Rocky Mountain National Park

1. Rocky Mountain National Park By: Jack Tobin Ben Reznick Noah Albert

2. Geological Origins the formation of the rocks through hundreds of millions of years the repeated uplift of the mountains by gigantic tectonic forces(Convergent forces) millions of years of erosion by water and ice

3. Natural History • Biome – Tundra (Apline – because of the high elevation) • Climate (highland) – changes with increasing altitude • Dominant Wildlife • Trees and shrubs – coniferous, deciduous, shrubs • Exotic Plants – Crested wheatgrass, Quackgrass, Asparagus • Diatoms - • Phytoplankton • Moses and Liverworts • Lichen • Seasons – extreme differences • Winter – deep snow and high winds • Spring – Unpredictable; wet or dry, or cold or warm • Summer – Sunny mornings, afternoon thunderstorms, clear nights • Fall – decreasing precipitation, cool, crisp, and wind

4. Endemic Species • Amphibians: -Boreal Toad • Birds: -Least Tern -Mexican Spotted Owl -Piping Plover -Whooping Crane -Yellow-Billed Cuckoo • Fish: -Bonytail -Colorado Pickminnow -Humpback Chub -Pallad Sturgeon -Razorback Sucker • Mammals: -Canada Lynx -Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse

5. Human History Paleo-Indians have left traces of stone tools that are estimated to be 11,000 years old In 1859, while on a hunting expedition, Joel Estes and his son discovered the meadows that eventually became Estes Park Enos Mills moved to Estes Park in 1884 when he was 14. He wrote many books and articles and supported the creation of a national park.

6. Threats and Cures Efforts to Alleviate Rocky Mountain Climate Organization Writes letters to national park service The first was a 2006 RMCO-NRDC report focused on national parks in the western United States Threats • loss of water -loss of water dependent species • loss of ice and snow -Less snow/ early melt

7. Sources "History." NPS: Nature & Science» Geology Resources Division. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. http://www.nps.gov/romo/naturescience/endangered_threatened_animals.htm http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Rocky_Mountain_National_Park.jpg http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rocky_mountain.htm http://www.nps.gov/romo/naturescience/plants.htm http://www.silentlandscapes.com/hallett-peak-winter http://giltphoto.com/RockyMountainNationalPark071.htm http://www.rockymountainclimate.org/programs_6.htm http://rockymountainclimate.org/website%20pictures/National-Parks-In-Peril-final.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_National_Park#History