustavus Doane.
The expedition spent about a month exploring the region, collecting interesting specimens and naming sites. A Montana writer and lawyer named Cornelius Hedges, who was a member of the Washburn expedition, proposed that the area should be set aside and protected as a national park; he wrote a detailed article on his observations for the Helena Herald newspaper between 1870 and 1871. Hedges essentially reiterated his comments made in October 1865 by acting as Montana Provincial Governor Thomas Francis Meagher, who earlier commented that the territory it must be protected. Others made similar suggestions. In a 1871 letter from Jay Cooke to Ferdinand V. Hayden, Cooke wrote that his friend, Congressman William D. Kelley also suggested "Congress passes laws requiring Great Geyser Basin as a public park forever".
Gardening
In 1871, eleven years after his first failed attempt, Ferdinand V. Hayden was finally able to explore the area. With a government sponsor, he returned to the area with his second larger expedition, the Hayden Geological Survey in 1871. He compiled a comprehensive report, including large-format photographs by William Henry Jackson and Thomas Moran's paintings. The report helped convince the US Congress to withdraw the region from public auctions. On 1 March 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Act on the Devotion of Devotion Act that created Yellowstone National Park.
Hayden, though not the only person who thinks to make parks in the region, is his first and most enthusiastic supporter. He believes in "setting aside as a pleasant place for the interests and pleasures of the people" and warns that there are people who will come and "make merchandise from this beautiful specimen". Worried the area could face the same fate as Niagara Falls, he concluded the site should be "free as air or Air." In his report to the Public Land Committee, he concludes that if the bill fails to become law, "the troublemakers who are now waiting to enter this wonderland will, in a season of destruction, beyond recovering, this extraordinary curiosity, which requires all the craft skill thousands of years to prepare ".
Hayden and his party in 1871 recognized Yellowstone as an invaluable treasure that would become scarce as time went on. He hopes that others see and experience it as well. Finally the train and, sometime after that, the car will allow it. The garden is not devoted to ecological purposes; However, the term "pleasure" is not an invitation to create an amusement park. Hayden imagines something similar to a beautiful resort and bathhouse in England, Germany and Switzerland.
ACT OF DEDICATION
AN ACT to arrange a particular land located near the Yellowstone River upstream as a public park. Whether it is authorized by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of Congress in assembled, That the land channel in the Territory of Montana and Wyoming... is hereby protected and withdrawn from settlement, residence or sale under the laws of the United States, and is dedicated and designated as a public park or a pleasant land for the benefit and enjoyment of the people; and everyone who will search, or settle on, or occupy the same or part thereof, except as hereafter, shall be deemed an intruder and removed from there...
Approved March 1, 1872.Signed by:
- ULYSSES S. GRANT, President of the United States.
- SCHUYLER COLFAX, Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate.
JAMES G. BLAINE, House Speaker.
There was much local opposition to Yellowstone National Park during its early years. Some local residents fear that regional economies will not be able to flourish if there remains a strict federal ban on the development of resources or settlements within park boundaries and local entrepreneurs advocate reducing the size of the park so that mining, hunting and logging activities can be developed.. To this end, many bills were introduced to Congress by Montana representatives who sought to remove restrictions on federal land use.
After the park's official formation, Nathaniel Langford was appointed the park's first supervisor in 1872 by Columbus's Interior Secretary Delano. Langford served for five years but was denied salary, funding, and staff. Langford has no means of repairing the land or protecting the park properly, and without official policies or regulations, he has little legal method to enforce such protection. This left-handed Yellowstone is vulnerable to hunters, troublemakers, and others seeking to invade its resources. He discussed the practical problems of park managers encountered in the 1872 Report to the Ministry of Home Affairs and correctly predicted that Yellowstone would be a major international attraction worthy of being continued by the government. In 1874, both Langford and Delano advocated the creation of a federal agency to protect a vast park, but Congress refused. In 1875, Colonel William Ludlow, who previously explored the Montana areas under the command of George Armstrong Custer, was assigned to organize and lead an expedition to Montana and the newly established Yellowstone Park. Observations on violations of law and exploitation of park resources were included in Ludlow's Reconnaissance Report into Yellowstone National Park . The report included letters and attachments by other expedition members, including naturalist and mineralogi George Bird Grinnell.
Grinnell documented the hunt of buffalo, deer, deer, and antelope to hide. "It is estimated that during the winter of 1874-1875, no less than 3,000 buffaloes and donkeys suffer even worse than large deer, and the antelope is almost as much."
As a result, Langford was forced to resign in 1877. After going through Yellowstone and witnessing the issue of direct land management, Philetus Norris volunteered for a position after Langford left. Congress finally saw fit to apply salaries for such positions, as well as to provide minimal funds to operate the park. Norris uses these funds to expand access to the park, build many roads and raw facilities.
In 1880, Harry Yount was appointed as a goalkeeper to control the hunt and vandalism in the park. Yount has spent several decades exploring the current Wyoming mountain country, including the Grand Tetons, after joining the Geological Survey F V. Hayden in 1873. Yount was the first national park keeper, and Yount's Peak, at the head of the Yellowstone River, was named in his honor. However, these measures still prove to be insufficient in protecting the park, as neither Norris nor the three heads of follow are empowered or sufficient resources.
The Northern Pacific Railroad built a railway station in Livingston, Montana, connecting to the northern entrance in the early 1880s, which helped boost visits from 300 in 1872 to 5,000 in 1883. Visitors in these early years faced a bad road and service is limited, and most access to the park is on the horse or via the postage tram. By 1908 the visit was considerably increased to attract Union Pacific Railroad connections to West Yellowstone, although the train visits fell away by World War II and stopped around the 1960s. Most railways are converted to natural trails, among them the Yellowstone Branch Line.
During the 1870s and 1880s Native Americans were effectively excluded from national parks. Below half a dozen tribes have made seasonal use in the Yellowstone region, but the only residents of the year are the small East Shoshone group known as "Sheepeaters". They left the area under a negotiated treaty agreement in 1868, in which Sheepeaters surrendered their land but retained the right to hunt in Yellowstone. The United States has never ratified the treaty and refused to recognize claims of the Sheepeaters or other tribes that have used Yellowstone.
The Nez Perce band linked to Chief Joseph, numbering about 750 people, passed through Yellowstone National Park in thirteen days during late August 1877. They were chased by the US Army and entered the park about two weeks after the Great Battle of the Hole. Some Nez Perce are friendly to tourists and others they encounter in the park; some do not. Nine park visitors were taken briefly. Although Joseph and the other head ordered no one to be harmed, at least two people were killed and several wounded. One of the areas where the encounter takes place in the Lower Geyser Basin and east along the branches of the Firehole River to Mary Mountain and beyond. The river is still known as Nez Perce Creek. A group of Bannock entered the park in 1878, worrying about Park Superintendent Philetus Norris. In the aftermath of the Indian War of Sheepeater in 1879, Norris built a fortress to prevent Native Americans from entering the national park.
The arrest and destruction of natural resources continued until the US Army arrived at Mammoth Hot Springs in 1886 and built the Sheridan Camp. Over the next 22 years the army built a permanent structure, and Camp Sheridan was named Fort Yellowstone. On May 7, 1894, Boone and Crockett Club, acting through the personalities of George G. Vest, Arnold Den Haag, William Hallett Phillips, Wadsworth WA, Archibald Rogers, Theodore Roosevelt, and George Bird Grinnell succeeded in carrying out the Park Protection Act, which saves Park. The Lacey Act of 1900 provides legal support for hunter prosecutors. With the funding and manpower needed to supervise diligently, the army develops their own policies and regulations that allow public access while protecting wildlife and the park's natural resources. When the National Park Service was created in 1916, many of the management principles developed by the army were adopted by the new agency. The army switched control of the National Park Service on 31 October 1918.
In 1898, the naturalist John Muir described this park as follows: "However, determine your journey or aimlessly, again and again in the midst of the quietest and calmest landscape You will be confronted by solitude and admiration before an entirely new phenomenon for You, the springs and the immense deep pool of pure green and blue water, thousands of them, plunge themselves and go up and down in these tall, cool mountains as if a fiery fireplace fire under each of them, and one hundred geysers, spray of boiling water and white steam, like a reverse waterfall, always and keep rushing out of a hot, hot world. "
Next history
In 1915, 1,000 cars per year entered the park, resulting in conflicts with horses and horse-drawn transport. The horse ride on the road was finally banned.
The Civil Conservation Corps (CCC), the New Testament aid agency for youth, played a leading role between 1933 and 1942 in developing the Yellowstone facility. The CCC project includes reforestation, camp development from many park and camping trails, road construction, fire hazard reduction, and fire fighting work. CCC builds most of the early visitor centers, camping, and park path systems today.
During World War II, tourist travels dropped sharply, staff cut off, and many facilities fell into disrepair. In the 1950s, the visit increased rapidly in Yellowstone and other national parks. To accommodate the increased visits, park officers undertook Mission 66, an attempt to modernize and expand the park's service facilities. Planned to be completed in 1966, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Park Service, the Mission 66 construction is split from traditional log cabin style with modern design features. During the late 1980s, most of the construction styles in Yellowstone returned to more traditional designs. After a major forest fire in 1988 destroyed many of the Grant Villages, the structure there was rebuilt in a traditional style. The visitor center at Canyon Village, which opened in 2006, combines a more traditional design as well.
The Hebei Lake 1959 quake to the west of Yellowstone on Lake Hebgen damaged the road and several structures in the park. In the northwest part of the park, new geysers are found, and many of the existing hot springs become turbid. It was the strongest earthquake that hit the area in recorded history.
In 1963, after several years of public controversy over the forced reduction of deer population in Yellowstone, US Interior Secretary Stewart Udall appointed an advisory board to collect scientific data to inform the management of wildlife in the future of the national park. In a paper known as the Leopold Report, the committee observed that program destruction in other national parks was ineffective, and recommended the management of the Yellowstone deer population.
Forest fires during the summer of 1988 were the largest in park history. Approximately 793,880 acres (321,272 ha, 1,240 sq mi) or 36% of the park were affected by fire, leading to a systematic re-evaluation of fire management policies. The 1988 fire season was considered normal until a combination of drought and heat in mid-July contributed to the danger of extreme fires. On "Black Saturday", August 20, 1988, strong winds rapidly expanded fires, and more than 150,000 acres (61,000 ha; 230Ã, sqÃ, mi) burned.
The extensive cultural history of the park has been documented by 1,000 archaeological sites that have been discovered. The park has 1,106 historic buildings and features, and this Obsidian Cliff and five buildings have been designated as a National Historic Landmark. Yellowstone was designated an International Biosphere Reserve on 26 October 1976, and a UN World Heritage Site on September 8, 1978. The park was placed on the World Heritage List in Danger from 1995 to 2003 due to the effects of tourism, wildlife infection, and problems with invasive species. In 2010, Yellowstone National Park was honored with its own quartal under the beautiful American Program Quarters.
Justin Ferrell explores three moral sensitivities that motivate activists in dealing with Yellowstone. First came the utilitarian vision of the maximum exploitation of natural resources, the characteristics of developers in the late 19th century. The second is the spiritual vision of nature inspired by Romanticism and the transcendentalists in the mid-19th century. The twentieth century saw a biocentric moral vision that focused on the health of the ecosystem as it was theorized by Aldo Leopold, which led to the expansion of the federal protected area and surrounding ecosystem.
Heritage and Research Center
The Heritage and Research Center is located in Gardiner, Montana, near the north entrance to the park. The center is home to a collection of museums, archives, research libraries, historians, archeology labs and herbariums in Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone National Park Archives stores a collection of historical records of Yellowstone and the National Park Service. The collection includes Yellowstone administration records, as well as resource management records, recordings of major projects, and donated manuscripts and papers. The archives are affiliated with the National Archives and Archives Administration.
Maps Yellowstone National Park
Geography
About 96 percent of the Yellowstone National Park area is located within the state of Wyoming. The other three percent are in Montana, with the remaining one percent in Idaho. The park is 63 miles (101 km) north to south, and 54 miles (87 km) west to east through the air. Yellowstone is 2,219,789 hectares (898,317 ha; 3,468,420 sq m) in areas, larger than the states of Rhode Island or Delaware. Rivers and lakes cover five percent of the land area, with the largest water body being Yellowstone Lake at 87,040 hectares (35,220 ha; 136,00 sqmin). Yellowstone Lake has a depth of up to 400 feet (120 m) and has a 110-mile (180 km) coastline. At an altitude of 7,733 feet (2,357 m) above sea level, Yellowstone Lake is the largest highland lake in North America. The forest consists of 80 percent of the land area of ​​the park; most of the rest are pastures.
The Continental Divide of North America runs diagonally through the southwestern part of the park. This division is a topographical feature that separates the drainage waters of the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. About a third of the park is located on the west side of the split. The origins of the Yellowstone and Snake Rivers are close to each other but on opposite sides of the divide. As a result, Snake River water flows into the Pacific Ocean, while the Yellowstone people find their way to the Atlantic Ocean through the Gulf of Mexico.
The park is located in Yellowstone Plateau, at an average altitude of 8,000 feet (2,400 m) above sea level. The plateau is confined on almost all sides by the mountains of the Central Rocky Mountains, which range from 9,000 to 11,000 feet (2,700 to 3,400 m) at altitude. The highest point in this park is at the peak of Eagle Peak (11,358 feet or 3,462 meters) and the lowest along Reese Creek (5,282 feet or 1,610 meters). Nearby mountain ranges include the Gallatin Range to the northwest, the Beartooth Mountains to the north, the Absaroka Range to the east, and the Teton Range and the Madison Range to the southwest and west. The most prominent peak at Yellowstone Plateau is Mount Washburn at 10,243 feet (3,122 m).
Yellowstone National Park has one of the largest petrified forests in the world, trees that were once buried by ash and soil and turned from wood into mineral materials. This ash and other volcanic debris is believed to originate from the area of ​​the park itself. This is largely because Yellowstone is actually the big caldera of the super volcano. There are 290 waterfalls at least 15 feet (4.6 m) in the park, the highest being Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River at 308 feet (94 m).
Three deep gorges are located in the park, cutting through the volcanic tuffs of Yellowstone Plateau by the river over the last 640,000 years. The Lewis River flows through Lewis Canyon in the south, and the Yellowstone River has carved two colored canyons, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone on its way north.
Geology
History
Yellowstone is at the northeastern end of the Snake River Plain, a large U-shaped arc through a mountain range stretching from Boise, Idaho about 400 miles (640 km) west. This feature tracks the route of the North American Plate over the last 17 million years when transported by tectonic plates across the stationary hotspot coat. Yellowstone National Park landscape is currently the latest manifestation of this hotspot beneath the earth's crust.
The Yellowstone Caldera is the largest volcanic system in North America. This has been called "supervolcano" because the caldera is formed by a very large explosive eruption. The magma chamber located beneath Yellowstone is thought to be one connected room, about 37 miles long, 18 miles wide and 3 to 7 miles deep. The current caldera was created by a massive eruption that occurred 640,000 years ago, which releases more than 240 cubic meters (1,000 km) of ash, stone and pyroclastic material. This eruption is more than 1,000 times larger than the eruption of Mount Helens in 1980. It produced a caldera nearly five in eight miles (1 km) deep and 45 by 28 miles (72 by 45 km) in the area and stored in Lava Creek Tuff, a formation geological tuff welding. The most violent eruption, which occurred 2.1 million years ago, produced 588 cubic miles (2,450 km) of volcanic material and created a rock formation known as Huckleberry Ridge Tuff and created the Caldera Park Island. Smaller eruptions sprayed 67 million cubic miles (280 m) of material 1.3 million years ago, forming Henry's Fork Caldera and depositing the Mesa Falls Tuff.
Each of the three climactic eruptions releases a large amount of ash covering much of northern Central America, which falls hundreds of miles away. The amount of ash and gas released into the atmosphere may have a significant impact on world weather patterns and cause the extinction of some species, especially in North America.
A subsequent caldera-forming eruption occurred about 160,000 years ago. It forms a relatively small caldera containing the Thumb Lake of West Yellowstone. Since the last supereruption, a series of smaller eruption cycles between 640,000 and 70,000 years ago, has nearly filled the Yellowstone Caldera with 80 different eruptions of rhyolitic lava as can be seen in Obsidian Cliffs and the basal lava seen at Sheepeater Cliff. Lava strata is most easily seen in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, where the Yellowstone River continues to carve out ancient lava flows. The valley is a classic V-shaped valley, indicating river type erosion rather than erosion caused by glaciation.
Each eruption is part of the eruption cycle that culminates with the partial collapse of the empty space roof of the magma partially emptied. This creates a collapsed depression, called the caldera, and releases a large amount of volcanic material, usually through a gap that surrounds the caldera. The time between the last three catastrophic eruptions in the Yellowstone area has ranged from 600,000 to 800,000 years, but a small number of these climactic eruptions can not be used to make accurate predictions for future volcanic events.
Geysers and hydrothermal systems
The most famous geyser in the park, and perhaps the world, is the Old Faithful geyser, located in the Upper Geyser Basin. Castle Geyser, Lion Geyser and Beehive Geyser are in the same basin. This park contains the world's largest active geyser - Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin. A study completed in 2011 found that at least 1283 geysers had erupted in Yellowstone. Of these, an average of 465 is active in a given year. Yellowstone contains at least 10,000 geothermal features altogether. Half the geothermal features and two thirds of the world's geysers are concentrated in Yellowstone.
In May 2001, the US Geological Survey, Yellowstone National Park and the University of Utah created the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO), a partnership for long-term monitoring of the Yellow Plateau volcanic plain geological process, to disseminate information on the potential dangers of this active geologic region.
In 2003, a change in the Norris Geyser Basin resulted in temporary closure of multiple pathways in the basin. New fumaroles were observed, and some geysers showed increased activity and increased water temperatures. Some geysers become so hot that it turns into a pure steaming feature; water gets very hot and they can no longer erupt normally. This coincides with the release of a multi-year United States Survey of Geological Survey research report that maps the bottom of Yellowstone Lake and identifies the structural dome that has been lifted at a time in the past. Research shows that these increases do not pose a direct threat from volcanic eruptions, as they may have developed over time, and no increase in temperature was found near the rapture. On March 10, 2004, a biologist discovered 5 dead bison that appears to have inhaled poisonous geothermal gases trapped in the Norris Geyser Basin by inversion of the seasonal atmosphere. This was followed by an increase in earthquake activity in April 2004. In 2006, it was reported that Mallard Lake Dome and Sour Creek Dome - areas that had long been known to show significant changes in their land movement - had increased. at a rate of 1.5 to 2.4 inches (3.8 to 6.1 cm) per year from mid 2004 to 2006. By the end of 2007, the increase has continued at a reduced rate. These events inspired much media attention and speculation about the geological future of the region. Experts respond to the allegations by telling the public that there is no increased risk of volcanic eruptions any time soon. However, these changes show the dynamic nature of the Yellowstone hydrothermal system.
Biology and ecology
Yellowstone National Park is the center of 20 million hectares/31,250 sq miles (8,093,712 hectares/80,937 km 2 ) The larger Yellowstone ecosystem, the area that includes the Grand Teton National Park, adjacent National Forest and area the vast wilderness of the forests. This ecosystem is the largest remaining sustainable expanse of much of the undeveloped native land of the United States, considered the world's largest intact ecosystem in the northern temperate zone. With a successful wolf reintroduction program, which began in the 1990s, almost all native faunal species known to inhabit the region when white explorers first entered the area can still be found there.
Flora
More than 1,700 species of trees and other vascular plants come from the park. 170 other species are considered as exotic and not original species. Of the eight species of documented conifer trees, Lodgepole Pine forest covers 80% of the total forest area. Other conifers, such as Subalpine Fir, Engelmann Spruce, Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir and Whitebark Pine, are found in gardens scattered throughout the park. In 2007, whitebark pine was threatened by a fungus known as white pine blister rust; However, this is largely confined to forests with both north and west. In Yellowstone, about seven percent of whitebark pine species have been affected by fungi, compared to nearly complete infestations in northwestern Montana. Quaking Aspen and willow are the most common deciduous tree species. The forests of aspen have declined significantly since the beginning of the 20th century, but scientists at Oregon State University attribute the recovery of aspen with the reintroduction of wolves that have changed the habits of local gazelle deer.
There are dozens of species of flowering plants that have been identified, most bloom between May and September. Yellowstone sand verbena is a rare flowering plant found only in Yellowstone. This is closely related to the species normally found in much warmer climates, making the verbena sand a puzzle. An estimated 8,000 examples of these rare flowering plants all make their homes on sandy soil on the shores of Yellowstone Lake, well above the water's surface.
In the hot waters of Yellowstone, bacteria form an oddly shaped mat consisting of trillions of individuals. These bacteria are some of the most primitive life forms on earth. Flies and other arthropods live on mats, even in the middle of a very cold winter. Initially, scientists think that the microbes there get sustenance only from sulfur. In 2005 researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder found that sustenance for at least some of the diverse hypertrophil species was molecular hydrogen.
Thermus aquaticus is a bacterium found in the Yellowstone hot springs that produce important laboratory-friendly enzymes (Taq polymerase) and is useful in replicating DNA as part of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process. This bacterial pickup can be achieved without impacting the ecosystem. Other bacteria in the Yellowstone hot springs also prove to be beneficial to scientists who are looking for a cure for various diseases. In 2016, researchers from Uppsala University reported the discovery of the thermophile class, Hadesarchaea, in Culex Basin Yellowstone. These organisms are able to convert carbon monoxide and water into carbon dioxide and oxygen.
Non-native plants occasionally threaten native species using nutritional resources. Although exotic species are most commonly found in areas with the largest human visits, such as nearby roads and in major tourist areas, they also spread inland. Generally, most exotic species are controlled by pulling plants out of the ground or by spraying, both time consuming and expensive.
Fauna
Yellowstone is widely regarded as the best megafauna wildlife habitat in the lower 48 states. There are nearly 60 species of mammals in the park, including woody wolves, coyotes, threatened Canadian lynx, and grizzly bears. Other large mammals include bison (often referred to as buffalo), black bears, deer, big deer, female deer, white-tailed deer, mountain goats, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and cougar.
The herd of Yellowstone Park basin is the largest American bison swarm in the United States. The relatively large population of bison is a concern for breeders, who fear that species can transmit bovine diseases to their pet cousins. In fact, about half of the Yellowstone bison has been exposed to brucellosis, a bacterial disease that comes to North America with European cattle that can cause cattle miscarriage. This disease has little effect on the bison park, and no case reports of transmission from wild bull to domestic livestock have been proposed. However, the Animal Health and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) has stated that the bull is a "possible source" of the spread of disease in cattle in Wyoming and North Dakota. The deer also carry the disease and is believed to have transmitted the infection to horses and cattle. Bison once numbered between 30 and 60 million people across North America, and Yellowstone remains one of their last bastions. Their population increased from less than 50 in parks in 1902 to 4,000 in 2003. Yellowstone Park's bull fist peaked in 2005 with 4,900 animals. Despite an estimated 4,700 summer population in 2007, the number dropped to 3,000 in 2008 after a harsh winter and the controversial brucellosis management sent hundreds of people to slaughter. The Yellowstone Park bulls are believed to be one of four pure free and genetic herds on public land in North America. The other three flocks are a herd of Henry Mountains in Utah, in Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota and in Deer Island National Park in Alberta.
To combat the threat of brucellosis transmission to cows, park officials regularly disrupt the bison cattle back into the park as they roam beyond the borders of the area. During the winter of 1996-1997, a herd of bison was so large that 1,079 bison that had come out of the park were shot or sent for slaughter. Animal rights activists argue that this is a cruel practice and the possibility of disease transmission is not as large as that of some breeders. Ecologists point out that bison only travels to a seasonal pasture located within the Great Yellowstone Ecosystem that has been converted into livestock grazing, some of which are in the National Forest and leased to private farmers. APHIS has stated that by vaccination and other means, brucellosis can be removed from a herd of bison and deer throughout Yellowstone.
Beginning in 1914, in an effort to protect deer populations, the US Congress used funds to be used for the purpose of "destroying wolves, prairie dogs, and other animals harming farms and farms" on public lands. Hunters Service Park did this order, and in 1926 they had killed 136 wolves, and wolves were almost eliminated from Yellowstone. Further extermination continued until the National Park Service concluded its practice in 1935. With the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, the wolf was one of the first registered mammal species. After the wolf is eradicated from Yellowstone, the coyote then becomes a predator of dogs over the park. However, the coyotes are not capable of dropping large animals, and the result of this lack of predators in this population is a noticeable improvement in the crippled and sick megafauna.
In the 1990s, the Federal government had reversed its view of wolves. In a controversial decision by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (which oversees endangered and endangered species), northwest wolves imported from Canada are reintroduced into the park. Successful reintroduction efforts with relatively stable populations. A survey conducted in 2005 reported that there were 13 packets of wolves, with a total of 118 individuals in Yellowstone and 326 across the ecosystem. These park numbers are lower than those reported in 2004 but may be due to migration of wolves to other nearby areas as suggested by the large increase in the Montana population during the interval. Almost all the documented wolves come from 66 wolves reintroduced in 1995-1996. The recovery of populations throughout the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho has been so successful that on February 27, 2008, the US Fish and Wildlife Agency wiped out the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf population from a list of endangered species.
An estimated 600 grizzly bears live in the Great Yellowstone Ecosystem, with more than half the population living in Yellowstone. Grizzly is currently listed as a threatened species, but the US Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that it intends to release it from the list of endangered species for the Yellowstone region but will likely remain enrolled in areas where it has not fully recovered. Opponents of the grizzly disappearance fear that the state may once again allow for hunting and that better conservation measures need to be implemented to ensure a sustainable population. The black bear is common in the park and is a symbol of the park due to visitor interaction with bears starting in 1910. Eating and close contact with bears have not been allowed since 1960 to reduce their desire for human food. Yellowstone is one of the few places in the United States where black bears can be seen living side by side with grizzly bears. Observations of black bears occur most often in the northern ranges of parks and in the Bechler area located in the southwest corner of the park.
Population numbers for deer more than 30,000 - the largest population of any large mammal species in Yellowstone. The northern herd has greatly declined since the mid-1990s; this has been linked to wolf predation and causal effects such as deer using more forest areas to avoid predation, making it more difficult for researchers to accurately calculate them. The northern herds migrate west to southwest Montana in the winter. Southern herds migrate south, and most of the winter deer is at the National Elk Refuge, immediately southeast of the Grand Teton National Park. The migration of southern herds is the largest migration of mammals remaining in the US outside Alaska.
In 2003 a track of one female lynx and her child was seen and followed for over 2 miles (3.2 km). Stool materials and other evidence obtained are tested and confirmed to be lynx. No visual confirmations were made. Lynx has not been seen in Yellowstone since 1998, although DNA taken from hair samples obtained in 2001 confirmed that lynx is at least temporary to the park. Other less commonly seen mammals are mountain lions and wolves. Mountain Lion has an estimated population of only 25 people in the national park. Wolverine is another rare garden mammal, and accurate population figures for this species are unknown. These unusual and scarce mammals provide insight into the health of protected lands such as Yellowstone and help managers make informed decisions about how best to conserve habitat.
Eighteen species of fish live in Yellowstone, including the core range of Yellowstone's jade trout - a highly sought after fish. Yellowstone trout has faced several threats since the 1980s, including alleged illegal encroachment into Yellowstone lakes in trout lakes, an invasive species that consumes smaller smaller trout. Although trout lakes were established in Shoshone and Lewis lakes in the Snake River drainage from the US Governmenting operations deployment in 1890, it was never officially introduced to the Yellowstone River drainage. The cruel trout also faces ongoing droughts, as well as the accidental introduction of parasitic diseases - which causes terminal nervous system disease in younger fish. Since 2001, all species of native sport fish caught in Yellowstone waters are subject to the law of arrest and release. Yellowstone is also home to six species of reptiles, such as painted turtles and Prairie venomous snakes, and four species of amphibians, including the Boreal Chorus Frog.
311 species of birds have been reported, nearly half of them lodged in Yellowstone. By 1999, twenty-six bald eagles had been documented. A very rare discovery of a whooping crane has been noted, but only three examples of this species are known to live in the Rocky Mountains, of which 385 are known worldwide. Other birds, considered a species of special concern due to their scarcity in Yellowstone, include common loon birds, harlequin ducks, osprey, peregrine hawks, and trumpet swans.
Forest fires
Because forest fires are a natural part of most ecosystems, plants originating from Yellowstone have adapted in various ways. Douglas-fir has a thick bark that protects the inside of trees from most fires. Lodgepole Pines - the most common tree species in the park - generally have cones that are only opened by the heat of the fire. The seed is held by a hard resin, and the fire helps to melt the resin, allowing the seeds to dissolve. The fire clears dead and falling wood, giving fewer obstacles to lodgepole pine to flourish. Subalpine Fir, Engelmann Spruce, Whitebark Pine, and other species tend to grow in colder and humid areas, where fire is less likely to occur. The Aspen trees grow new growth from its roots, and even if a severe fire kills trees on the ground, its roots often survive unscathed because they are isolated from the heat by the soil. The National Park Service estimates that under natural conditions, Yellowstone grasslands burn on average every 20 to 25 years, while the forest in the park will fire every 300 years.
About thirty-five natural forest fires are lit annually by lightning, while another six to ten are started by people - in many cases by accident. Yellowstone National Park has three fire monitoring towers, each run by a trained firefighter. The easiest to reach is atop Mount Washburn, which has an interpretive exhibit and an observation deck open to the public. The park also monitors fire from the air and relies on reports of visitors about smoke and/or fire. The fire brigade is maintained almost continuously from late June to mid September - the main fire season. The fire burns with the greatest intensity in the afternoon and evening. Several fires burned more than 100 acres (40 ha), and most fires reached just over one hectare (0.5 ha) before they burned themselves. Fire management focuses on monitoring the quantity of dead and descending wood, soil moisture and trees, and weather, to determine which areas most vulnerable to fire must be ignited. The current policy is to suppress all human-caused fires and to evaluate natural fires, checking for the benefits or losses they may have on ecosystems. If fire is considered a direct threat to people and structures, or will burn out of control, then fire suppression is done.
In an effort to minimize the possibility of fire and threats beyond the control of people and structures, park employees do more than monitor the potential for fire. Controlled burns are defined fires that deliberately start removing dead wood in conditions that allow fire fighters to have a chance to carefully control where and how much wood is consumed. Natural fires are sometimes regarded as specified fire if allowed to burn. In Yellowstone, unlike some other parks, there are very few fires that are deliberately started by employees as specified burns. However, over the past 30 years, more than 300 natural fires have been allowed to burn naturally. In addition, firefighters remove dead and downhill logs and other dangers from areas where they will be a potential fire threat to life and property, reducing the possibility of fire hazards in this area. Fire monitors also regulate fire through educational services to the public and have been known to temporarily prohibit campfire fires during periods of high fire hazards. The general idea in the initial land management policy of the United States is that all forest fires are bad. Fire is seen as a completely destructive force and there is little understanding that it is an integral part of the ecosystem. As a result, until the 1970s, when a better understanding of forest fires was developed, all fires were suppressed. This leads to an increase in dying and dying forest, which would then provide a fuel load for fires that would be much more difficult, and in some cases, impossible to control. The Fire Management Plan is implemented, detailing that natural fires should be allowed to burn if they do not pose a direct threat to life and property.
1988 starts with a wet spring even in the summer, drought starts to move across the northern Rockies, creating the driest year on record to that point. Grasses and plants that grow well in the early summer from the abundant spring humidity produce a lot of grass, which soon turns into dry spots. The National Park Service started a fire fighting effort to keep the fire under control, but extreme drought made the oppression difficult. Between 15 and 21 July 1988, the fire rapidly spread from 8,500 acres (across 3,400 ha, 13.3 m²) throughout the Yellowstone area, covering an area outside the park, up to 99,000 acres (40,000 ha; 155 m²) on the park alone. At the end of the month, the fire is out of control. Large fires burned together, and on August 20, 1988, one day the most severe fires, over 150,000 acres (61,000 ha, 230 m²) were consumed. Seven major fires are responsible for 95% of 793,000 hectares (321,000 hectares 1,239 sq. Million) burned over the next few months. A total of 25,000 firefighters and US military forces participated in the crackdown, costing 120 million dollars. As winter brings snow that helps put out the last fire, the fire has destroyed the structure and caused damage worth several million dollars. Although no civilian lives were lost, two personnel associated with the fire extinguisher were killed.
Contrary to media reports and speculation at the time, fires killed very few animals in the park - surveys show that only about 345 deer (about 40,000-50,000), 36 deer, 12 deer, 6 black bears, and 9 bison have perished.. Changes in fire management policies implemented by land management agencies throughout the United States, based on knowledge gained from the 1988 fires and the evaluation of scientists and experts from various fields. In 1992, Yellowstone had adopted a new fire management plan that observed rigorous guidelines for the management of natural fires.
Climate
The Yellowstone climate is strongly influenced by altitude, with lower altitudes generally found to be warmer throughout the year. The record high temperature was 99 Â ° F (37 Â ° C) in 2002, while the coldest temperature was recorded -66 Â ° F (-54 Â ° C) in 1933. During the summer months of June to early September, the highest daylight typically in the range 70 to 80 ° F (21 to 27 ° C), while the nighttime lows may go below freezing (0 ° C) especially at higher altitudes. Summer afternoons are often accompanied by lightning storms. Spring and fall range between 30 and 60 Â ° F (-1 and 16 Â ° C) with nights in teens up to single digits (-5 to -20 Â ° C). Winter in Yellowstone accompanied by high temperatures is usually between zero and 20 Â ° F (-20 to -5 Â ° C) and night temperatures below 0 Â ° F (-18 Â ° C) for most winters.
Rainfall in Yellowstone varies considerably and ranges from 15 inches (380 mm) each year near Mammoth Hot Springs, up to 80 inches (2,000 mm) in the southwest part of the park. Yellowstone deposits are strongly influenced by the moisture channels formed by Snake River Plain to the west which, in turn, are shaped by Yellowstone itself. Snow is possible in every month of the year, but is most common between November and April, averaging 150 inches (3,800 mm) annually around Yellowstone Lake, up to twice that number at higher altitudes.
Tornadoes in Yellowstone are rare; However, on July 21, 1987, the strongest tornado recorded in Wyoming landed in the Teton Wilderness in the Bridger-Teton National Forest and crashed into Yellowstone National Park. Called the Teton-Yellowstone tornado, it is classified as F4, with wind speeds estimated between 207 and 260 miles per hour (333 and 418 km/h). The tornado left a destructive track 1 to 2 miles (1.6 to 3.2 km) wide, and 24 miles (39 km) wide, and equalized the 15,000 acres (6,100 ha; 23 m²) of an adult pine forest.
The climate in Yellowstone Lake is classified as subarctic (Dfc), according to the KÃÆ'¶ppen-Geiger climate classification, while in the park classification headquarters is the humid continent (Dfb).
Recreation
Yellowstone is ranked among the most popular national parks in the United States. Since the mid-1960s, at least 2 million tourists have visited the park almost every year. The average annual visit increased to 3.5 million over a ten-year period from 2007 to 2016, with a record of 4,257,177 recreational visitors by 2016. July is the busiest month for Yellowstone National Park. At the height of the summer, 3,700 employees work for the Yellowstone National Park concession holders. The concession holder manages nine hotels and cottages, with a total of 2,238 hotel rooms and cabins available. They also keep an eye on the gas stations, shops and most of the campgrounds. 800 other employees work permanently or seasonally for the National Park Service.
Road service park leads to the main features; however, road reconstruction has resulted in temporary road closures. Yellowstone is in the midst of a long-term road reconstruction effort, which is hampered by a short refinement season. In winter, all roads other than those coming from Gardiner, Montana, and extending to Cooke City, Montana, are closed for wheeled vehicles. The park road is closed for wheeled vehicles from early November to mid April, but some park roads remain closed until mid-May. The park has 310 miles (500 km) of paved roads accessible from five different entrances. There is no public transport available within the park, but some tour companies can be contacted for guided motor vehicles. In winter, concessionaires operate guided snow and snowmobile tours, although their numbers and access are based on quotas set by the National Park Service. Facilities at Old Faithful, Canyon and Mammoth Hot Springs area parks are very busy during the summer. Traffic jams created by road construction or by people watching wildlife can cause long delays.
The National Park Service maintains 9 visitor centers and museums and is responsible for the maintenance of historic buildings and many of the other 2,000 buildings. These buildings include the National Historical Landmarks such as the Old Faithful Inn built from 1903 to 1904 and throughout Fort Yellowstone - Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District. Historical and educational tours are available at Fort Yellowstone detailing the history of the Park Service and park development. Campfire programs, guided walks and other interpretive presentations are available in many locations in the summer, and are limited during other seasons.
Camping is available in a dozen campgrounds with over 2,000 campsites. Camping is also available around the National Forest, as well as in the Grand Teton National Park in the south. Backcountry campsite can only be accessed on foot or by horse riding and requires permission. There are 1,100 miles (1,800 km) of hiking trails available. This park is not considered a good destination for mountain climbing due to the volcanic rock instability that dominates. Visitors with pets are required to keep the rope at all times and confined to areas near the highway and in "rural" zones such as driving in camp. Around thermal features, wooden and paved roads have been built to ensure the safety of visitors, and most of these areas are handicapped accessible. The National Park Service maintains a year-round clinic in Mammoth Hot Springs and provides emergency services throughout the year.
Hunting is not allowed, although it is allowed in the surrounding national forests during the open season. Fishing is a popular activity, and the Yellowstone Park fishing license is required for fishing in park waters. Many garden waters are just fishing and all native fish species can only be captured and released. Boating is prohibited in rivers and creeks except for the 8 km (8 km) of Lewis and Shoshone River, and it is open for non-motorized use only. Yellowstone Lake has a marina, and the lake is the most popular boating destination.
In the early history of the park, visitors were allowed, and sometimes even encouraged, to feed the bears. The visitors welcomed the opportunity to take their photo with the bear, who had learned to beg for food. This causes many injuries to humans each year. In 1970, park officers changed their policies and embarked on an active program to educate the public about the dangers of close contact with bears, and to try to eliminate opportunities for bears to find food in camps and garbage collection sites. While it has become more difficult to observe bears in recent years, the number of human injuries and deaths has decreased significantly and visitors are in less danger. The eighth recorded bear death recorded in park history occurred in August 2015.
Other protected areas in the region include Caribou-Targhee, Gallatin, Custer, Shoshone and Bridger-Teton National Forest. John D. Rockefeller of National Park Service, Jr. Memorial Parkway is in the south and leads to Grand Teton National Park. The famous Beartooth Street provides access from the northeast and has spectacular plateau views. Nearby communities include West Yellowstone, Montana; Cody, Wyoming; Red Lodge, Montana; Ashton, Idaho; and Gardiner, Montana. Nearest air transport is available via Bozeman, Montana; Billings, Montana; Jackson; Cody, Wyoming, or Idaho Falls, Idaho. Salt Lake City, 320 miles (510 km) to the south, is the largest nearest metropolitan area.
legal jurisdiction
The entire park is within the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for Wyoming District, making it the only federal court district that includes parts of more than one state (Idaho, Montana and Wyoming). Legal professor Brian C. Kalt argues that it may be impossible to decipher the jury in accordance with Article Vicinage of the Sixth Amendment for crimes committed solely in uninhabited Idaho parts of the park (and it would be difficult to do so for crimes committed solely in a slightly populated part of Montana). A defendant, accused of a wildlife-related crime in the part of Montana park, attempted to file this argument but ultimately pleaded guilty, with a plea agreement including his specific agreement not to raise the matter in his appeal.
See also
References
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