i did this in class

1. Jeffery Isaac
Language Arts
3rd Hour
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park lies in southeast Utah. It is near Moab, Utah, and is
centered at the elbow of the Green and Colorado rivers. This grand area has red rock
canyons, sandstone spires, and series of canyons called the Maze. Whether you're
stopping by for a couple of hours or planning a vacation, the Canyonlands offers many
ways to spend your time in the park. Many visits to the Canyonlands involve some
hiking, biking, boating, or four-wheel (ATV) driving in the park's backcountry. Some
other activities you can do in the Canyonlands are that both Island in the Sky and the
Needles have several short trails great for kids. At the Island, kids adore peeking through Mesa
Arch and climbing the back of the whale at Whale Rock. In this story you well find information on
the history, climate, how big, the wildlife, and how the Canyonlands are formed.
The region became a national park in 1964. People have visited what is now the
Canyonlands National Park for over 10,000 years. Over time, many different groups have
moved in and out of the area in concert with the availability of natural resources and the
technology for manipulating those resources. The rich and colorful history of Canyonlands is
perhaps best told by the individuals who beheld it. As told by cowboys, scientists, park rangers,
and former government officials, these stories paint vigorous pictures of canyon country and all
the characters that have called it home. The inspiriting of this region, known as the Colorado
Plateau, marked a shift from a depositional environment to one of erosion. The Colorado and
Green rivers began to downcut and are now entrenched in canyons over 2,000 feet deep.
Sediment-filled storm run-off drains into these rivers, furbishing the surrounding landscape of
into a network of tributary canyons, pour-offs and washes. For hundreds of millions of years,
material was transferred from a assortment of sources in what is now Canyonlands National
Park. Until about 15 million years ago, most of the Canyonlands area was near sea level. Local
uplifts and volcanic activity had forged features like Capitol Reef's Waterpocket Fold and the La

2. Sal Mountains near Moab, but then movements in the earth's crust caused the whole area to
ascent. Today, the average elevation is over 5,000 feet above sea level.
The Canyonlands National Park park covers 527.5 square miles (1,366 km2). Grey Cats,
Bobcats, and Cyotes are all animals that you can find in the Canyonlands. Desert bighorn
sheep are some of the most gripping mammals of canyon country. They are wary of human
contact, and blend so well into the terrain they inhabit, that sightings are a special event. Once
feared of becoming extinct, the desert bighorn are making a speculative comeback in southeast
Utah due to a comprehensive reintroduction effort by the National Park Service. With one of the
few remaining native herds, the Canyonlands has been a vital source of animals for restoration
efforts. By the late 1800s however, bighorn sheep had disappeared or declined in many areas.
Extremely vulnerable to diseases from European livestock, herd after herd of wild sheep were
annhilated by pathogens like scabies (an ear mite) and anthrax (a bacterial disease) introduced
by domestic sheep. Bighorns were also killed by early explorers, settlers and trophy hunters.
Increased competition with domestic catcattle and sheep for food didn’t help the situation. In
1975, Utah’s population numbered around 1,000 sheep. When the Canyonlands was
established in 1964, there were relatively 100 bighorn sheep remaining in the park. To protect
these animals, grazing allotments within the park were phased out during the 1970s. The
Bureau of Land Management, whose lands border the park, limited grazing leases to cattle only,
which lessened the risk of exposure to disease from domestic sheep – probably the most
important step in sustaining bighorn populations. Increased human activity and development
continue to jeopardize the desert bighorn sheep. For the remaining herds to survive, intensive
management and conservation measures may be necessary. The protection of primitive land
and wilderness areas is key to the species’ survival, and Canyonlands will continue to play a
large role in this effort.
Winters are cold, with highs averaging 30 to 50 F, and lows averaging 0 to 20 F. Though
large snowfalls are uncommon (except in nearby mountains), even puny amounts of snow or ice
can make local trails and roads impenetrable. On the other hand, summers are hot. Summer
temperatures often surpass 100 F, making strenuous exercise burdensome. Late summer
monsoon season brings violent storm cells which often cause flash floods. Daytime highs
moderate 60 to 80 F and lows moderate 30 to 50 F. Southeast Utah is part of the Colorado
Plateau, a "high desert" region that encounters wide temperature fluctuations, sometimes over
40 degrees in a single day. The temperate (and most popular) seasons are spring (April through

3. May) and fall (mid-September through October), when daytime highs moderate 60 to 80 F and
lows moderate 30 to 50 F.
Another thing is that, many adaptations in leaves and roots enable plants to survive the
maximum of temperature and aridity found in Canyonlands. These adaptations are grouped in
three categories: drought escapers, drought resistors and drought evaders.
Drought escapers are plants that make use of favorable growing conditions when they exist.
These plants are usually annuals that grow only when enough water is accessible. Seeds may
lie comatose for years if conditions are not amicable. Spring annual wildflowers are escapers.
They sprout following winter and early spring rains, and sometimes again after late summer
rains.
Drought resistors are frequently perennials. Many have small, spiny leaves that diminish the
impact of solar radiation, and some may drop their leaves if water is unaccessible. Spines and
hairy leaves act to depress exposure to air currents and solar radiation, restrain the amount of
water lost to evaporation. Cacti, yuccas and mosses are examples of drought resistors. Yuccas
have extensive taproots that are able to use water beyond the reach of other plants. Moss, a
plant not commonly associated with deserts, thrives because it can tolerate complete
dehydration: when rains finally return, mosses green up promptly. Another culmination
adaptation can be found in the Utah juniper, one of the most common trees in the southwest.
During a drought, junipers can self-prune, averting fluids from one or more their branches in
order to sustain enough water for the tree to survive.