You may not realize it, but you're on the edge of something exciting! Look around and you will see that three of the park's ecosystems meet at this very spot. Where ecosystems meet is called an edge. This edge is exciting becasue it has characteristics of the forest, prairie and riparian areas, making it very diverse. Forest animals, such as deer and elk, feed along the edges during dawn and dusk then return to the shelter of the forest during the day. Edges provide both food and shelter, which is why you will often see more wildlife in these areas.
Edges are constantly changing. As the trees drop pine cones onto the prairie, seedlings begin to grow. When fire sweeps across the land it burns the young seedlings, reclaiming land for the prairie. In years between fires, seedlings again flourish. This cycle has occurred throughout history under natural conditions. As you hike look for signs of the fire cycle. Also, think about why many animals prefer to live "life on the edge."
Edges are constantly changing. As the trees drop pine cones onto the prairie, seedlings begin to grow. When fire sweeps across the land it burns the young seedlings, reclaiming land for the prairie. In years between fires, seedlings again flourish. This cycle has occurred throughout history under natural conditions. As you hike look for signs of the fire cycle. Also, think about why many animals prefer to live "life on the edge."
Is there something we missed for this itinerary?
Itineraries across USA
Acadia
Arches National Park
Badlands
Big Bend
Biscayne
Black Canyon Of The Gunnison
Bryce Canyon
Canyonlands
Capitol Reef
Carlsbad Caverns
Channel Islands
Congaree
Crater Lake
Cuyahoga Valley
Death Valley
Dry Tortugas
Everglades
Gateway Arch
Glacier
Grand Canyon
Grand Teton
Great Basin
Great Smoky Mountains
Guadalupe Mountains
Haleakalā
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes
Hot Springs
Indiana Dunes
Isle Royale
Joshua Tree
Kenai Fjords
Kobuk Valley
Lassen Volcanic
Mammoth Cave
Mesa Verde
Mount Rainier
North Cascades
Olympic
Petrified Forest
Pinnacles
Rocky Mountain
Saguaro
Shenandoah
Theodore Roosevelt
Virgin Islands
Voyageurs
White Sands
Wind Cave
Yellowstone
Yosemite
Zion