{"id":1283,"date":"2009-11-08T14:50:31","date_gmt":"2009-11-08T21:50:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/?p=1283"},"modified":"2009-11-09T15:43:30","modified_gmt":"2009-11-09T22:43:30","slug":"dinosaur-natl-monument-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/?p=1283","title":{"rendered":"Dinosaur Nat’l Monument"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I have been working in Dinosaur Nat\u2019l Monument under the park botanist, Tamara Naumann.\u00a0 Located in northwestern Colorado, Dinosaur Nat\u2019l Monument is home to over 60 miles of the Green and Yampa Rivers,\u00a0and boasts a seriously impressive landscape.\u00a0 I often feel like I’m on another planet here.\u00a0 The\u00a0geology of the Monument, which I will not get into,\u00a0could easily be an entire post\u00a0by itself.\u00a0 But, if you would like more info on the Monument\u2019s unique geology, shoot me an email at jcr02@uark.edu<\/a>.\u00a0<\/div>\n
The\u00a0scope of my internship has been primarily focused on river ecosystem health and function.\u00a0\u00a0The Yampa remains the last wild\/undammed river in the Colorado River system, while the Green\u00a0River has been regulated upstream by the Flaming\u00a0Gorge Dam since 1964.\u00a0 Dams are known to disrupt the physical, chemical, and biological connectivity of rivers.\u00a0 The\u00a0Green and the\u00a0Yampa\u00a0rivers collide in the heart of the Monument at a place called Echo Park, and because the\u00a0two rivers were so similar\u00a0during Pre-dam conditions, and are located in such close proximity to each other, a unique opportunity arises here to\u00a0observe the impacts of large dams on big western rivers.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"The

The Yampa Canyon<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Lodore

Gates of Lodore. Lodore Canyon, Green River<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0For more info on the Yampa, check out http:\/\/www.yampariverawareness.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n

As is stated under the Organic Act of 1916, it is the purpose of the National Park Service to\u00a0“conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”\u00a0 Along the river corridors, especially on dam-regulated rivers, fulfillment of this duty can be a handful.\u00a0 \u00a0 Millions of dollars are spent every year in an attempt to eliminate, or at least set back, invasive plant species that occupy riparian river areas.\u00a0 High priority invasive species such as Tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) <\/em>and Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)<\/em>\u00a0are known to out-compete native species such as Willows, Cottonwoods, and Box Elders along riparian areas.\u00a0 The effects of such invasions are dense monocultures that result in losses of biodiversity and poor overall ecosystem health.<\/div>\n
Not to worry though, folks who love their rivers won’t go down with a fight!\u00a0 Thanks to the efforts of the Weed Warriors, a volunteer weed management program here in Dinosaur NM, thousands of tamarisk have been removed from the Green and Yampa Rivers within the park.\u00a0 Participating in the program is a great way to lend a helping hand in the fight against tamarisk, and also a great way to take a free trip down the Green and Yampa!<\/div>\n
\"Weed

Heavy duty tamarisk call for heavy tools. And heavy duty people. Like the Weed Warriors, pictured here removing a monster tamarisk root with a tripod!<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0For more info on the Weed Warrior program, check out\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/extension.usu.edu\/files\/publications\/publication\/pub__6803066.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Diorhabda

NPS\/Pete Williams<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0Another line of defense against the Tamarisk invasion is this little fella pictured above, the Tamarisk Beetle (Diorhabda elongata)<\/em>.\u00a0 After nearly 20 years of studies, 50,000 beetles were approved for release in the park during the summers of 2006 and 2007.\u00a0 Since their release, the beetles have gradually extended their reach throughout the park and are creating visible areas of\u00a0 Tamarisk defoliation.\u00a0 Considering the signifant impact that the beetles have had in only three years, it’s exciting to think about the impact that they will have in the future!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\"Beetle<\/dt>\n
Tamarisk Beetle Monitoring in Lodore Canyon of the Green River<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
\"Beetle

A third instar Tamarisk Beetle emerging from it's molt. It will begin munching Tamarisk about 2 seconds after it molts! NPS\/Pete Williams<\/p><\/div>\n

For more information on the Tamarisk Beetle, check out http:\/\/www.nps.gov\/dino\/planyourvisit\/upload\/2009BeetleWeb.pdf<\/a>\u00a0<\/div>\n

\u00a0Another invasive tree which poses substantial threat to the health and function of the river riparian areas is the Russian Olive.\u00a0 Due to it’s highly aggressive nature, it is likely the number-one candidate to move into the voids of Tamarisk that will be created by the Tamarisk Beetle.\u00a0 Although very attractive, the Russian Olive is not a\u00a0nice tree.\u00a0 Capable of growing\u00a0over 40 feet high, it is covered with sharp, dagger-size thorns.\u00a0 For a job like removing Russian Olive, we call in the pros.\u00a0 They are the best of the best, the\u00a0Special Forces\u00a0of weed management if you will, the Exotic Plant Management Team (EPMT).\u00a0They came from far away places like Glacier National Park in Montana and Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho with chainsaws, herbicides, and\u00a0the raw grit\u00a0& determination\u00a0necessary to tackle\u00a0Russian Olive.\u00a0 I’m proud to say that after 2 weeks of work with the EPMT, I helped to remove the last of the \u00a0Russian Olive from the park!<\/p>\n

\"The

Myself w\/ the EPMT crews from Glacier NP and Craters of the Moon NM<\/p><\/div>\n

Another interesting project I had the opportunity to\u00a0participate\u00a0in was\u00a0measuring the amount of light pollution in Dinosaur Nat’l Monument skies when the NPS Night Sky Research Team came to town.\u00a0 The NPS Night Sky team is a small team of NPS scientists dedicated to documenting the status of our night skies and protecting them for future generations.\u00a0 According to their website, Two\u2013thirds of Americans cannot see the Milky Way from their backyard, and 99% of the population live in an area that scientists consider light polluted. The rate at which light pollution is increasing will leave almost no dark skies in the contiguous US by 2025.\u00a0 Therefore, National Parks are becoming some of the last refuges for\u00a0uninterrupted, natural, dark skies.<\/span><\/div>\n
\"Serviceberry\"<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span>Taking light pollution measurements atop Serviceberry Ridge. Serviceberry Ridge is one of the most remote peaks in the park.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\"After

After a long night of night sky monitoring<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0For more info on light pollution & the NPS Night Sky Research Team, check their website at http:\/\/www.nature.nps.gov\/air\/lightscapes\/<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0\"yeahh\"<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span>Remember; “Tomorrow will depend on the love you give today” – W. Jennings<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span>Woo Pig Sooie!<\/span><\/div>\n
Josh Richard, Dinosaur Nat’l Monument<\/span>\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have been working in Dinosaur Nat\u2019l Monument under the park botanist, Tamara Naumann.\u00a0 Located in northwestern Colorado, Dinosaur Nat\u2019l Monument is home to over 60 miles of the Green and Yampa Rivers,\u00a0and boasts a seriously impressive landscape.\u00a0 I often … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1283"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1283"}],"version-history":[{"count":96,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1401,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1283\/revisions\/1401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}