
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