Introduction - Mountains and Plains: The Ecology of Wyoming Landscapes - page 3

Chapter 1 Introduction

Straddling the continental Divide and with an aver-
age elevation of 6,700 feet above sea level, the land-
scapes of Wyoming are similar to those encountered
by explorers in the early 1800s. there are now roads,
ranches, farms, cities, and industrial developments,
but outdoor enthusiasts, naturalists, and scientists
are attracted by the wildlife and natural ecosystems
that still exist over large areas. the persistence of such
amenities can be attributed to a cool climate, rugged
terrain, and extraordinary features that are highly
valued. Yellowstone national Park was established in
1872—the world's first national park. nineteen years
later, in 1891, a forest reserve was established nearby.
it became the Shoshone national Forest. in 1906 the
nation's first national monument was established at
Devils tower in northeastern Wyoming, and Grand
teton national Park was established in 1929. Since
then fifteen wildlands in Wyoming have been desig-
nated Wilderness by congress. national parks, wilder-
ness, and wilderness study areas account for about
9 percent of the state's land (figs. 1.1-1.5).
in addition, native prairie and shrublands persist in
some areas, primarily because 37 percent of the state is
above 7,000 feet elevation, where growing seasons are
too short and cool for cropland agriculture. At lower
elevations water is more likely the limiting factor, with
most agriculture requiring irrigation. Farmers tried vari-
ous crops in the late 1800s, but their fields commonly
failed. the federal government purchased abandoned
homesteads in the late 1930s, and some became national

grasslands—the thunder Basin national Grassland in
northeastern Wyoming and the Pawnee national Grass-
land in northern colorado. only about 4 percent of
Wyoming is currently under cultivation, leaving large
tracts of land that have never been plowed and are still
dominated by native plants. 1 overall, the most signifi-
cant landscape changes have occurred in three set-
tings: (1) along rivers at low elevations, where irrigation
water is available and people enjoy having their homes;
(2) in the foothills, where many homes have been con-
structed and fires have been suppressed; and (3) where
the extraction of energy resources is feasible.
During the past 20 years, Wyoming and adjacent
states have experienced surprisingly rapid changes.
Still, there are many opportunities for learning about
the natural history of the Rocky Mountains and western
Great Plains. Bison have been replaced in most areas by
cattle, but pronghorn, elk, and deer are still common.
Livestock have grazed some rangelands heavily, but
bison may have done the same. Grizzly bears, elk, and
wolves no longer wander across the basins and plains
to the extent they once did, but all are found in some
areas. 2 Roads, timber harvesting, and industrial devel-
opments have fragmented mountain forests and basin
shrublands, but not everywhere. the question is: How
can the land be managed so that highly valued natu-
ral resources are used wisely during a time of alarming
rates of habitat degradation and climate change? the
sciences of ecology and conservation biology are perti-
nent to answering this question.

3