The Black Hills, Bear Lodge Mountains, and Devils Tower - Mountains and Plains: The Ecology of Wyoming Landscapes - page 267

Fig. 16.1. Geomorphic features of the Black Hills. the eleva-
tion ranges from 3,140 feet at Rapid city to 7,242 feet at the
top of Harney Peak, the highest point in South Dakota. on

the west side, the elevationa at Sundance and newcastle are
4,750 and 4,334 feet, respectively. Adapted from Strahler
(1969).

(table 16.1). 6 As might be expected, many Rocky
Mountain species occur in the area, such as elkweed,
grouse whortleberry, heartleaf arnica, narrowleaf cot-
tonwood, oregon-grape, and ponderosa pine. their
presence is best explained by the generally accepted
conclusion that Rocky Mountain plants were more

widespread about 10,000 years ago, when the climate
was cooler and more humid. today the Hills provide
an environment where many of these plants can still
survive. Annual precipitation is considerably higher
than on the surrounding plains, ranging from 18 to 30
inches (fig. 16.3).