1. ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK Liz Thuman C period

2. Location  The Rocky Mountain National Park is located in Colorado.

3. 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

4. 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

5. Waterways  The Riparian Ecosystem (wetland)  150 lakes  450 miles of streams and rivers

6. 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 plantsNative plants

7. 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. BirdsOther animals

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.