Rocky Mountain and Glacier National Parks

2017 ◽  
pp. 515-563
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Rocky Mountain

scholarly journals Trail impact monitoring in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 3117-3149
Author(s):  
J. Svajda ◽  
S. Korony ◽  
I. Brighton ◽  
S. Esser ◽  
S. Ciapala
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Rocky Mountain National Park ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Impact Monitoring ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
The Usa

Abstract. This paper examines impacts of increased visitation leading to human trampling of vegetation and soil along several trails in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) to understand how abiotic factors and level of use can influence trail conditions. RMNP is one of the most visited national parks in the USA with 3.3 million visitors in 2012 across 1075 km2 and 571 km of hiking trails. 95 % of the park is designated wilderness making the balance between preservation and visitor use challenging. This research involves the application of trail condition assessments to 56 km of trails to determine prevailing factors and what, if any, connection between them exist. The study looked at a variety of inventory and impact indicators and standards to determine their importance and to develop a baseline condition of trails. The data can be used for future comparison and evaluation of development trends. We found that trail widening (mean trail width 88.9 cm) and soil loss (cross sectional area 172.7 cm2) are the most visible effects of trail degradation. Further statistical analyses of data identified the role and influence of various factors (e.g. use level and topography). Insights into the influence of these factors can lead to the selection of appropriate management measures to avoid or minimize negative consequences from increased visitation.

scholarly journals Spatial Distribution of Tropospheric Ozone in National Parks of California: Interpretation of Passive-Sampler Data

2001 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 483-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Ray
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Standard Operating Procedure ◽  
Passive Samplers ◽  
Quality Assurance Program ◽  
Spatial Distributions ◽  
Great Smoky Mountains ◽  
Mount Rainier ◽  
Park Service ◽  
Baseline Values

The National Park Service (NPS) has tested and used passive ozone samplers for several years to get baseline values for parks and to determine the spatial variability within parks. Experience has shown that the Ogawa passive samplers can provide ±10% accuracy when used with a quality assurance program consisting of blanks, duplicates, collocated instrumentation, and a standard operating procedure that carefully guides site operators. Although the passive device does not meet EPA criteria as a certified method (mainly, that hourly values be measured), it does provide seasonal summed values of ozone. The seasonal ozone concentrations from the passive devices can be compared to other monitoring to determine baseline values, trends, and spatial variations. This point is illustrated with some kriged interpolation maps of ozone statistics. Passive ozone samplers were used to get elevational gradients and spatial distributions of ozone within a park. This was done in varying degrees at Mount Rainier, Olympic, Sequoia–Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Rocky Mountain, and Great Smoky Mountains national parks. The ozone has been found to vary by factors of 2 and 3 within a park when average ozone is compared between locations. Specific examples of the spatial distributions of ozone in three parks within California are given using interpolation maps. Positive aspects and limitations of the passive sampling approach are presented.

Strategic highway improvements to minimize environmental impacts within the Canadian Rocky Mountain National Parks

2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
T M McGuire ◽  
J F Morrall
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Vehicle Collisions ◽  
World Heritage Sites ◽  
Highway Engineering ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
Crossing Structures ◽  
Low Volume Roads ◽  
Environmental Mitigation

This paper describes how strategic highway engineering improvements have been developed or adopted to mitigate the unique environmental impact highways and roads have within Canadian Rocky Mountain national parks, which are also World Heritage Sites. Three levels of strategic highway development are presented. The first is the recapitalization of existing park roads. Examples are presented from several national parks where parkways and low-volume roads were reconstructed or repaired in ways to reduce terrain impacts. The second is the development of the passing lane system on the Trans-Canada Highway in the Rocky Mountain national parks to defer twinning. The third example is the twinning of 18.6 km of the Trans-Canada Highway. Twinning represents a logical next step following the passing lane phase. This paper describes how highway engineering improvements were developed to address and mitigate numerous potential twinning impacts identified during environmental assessment. Included within the environmental mitigation measures are fencing and animal crossing structures, addressing wildlife movement, biodiversity, and mortality as well as stream, terrain, and vegetation disturbance minimization techniques. Research has found that the mitigation measures have been effective in reducing wildlife and vehicle collisions by 97%.Key words: highway, sustainable, national park, environment.

scholarly journals Biogeography of Mammals in Rocky Mountain National Parks

1991 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 25-28
Author(s):  
Susan Glenn ◽  
Brian Chapman ◽  
Rebecca Rudman ◽  
Ian Butler
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Effective Area ◽  
Habitat Diversity ◽  
Initial Population ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Local Extinctions ◽  
Equilibrium Number

The equilibrium theory of island biogeography proposes that on an island of a given area, there exists an equilibrium number of species when the rates of immigration and local extinction of species are equal (MacArthur and Wilson 1967). This theory has been applied to park systems because parks may act as functional islands when surrounding unprotected land is cleared of natural vegetation. Alteration of these surrounding habitats isolates these parks and reduces the effective area, causing a decrease in the equilibrium number of species. In animal communities, this process is called faunal collapse (Soule et al. 1979).The effects of park isolation and faunal collapse have been studied for mammals in Rocky Mountain parks (Picton 1979, Newmark 1986, Glenn and Nudds 1989). In western U.S. parks, extinctions were more numerous in smaller or older parks (Newmark 1987). Area, topographic diversity, and habitat diversity have been correlated with mammal species richness in western North American parks (Picton 1979, Newmark 1986). Initial population size was also related to the extinction probability of a species (Newmark 1986). It has been proposed that all parks in a region are subject to similar factors influencing local extinctions, and therefore a similar suite of species should become locally extinct in all parks (Patterson and Atmar 1986, Patterson 1987). This means that a nested subset pattern is produced, where parks with low species richness contain mainly species already present in parks with high species richness. This pattern was not found for Canadian parks, where even small parks contained different species assemblages (Glenn 1990). The objectives of this three-year study are to: (i) identify mammal species that have become locally extinct in each of the Rocky Mountain National Parks; (ii) distinguish between hypotheses regarding the causes of these local extinctions in National Parks; (iii) determine if the same species become locally extinct in all parks; and (iv) identify potential sites for future protection of species prone to extinction.

Natural Game Licks in the Rocky Mountain National Parks of Canada

1949 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 379 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. McT. Cowan ◽  
V. C. Brink
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Rocky Mountain

Assessing prehistoric genetic structure and diversity of North American elk (Cervus elaphus) populations in Alberta, Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 285-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.F. Speller ◽  
B. Kooyman ◽  
A.T. Rodrigues ◽  
E.G. Langemann ◽  
R.M. Jobin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Gene Flow ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
North American ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
North American Elk ◽  
Common Era

North American elk (Cervus elaphus L., 1758) are an important component of Canada’s natural ecosystems. Overhunting and habitat decline in the 19th century led to the near eradication of Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni Bailey, 1935) and Manitoban elk (Cervus elaphus manitobensis Millais, 1915) within Alberta. Though elk populations have been restored within provincial and national parks, it is unknown to what degree historic population declines affected overall genetic diversity and population structuring of the two subspecies. This study targeted 551 bp of mitochondrial D-loop DNA from 50 elk remains recovered from 16 archaeological sites (2260 BCE (before common era) to 1920 CE (common era)) to examine the former genetic diversity and population structure of Alberta’s historic elk populations. Comparisons of ancient and modern haplotype and nucleotide diversity suggest that historic population declines reduced the mitochondrial diversity of Manitoban elk, while translocation of animals from Yellowstone National Park in the early 20th century served to maintain the diversity of Rocky Mountain populations. Gene flow between the two subspecies was significantly higher in the past than today, suggesting that the two subspecies previously formed a continuous population. These data on precontact genetic diversity and gene flow in Alberta elk provide essential baseline data integral for elk management and conservation in the province.

Dimensions of alternative transportation experience in Yosemite and Rocky Mountain National Parks

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 37-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derrick Taff ◽  
Peter Newman ◽  
David Pettebone ◽  
Dave D. White ◽  
Steven R. Lawson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Alternative Transportation

Effects of the Weather of the Coldest Month on Winter Mortality of the Lodgepole Needle Miner, Recurvaria sp., in Banff National Park

1954 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. R. Henson ◽  
R. W. Stark ◽  
W. G. Wellington
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Larval Mortality ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Winter Mortality ◽  
Successive Sampling ◽  
Banff National Park ◽  
The Vertical Distribution

In the Canadian Rocky Mountain National Parks, the lodgepole needle miner has a two-year life cycle, so that larvae of each generation are exposed to two successive winters. Although there is no doubt that mortality of these over-wintering larvae is directly attributable to a period of low temperature, there has been some doubt as to whether the bulk of the mortality occurs during the coldest part of the winter, or whether it occurs during periods of low temperature during the late autumn or early spring. Although spring and autumn mortality undoubtedly take place, estimation of the relative importance of mortality during the various seasons must await successive sampling throughout the three seasons. Nevertheless, in the absence of such data, we wish to present evidence that points to the major importance of the weather of the coldest month of the winter to not only the amount but also the vertical distribution of larval mortality.

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