ShareUtah's Plants and Animals - Utah's Physical Characteristics
Where's the water?
High
in the mountains you can find cold streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands.
The area surrounding this water is called riparian. Riparian comes form
the word Latin word ripa, which means bank or shore Riparian areas
can also be great recreation spots. You can camp and fish in the high
Uintahs. You can visit Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake. Boating
and hiking near Lake Powell will also put you in contact with a riparian
environment.
Get your feet wet!
Your fun weekend includes finding a comfortable log and
sitting back on the shore and just relaxing. You have only studied the
land areas associated with biomes. It is time to take off your shoes and
socks and dip your feet in the water. It is time to get your feet wet.
Riparian (ri-pair-e-un) what?
Water is the lifeblood of
the planet. Almost every living thing on Earth needs it for survival.
A riparian environment is found near or on the banks of a natural water
course. This could be streams, rivers, lakes and tide waters. These
environments are found on the highest mountain tops and the lowest valleys.
It surrounds the ponds, rivers, streams and "wetlands" in other
biomes. These are all places where the precipitation collects.
There are many kinds of riparian environments found in Utah, and the plant and animal life vary with each system. It seems that everyone wants to live near one. Plants can get water more easily when they are near the water, whereas animals often come to these places to drink. The water is filled with plant and animal life such as algae, fish, frogs and water fowl. Even people want to live near water.
Think about it!
There
are so manydifferent types of water environments inUtah that it would
be difficult tolist all of the plants and animals found. The largest
riparian area in Utah is the shoreline around the Great Salt Lake. Here
we find the nesting ground of the white pelicans and
plovers. The Farmington Bay and Ogden Bird Refuges are found here.
Getting away from it all!
It is a hot day in August. After hearing you complain
about the heat all morning, your parents suggest they take you out of
the scorching city heat. You hop in the car and head up the canyon to
get out of the heat. When you reach the mountains, you notice that it
is much cooler. The
trees shade you from the sun, and provide you with a breath of fresh air.
Getting into the trees and getting away from the city is a favorite activity
for many. There is something about this biome that is peaceful and refreshing.
This is the deciduous forest; which is comprised of trees that
shed their leaves each year (annually).
Mountains of Trees!
Deciduous
forests are large land areas where most of the trees shed their leaves
in the fall. In Utah, the deciduous forests are found on the lower slopes
mountains before you reach the conifers (pine trees). In North America,
deciduous forests once covered a large portion of the eastern United States.
The climate in this area has four distinct seasons. The winter in deciduous
forests is cold, the summer is hot, and the fall and spring are mild.
The average yearly rainfall measures between 75 and 150 cm (30 to 60 inches)
in this area. Trees found in the deciduous forest include maple, birch,
elm, oak, sumac, cottonwoods, hickory and cherry (these are hardwood trees).
Also found below the trees where there is less sunlight are ferns, clover
and grasses.
Wildlife!
Animals that live in this biome include many types of birds such
as woodpeckers and hummingbirds. Squirrels also live in the trees. Larger
animals such as raccoons also live in the deciduous forest. One of the
larger animals that you have probably seen on your visits to the mountains
are deer. Living on the forest floor are salamanders, insects, field mice,
and foxes.
Going higher
Now imagine that you are going
for a long weekend get-a-way. You helped your parents pack up the sleeping
bags, tent, Dutch oven and fishing equipment and headed for the Uintah
Mountains. You have always loved this beautiful area filled with thousands
of tall trees swaying in the wind. You find this beautiful, peaceful area.
This is the coniferous forest; a forest which trees have
needles and cones.
Baby it's (cold and snowy) outside!
The coniferous forest is found
in the higher elevations of Utah. The winter in this biome is long and
cold. Snowfall is heavy during the winter season. In the spring the ground
often becomes soggy and swampy from the snowmelt. Summers are cool and
pleasant.
Smell the pines!
There are many different types of life in the coniferous
forest. The coniferous forest is full of plants and animals. The trees
here include pines, spruces, hemlocks and fir trees. Conifers
have adapted to this harsh environment. Their needles have a waxy
coating and a small surface area which keeps them from freezing. Other
plants found in a coniferous forest include larkspur, sagebrush, manzanita,
and oak. Conifers are often called evergreens.
Some of the animals that live in the coniferous forest
make it through the long, harsh winter by hibernating. Chipmunks eat
a lot of food during the early winter and then take a long winter's nap.
Their pulse rate and temperature drops and their breathing slows.
They will sleep without moving for over four months. Some animals build
up a large layer of fat to keep them warm in the winter. Other species migrate
to warmer areas during the cold season. Bears are not true hibernators,
but they do take long winter naps. During this time they give birth
to their cubs.
The living forest!
Animals living in the coniferous forest include many
bird species such as the golden eagle, owl, Steller's jays, and hummingbirds.
Perhaps when you have visited the forest you may have spotted an
animal. These
are some of the animals you might have seen; such as a chickadee,
coyote, bobcat,
elk, deer, moose, porcupines, squirrels or chipmunks. Some of these animals,
such as moose, are increasing in numbers in the forests of Utah. Can you
explain why?
The disappearing act!
Not only is the coniferous forest beautiful, it is also
valuable. These forests provide lumber for much of the world. As a result
of lumbering, much of the coniferous forest is vanishing. Some animals
are disappearing. That makes some people upset. At the same time however,
there is an ever increasing need for these resources.
The Heat is On!
We now journey to the desert. You may have been there
before, perhaps you even live there. Deserts are extremely dry. The annual
rainfall of a desert is less that 25 cm. (10 inches). You may think that
all deserts are hot, but there are two types of deserts: "hot"
deserts and "cold" deserts. In Utah, a high temperature of 117°F
has been recorded in the Southern part of the State. That is HOT! Nights
in deserts; however, are cool.
The
living desert
You might think that animal and plant life in the desert
would be scarce. The high temperatures and lack of water keep many plants
and animals from living in this area. Life does exist in the desert. Plants
and animals adapt to allow them to live in these extreme conditions.
Many animals conserve energy by sleeping in underground burrows during
the day when it is very hot and hunt for food at night. Insects and spiders
that live in the desert have thick, hard body exteriors that help maintain
their body temperatures. Reptiles have scales which keep in moisture.
Animals in Utah deserts include the road runner, desert tortoise, horned
toad, turkey vulture, kangaroo rat, and sidewinder rattlesnake.
Plants in the desert also have adapted to the harsh environment.
Many plants grow in just the few weeks during the rainy season. They produce
seeds quickly and then they die. Other plants have shallow root systems
that soak up water quickly after a rainstorm. Still other plants have
very deep roots that can reach water deep within the ground.
Plants in the desert often have a waxy coating to reduce water loss. Cacti have needle-like leaves to protect against water loss. Plants that live in the desert include the bristlecone pine, sagebrush, juniper, joshua tree, yucca, and cactus.
A cold desert?
The journey through the great state of Utah continues;
and this part of your virtual trip takes you to some of the most beautiful
and unique country on the entire planet, Bryce
Canyon is an example of a cold desert. Another example of a cold desert
in Utah is the "Great Basin" area. The temperature ranges in
cold desert biomes are extreme. The Great Basin area is one of the few
deserts on the planet where the temperature often falls below freezing.
It is cold enough in the Great Basin desert to snow in the winter.
The Great Basin Desert in Utah has long periods of cold weather and somewhat higher precipitation than other deserts (10-20 inches). Much of this precipitation falls as snow which is no surprise to you if you happen to live in this area.
Cold desert animals
Animals
that make their home in the cold desert must be able to adapt to the extremely
cold winters and very hot summers. Animals that live in the cold desert
include the badger, bald eagle, bison, coyote, gopher snake, antelope,
jackrabbit, mule deer and prairie dogs.
Cold
desert plants
Plants that live in the cold desert include the sego
lily (Utah's state flower), bitterbrush, rabbit brush, and sage brush,
and various types of grasses. Of course these are plants that are "native"
to the cold desert. The Great Basin area has many more types of plants
than it did two hundred years ago. Can you suggest a reason why?
| Since people have come into the Great Basin area, there have been changes. One change included introducing different animals which eat plants. People have planted plants which they wanted to grow in the area. The people also changed the way that water flowed by building canals and reservoirs. |
