Yellowstone National Park
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INTRODUCTION
The Yellowstone National park* is located at the United States, in the North-West of Wyoming. It is the oldest national park of the world and constitutes, with its 8 983 km² (898 300 ha, i.e. a surface more important than that of Corsica), the second larger park of the United States, apart from Alaska. The park constitutes the heart of a vast preserved natural range, one of the last intact ecosystems of the moderate zones. It is registered on the list of the reserves of biosphere since 1976. With its 3 million visitors per year, it is one of the most attended American parks.
HISTORY
In 1806, John Colter was the first European to visit the area of Yellowstone and to come into contact with the Amerindian tribes. During the winter 1807-1808, Colter crossed a sector of the current park and observed the geothermic phenomena close to Tower Falls. In 1809, it delivered a description of an area full with "fire and of sulfur", which one at the time put on is delirious. However, during the 40 years which followed, of many accounts of trappers evoked bubbling water, the petrified geysers and trees but without to find much more credit.
In 1857, Jim Bridger returned from another forwarding in the same area and told the same type of history, but its account was also ignored because Bridger had the reputation to be an inveterate liar. Its testimony aroused all the same the interest of the explorer and geologist Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, which assembled a new forwarding in 1859. The large snowfalls of the winter which followed fell through this company, then the American Civil War stopped research during nearly 11 years.
In 1869 Folsom forwarding is the first to give a detailed description of the area of Yellowstone. Cornelius Hedges, a writer and lawyer of Montana, had taken part in Washburn forwarding. The newspaper Helena Herald published several articles consigning his observations between 1870 and 1871. It was one of the first, with the governor of Montana Thomas Francis Meagher, to propose to make of Yellowstone a protected national park. In 1871, Hayden directed another forwarding, financed this time by the government. He wrote a total return on Yellowstone, illustrated by the photographs of William Henry Jackson and the illustrations of Thomas Morgan, which encouraged the American Congress to protect this area. March 1st, 1872, US president Ulysses Grant signed the decree creating Yellowstone National Park.
The park of Yellowstone was declared reserve international of the biosphere on October 26th, 1976 and was integrated into the world heritage of UNESCO* on September 8th, 1978. But in 1995, the Committee decided to place the park on the list of the world heritage in danger. The area was then threatened by the mining activities. Bad water quality, the tourist multitude and the use of the motoneiges constituted other reasons for concern. Following the efforts carried out by the US government, the situation improving, the park was withdrawn from the list of inheritance in danger in July 2003.
FLORA OF THE PARK
The park counts approximately 1 700 endemic species of trees, plants and lichens, for which it is necessary to add 170 introduced species. One can find eight species different from conifers of which the Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) which is most widespread. Other conifers, such as the Coast Douglas-fir one or the Whitebark Pine are dispersed in several sectors of Yellowstone. The most frequent leafy trees are Aspen it and the willow. The forests of aspen moved back considerably since the beginning of the 20th century, however, according to a study of the university of State of Oregon, the reintroduction of the wolf* limited the population of elk and at the same time stopped the decline of the poplar aspen (Populus trembled). Indeed, the elk nourish starts-up of poplar aspen and prevent their growth. The forests of poplars and willows regain ground. The return of the trees along the waterways could decrease erosion which affect their banks.
There in addition exist tens of species of plants with flower, whose majority hatch between May and September. Yellowstone Sand Verbena, a abronie, is a plant with very rare flower (approximately 8 000 specimens) which pushes in the sand of banks of the Lake Yellowstone.
FAUNA OF THE PARK
The national park of Yellowstone has the greatest concentration animal of all the states. The principal attrations which the visitors calve to see are generally the bear, the wolf*, the moose, the elk, the bison, the badger, the otter, the fox and the animals have just been born.
Bear :
The grizzly bear is without question the animal number one which the visitors of the park absolutely wish to see. The best occasion to see the grizzly bear is early the imp and late the evening in Hayden valley and Lamar valley.
Wolf :
There is, at present, 13 packs of wolves* to the Yellowstone national park. The best places to see the wolves* are Lamar and Hayden Valley, early the imp and late the evening. The wolf* belongs to the most intelligent mammals of planet and deserves our respect. No attack of wolf* on the man was still listed although some attacks have took place in other places. All these canids* were conditioned with the human consumption. Once the wolves* of Yellowstone were accustomed to the man and if it is nourished, they become a potential danger for the man. Contrary to the coyote*, the wolf* lives in group who allows to more easily locate it in the park.
The moose :
There is more than 400 mooses with Yellowstone, but their number regressed during 40 last years because of the dryness, the predation, the loss of range and still of other factors. The moose is the largest family member of the deer tribe. One can find it in the marshy zones of the park, including on banks of the lake and along the rivers. Contrary to the elk, the moose is a solitary animal and can live up to 20 years in the park. Its preferred food is the sheets of willows and the watery vegetation.
The elk :
The elk presents the largest population of large mammals in the park of Yellowstone with more than 15 000 individuals. For the period of the rut, it belongs to the favorite specimens for the photographers and other observers of the park. With the birth of small the in May and June, the newborns among nicest and are snuffed park.
The bison :
The Yellowstone national park is the only place in the United States having a population of bisons in freedom since prehistoric times. There would not be less than 4 000 bisons residing in the park. Just like the elk, the bison can be observed everywhere on the site.
The badger :
Even if the service of the park counts a joint list of population of badgers, most visitors set out again of the park without to have been able to observe only one of them. But if you find some one keep your distance all the same because it can be a wild animal just like his cousin imperceptible the wolverine.
The otter :
The otter is without question the favorite animal of the visitors of the park. These mammals watery are very sociable often lend themselves to the play. She live along banks of the lakes and waterways and can be observed at the edge of and Trout Lake Lake Madison the river.
The fox :
The fox is smallest of the family of the canids* in the park of Yellowstone. It is very difficult to observe it because of its being wary nature and its size reduced compared to the other large prédator such as the wolf* and the coyote*. The best moment to be able to observe it is the imp and late the evening. At these times there it leaves in hunting to nourish rodent residents in the park.
Birds :
311 species of birds are present at Yellowstone and half there niche. In 1999, 26 couples of Bald Eagle* were listed. The Whooping Crane remain extremely rare and remain a threatened species. Other birds are rather rare and supervised like the Great Northern Loon, the Harlequin Duck, the osprey, the peregrine falcon*, the Trumpeter Swan, or the American White Pelican.
Amphibians, reptiles and fish :
18 species different of fish live in the park of Yellowstone. Since 2001, the practitioners of sporting fishing must slacken their catches in the waterways or the lakes. Among the six species of reptiles living in the park can be quoted the crotalinae et la Painted Turtle. Four species of Amphibians are also listed, of which the Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata).
YELLOWSTONE PARK ASSOCIATION
For more than 60 years, Yellowstone association has provided nearly 5.4 million dollars to the national park of Yellowstone in support for educational, historical and scientific programs. The objective of association is to sensitize the public with a better comprehension and appreciation of the zone of the park and what it represents on the level of our historical heritage and naturalness. You can, if you wish it to belong to this effort while becoming member of the Association of Yellowstone.
YELLOWSTONE PARK FOUNDATION
The foundation of the park of Yellowstone is a non-profit making company created by a group of citizens concerned, in collaboration with National Park Service, in order to preserve, to protect and improve the life within the park. The foundation finances projects and programs whose financing does not result from the services of the park. The gifts emanating of private funds, of gifts of companies return the achievements of these possible projects.
The park needs each one among us to live because it cannot count any more on the appropriations of the federal government. You can if you wish it to make gifts with the park, in order to help to preserve this treasure of nature for the present generations and future.
EXTERNAL LINKS
http://www.yellowstonepark.com
http://www.yellowstoneassociation.org
http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com
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