Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

On The Brink Of Change: Plant Responses To Climate On The Colorado Plateau, Seth M. Munson, Jayne Belnap, M. Schelz, Mary Moran, T. W. Caolin

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

The intensification of aridity due to anthropogenic climate change in the southwestern U.S. is likely to have a large impact on the growth and survival of plant species that may already be vulnerable to water stress. To make accurate predictions of plant responses to climate change, it is essential to determine the long-term dynamics of plant species associated with past climate conditions. Here we show how the plant species and functional types across a wide range of environmental conditions in Colorado Plateau national parks have changed with climate variability over the last twenty years. During this time, regional mean annual …

Regional And Climatic Controls On Seasonal Dust Deposition In The Southwestern Us, Marith Reheis, Frank Urban

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

Vertical dust deposition rates (dust flux) are a complex response to the interaction of seasonal precipitation, wind, changes in plant cover and land use, dust source type, and local vs. distant dust emission in the southwestern U.S. Seasonal dust flux in the Mojave-southern Great Basin (MSGB) deserts, measured from 1999 to 2008, is similar in summer-fall and winter-spring, and antecedent precipitation tends to suppress dust flux in winter-spring. In contrast, dust flux in the eastern Colorado Plateau (ECP) region is much larger in summer-fall than in winter-spring, and twice as large as in the MSGB. ECP dust is related to …

Fault Formation In Porous Sedimentary Rocks At High Strain Rates, Wendy R.O. Key

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Paleoecology Of Early Jurassic Navajo Sandstone Interdune Deposits, Nathan Daniel Wilkens

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

The Lower Jurassic Navajo Sandstone represents a desert that covered more than 366,000 square kilometers. Localized interdune deposits commonly occur along the eastern edge of this desert that include carbonates, bioturbated layers, and plant fossils. Previous studies of these deposits focused on specific fossil types or isolated sites. This study involved a comprehensive analysis of the paleoecology of interdune deposits with an integrated approach combining paleontology, sedimentology and geochemistry. The methods used in this study were devised to test specific paleoecological and preservational questions, including water sources and geochemistry, sedimentation mechanisms, fossil identification and paleoecology, taphonomy, and diagenesis. Three hypotheses …

Active Salt Tectonics In The Needles District, Canyonlands (Utah) As Detected By Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar And Point Target Analysis: 1992-2002, M. Furuya, K. Mueller, J. Wahr

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

The Needles District in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, is known for its well-exposed array of extensional faults, which are thought to be produced by gravity-driven extension and downward flexure of a thin sandstone plate into the Colorado River canyon in response to dissolution and flow of underlying evaporites (halite and gypsum). Owing to a lack of precise geodetic data, however, it remains uncertain if and to what extent those extensional faults are currently deforming. In this study we use synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data to search for ongoing, decadal ground displacements, by applying both a stacking interferometric SAR (InSAR) analysis …

Home Range Characteristics Of Mexican Spotted Owls In The Canyonlands Of Utah, D. W. Willey, C. Van Riper

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

We studied home-range characteristics of adult Mexican Spotted Owls (Slyix occidentalis lucida) in southern Utah. Twenty-eight adult owls were radio-tracked using a ground-based telemetry system during 1991-95. Five males arid eight females molted tail feathers and dropped transmitters within 4 wk. We estimated cumulative home ranges for 15 Spotted Owls (12 males, 3 females). The mean estimate of cumulative home-range size was not statistically different between the minimum convex polygon and adaptive kernel (AK) 95% isopleth. Both estimators yielded relatively high SD, and male and fernale range sizes varied widely. For 12 owls tracked during both the breeding and nonbreeding …

Particle Size, Caco3, Chemical, Magnetic, And Age Data From Surficial Deposits In And Around Canyonlands National Park, Utah, Harland Goldstein, Richard Reynolds, Marith Reheis, James Yount, Paul Lamothe, Helen Roberts, John Mcgeehin

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Biological Soil Crusts : Webs Of Life In The Desert, Jayne Belnap

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Temporal Variation In Community Composition, Pigmentation, And Fv/Fm Of Desert Cyanobacterial Soil Crusts, M. A. Bowker, S. C. Reed, J. Belnap, S. L. Phillips

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

Summers on the Colorado Plateau (USA) are typified by harsh conditions such as high temperatures, brief soil hydration periods, and high UV and visible radiation. We investigated whether community composition, physiological status, and pigmentation might vary in biological soil crusts as a result of such conditions. Representative surface cores were sampled at the ENE, WSW, and top microaspects of 20 individual soil crust pedicels at a single site in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, in spring and fall of 1999. Frequency of cyanobacterial taxa, pigment concentrations, and dark adapted quantum yield (Fv/Fm) were measured for each core. The frequency of major …

Safeguarding Species, Languages, And Cultures In The Time Of Diversity Loss: From The Colorado Plateau To Global Hotspots, Gary Paul Nabhan, Patrick Pynes, Tony Joe

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

Hotspots of biodiversity have become priority areas for land conservation initiatives, oftentimes without recognition that these areas are hotspots of cultural diversity as well. Using the Colorado Plateau ecoregion as a case study, this inquiry (1) outlines the broad geographic patterns of biological diversity and ethnolinguistic diversity within this ecoregion; (2) discusses why these two kinds of diversity are often influenced by the same geographic and historic factors; and (3) suggests what can be done to integrate traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous peoples into multicultural conservation collaborations.

Fungi Associated With Biological Soil Crusts In Desert Grasslands Of Utah And Wyoming, Jack S. States, Martha Christensen

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Seismic Reflection Study Of Upheaval Dome, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, Z. Kanbur, J. N. Louie, S. Chavez-Perez, G. Plank, D. Morey

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

The origin of Upheaval Dome, in Canyonlands National Park of southeastern Utah, has been a topic of controversy among geologists and planetary scientists. The structure has long been thought to have been created by salt diapirism from the underlying Paradox Formation. Recent studies have suggested that impact could have formed the dome. To test the various hypotheses, we acquired, processed, and interpreted seismic reflection data within and adjacent to the structure. Both conventionally stacked and prestack-migrated images show <100 m relief in the Paradox Formation, contrary to salt diapirism hypotheses. Further, we have identified features within the images typical of impact structures, such as listric normal faults having displacements toward the center of the dome. Deformation occurs in two depth ranges, with the faulting that created the central uplift appearing only above the Hermosa Formation, in the upper 800 m of the structure. The images also suggest limited fracturing of the Hermosa and salt flow in the Paradox Formation, perhaps due to gravitational relaxation of the crater form. Our image of a nearly flat top of the Paradox salt strongly favors an impact origin for Upheaval Dome.

First-Year Movements By Juvenile Mexican Spotted Owls In The Canyonlands Of Utah, D. W. Willey, C. Van Riper

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

We studied first-year movements of Mexican Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis lucida) during natal dispersal in canyonlands of southern Utah. Thirty-one juvenile Mexican Spotted Owls were captured and radiotracked during 1992-95 to examine behavior and conduct experiments related to the onset of natal dispersal. Juvenile Spotted Owls dispersed from their nest areas during September to October each year, with 85% leaving in September. The onset of movements was sudden and juveniles dispersed in varied directions. The median distance from nest area to last observed location was 25.7 km (range = 1.7-92.3 km). Three of 26 juveniles tracked (11%) were alive after …

Completing Canyonlands, Rober B. Keiter

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

Focuses on the proposal to follow the basin that defines the national boundaries of the Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Background of the establishment of the park; Role of the National Park Conservation Association and other environmentalist in advocating the proposal; Factors involved in the completion of the proposal.

The Yellowed Archives Of Yellowcake, Ken Silver

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

Extensive historical documentation of exposures and releases at government-owned energy facilities is a unique and valuable resource for analyzing and communicating health risks. Facilities at all stages of the atomic fuel cycle were the subject of numerous industrial hygiene, occupational health, and environmental assessments during the Cold War period. Uranium mines and mills on the Colorado Plateau were investigated as early as the 1940s. One such facility was the mill in Monticello, Utah, which began operation as a vanadium extraction plant in 1943 and was later adapted to recover uranium from camotite ores. The mill ceased operation in 1960. The …

Shrub-Grassland Small Mammal And Vegetation Responses To Rest From Grazing, Steven S. Rosenstock

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

Between 1989-1991, I studied the effects of livestock grazing on vegetation and small mammals in semiarid shrub-grassland habitats of south-central Utah. Responses were measured at 2 spatial habitat scales; patches and macrohabitats. Patch-scale data were obtained from 4 small (<1 ha) livestock exclosures and nearby grazed areas. Macrohabitat-scale data were collected at 4 actively grazed sites and 4 comparable, excellent condition sites, ungrazed for 30+ years. Ungrazed patch and macrohabitat sites had more surface litter, greater perennial grass cover, and taller perennial grass plants, but treatment response varied among sites. Small mammal responses were apparent only at the macrohabitat scale, where ungrazed sites had 50% greater species richness and 80% higher abundance. Small mammal reproductive activity and biomass were not affected by rest from grazing at either scale. Small mammal community composition varied greatly among sites and within treatments. This variability has important implications for ecological monitoring efforts involving these species.

Vandalism Of Rock Art For Enhanced Photography, S. D. Chaffee, M. Hyman, M. W. Rowe

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

Direct radiocarbon dating of pictographs has recently become possible. The authors report here the deleterious effects on such dating of hydrocarbon contamination of a pictograph in southeastern Utah. In order to enhance contrast between a pictograph and its rock substrate, some photographers have wetted pictographs with kerosene or similar substances; such 'enhancement' renders radiocarbon dates useless. Some treatments proposed for rock art deterioration may cause similar problems.

Tamias Rufus, Stephanie L. Burt, Troy L. Best

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Revegetation Of Disturbed Semiarid Grassland In Canyonlands National Park, Susan B. Goldberg

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

A grassland restoration project was conducted in Canyonlands National Park on an area recently disturbed due to construction. Two native grasses (Oryzopsis hymenoides and Stipa comata) were seeded with 18 different soil treatments. Stipa density and relative mycorrhizal colonization were measured. None of the soil treatments resulted in significantly greater Stipa density than the control treatment of seeding only plus water. There was very little correlation between Stipa density and mycorrhizal colonization based on the treatments (r2= 0.011 p = 0.05). Three treatments produced 3 to 5 times the VAN colonization as the control including spring cryptobiotic soil crusts, with …

Successional Trends In An Ungrazed, Arid Grassland Over A Decade, Edgar F. Kleiner

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

A study has been made of the vegetational condition of a formerly grazed area, Chesler Park, in Canyonlands National Park. A comparison was made with the same area 10 years earlier. The 10-year successional changes are also compared to baseline data of 10 years earlier from Virginia Park, an adjacent ungrazed area. Because of inaccessibility and long isolation from disturbances, Virginia Park is presumed to be in climax condition and is the control for this study. Chesler Park shows a successional trend after 10 years toward the vegetational condition of Virginia Park. This is exemplified, with only one major exception …

Eleven Year Vegetational Comparison In An Arid Grassland, Edgar F. Kleiner

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

A study has been made of the vegetational condition of two graben valleys in Canyonlands National Park. The sites, formerly subjected to relatively heavy grazing pressure, were originally investigated in 1970 and analyzed again in 1981, providing an eleven-year record of succession. Comparisons are made to successional trends noted in related studies of disturbed and pristine areas. The graben valleys, with few exceptions, show a successional trend over eleven years toward the climax vegetational condition of an area that has never been disturbed.

Factors Influencing Development Of Cryptogamic Soil Crusts In Utah Deserts, David C. Anderson, Kimball T. Harper, Ralph C. Holmgren

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

The relation of some physical and chemical soil characteristics to cryptogamic crust development was determined from sites in semidesert regions of southern Utah. The effects of grazing on cryptogamic crust development also was examined. Electrical conductivity, percentage silt, and soil phosphorus were found to be correlated with well-developed cryptogamic crusts. Both total cryptogamic cover and the number of cryptogamic species decreased under grazing pressure. The management of rangelands, especially in arid regions, would be strengthened by understanding the role of cryptogamic crusts and considering them in range management decisions.

Occurrence Of Four Major Perennial Grasses In Relation To Edaphic Factors In A Pristine Community, Edgar F. Kleiner, K. T. Harper

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

The ecology and phytosociology of a virgin grassland community (Virginia Park, Canyonlands National Park, Utah) have been investigated. Based on the use of C √ó F index, Hilaria jamesii and Stipa comata are the most abundant of the four major perennial grasses. Oryzopsis hymenoides and Sporobolus cryptandrus are less abundant in decreasing order. The sites dominated by Hilaria are characterized by soils with finer texture, slightly warmer average temperature and higher surface K+ and organic matter compared to sites dominated by Stipa comata. In addition, frequency of both vascular and cryptogamic species is greater on sites dominated by Hilaria.

Soil Properties In Relation To Cryptogamic Groundcover In Canyonlands National Park, Edgar F. Kleiner, K. T. Harper

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

A comparative study was made of the soils of a virgin grassland and an adjacent grazed area in Canyonlands National Park. Soils from the virgin site were finer textured than those of the grazed area, and the surface 5 cm contains a significantly lower amount of calcium. In addition, the surface 5 cm of the virgin site contains significantly greater amounts of phosphorus, potassium, and organic matter. Subsurface soils in the two parks are less dissimilar. Cryptogams on the virgin grassland appear to have an important influence on chemical characteristics of the surface 5 cm of soil. The difference in …

Environment And Communiy Organization In Grasslands Of Canyonlands National Park, Edgar F. Kleiner, K. T. Harper

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

Sixty uniformly distributed stands in adjacent areas, 40 in Virginia Park (virgin) and 20 in Chesler Park (grazed), were analyzed. Cryptogamic and vascular species were recorded; cover was analyzed by the point sampling method, and frequency by means of 25 quadrats (each 0.125 m^2) per stand. The prevalent species (26 in Virginia, 23 in Chesler) were selected on the basis of a constancy-times-frequency index. Interspecific association patterns were determined by means of simple procedures based on quadrat frequency values for each species in the individual stands. Major environmental variables were recorded at each stand, and soil samples from four depths …

The Colorado Plateau, Robert Durrenberger

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

The Colorado Plateau was one of the last areas in the United States to be developed economically. Before the 1880s it was virtually empty except for Indians. Today the vast scenic and energy resources of the area are under development, and projections for future development are frightening. Problems of land use management are directly related to the fragmented nature of landholdings. Present methods of consolidation are inadequate, and new approaches to the organization of space must be devised if further degradation of the environment is to be prevented.

Water Resources Of Part Of Canyonlands National Park, Southeastern Utah, C. T. Sumsion, E. L. Bolke

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

Canyonlands National Park is in about the center of the Canyon Lands section of the Colorado Plateaus physiographic province in southeastern Utah. The part of the park discussed embraces an area of about 400 square miles comprising isolated mesas, precipitous canyons, and dissected broad benches near the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers, the only perennial streams in the area. The climate is arid to semiarid; normal annual precipitation ranges from less than 8 to about 10 inches. Potential evapotranspiration is about 41 inches annually.

Geology of the park is characterized by nearly horizontal strata that dip gently northward. …

Erratum: Autoradiographic Distribution Of Radioactive Sodium In Rat Kidney

Canyonlands Research Bibliography

No abstract provided.