Human Impact On Rocky Mountain National Park

Human impact on Rocky Mountain National Park, is something that has just started becoming a problem in the last ten years. The first main problem the park has began facing is urbanization in and around the park; the construction of new park facilities and development around the park has the potential to drastically change the way the park functions and what organisms are able to thrive within the park itself. The second problem Rocky Mountain National Park has began to face is the immigration of new species and migration of old ones, some say this has to do with climate change and organisms looking for refuge is colder/warmer parts of the country; organisms coming/leaving the park changes the ecosystem in a large way, and can even lead to its demise. The third problem Rocky Mountain National Park has began facing is also due to climate change, large amounts of ice have began melting, making some areas of the park more dangerous than others, this issue also directly affects the ecosystem in the park and can lead to other grave problems later on, that we may not be aware of yet.

Food Web of Rocky Mountain National Park

Below is a food web modelling eating habits of organisms in Rocky Mountain National Park. As you can see the grizzly bear consumes the largest variety of organisms, while the bison consumes the least amount of organisms. If we take apart the food web and simplify it, it consists of four main groups, staring with the producers, which in this case would be things like nuts, ants, leaves and grass. Then, we move to the next level which would be the first level of consumers, things like insects, deer, moose/caribou, and raccoons. Then, we move to the second level of consumers with organisms such as the wood frog, beavers, snakes and pikas (ground rabbit). Then, we move to the final level, the third degree of consumers, with things like the bald eagle, black bears, the grizzly bear, and coyotes. Over time humans have slowly altered the food we/food chain in Rocky Mountain National Park by driving certain organisms away due to the amount of physical, water and air pollution, making animals resort to other organisms for consumption. 

Carbon Cycle

The carbon cycle is a process in which carbon is cycled through the environment. Carbon dioxide is incorporated into living tissues through the process of photosynthesis, and then returned to the atmosphere through the process of respiration, the burning of fossil fuels, and through dead or decaying organisms. For example, in Rocky Mountain National Park, carbon is incorporated into the photosynthesis process of a plant such as the Chokecherry (Padus virginiana ssp. melanocarpa). During this process of photosynthesis oxygen is produced and released into the environment, then an animal such as the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis), will breath in that oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, therefore releasing it back into the atmosphere. Also, after these animals and plants die and decompose in the soil, more carbon will be released and returned back to the atmosphere.

Invasive Species and Wildlife Extinction

As the climate changes due to global warming new species find that they are well suited to a new environment and its different temperature and begin to invade, these new species are known as invasive species. One example of an invasive species in Rocky Mountain National Park is cheatgrass (Bromus Tectorum). Twenty years ago cheatgrass could only be found in the lowest elevation areas of the park, but no it can be found at much higher elevations, since these higher elevations have grown increasingly warmer. This change greatly affects the park, because cheatgrass spreads easily and is quite flammable,and therefore increases fire danger. This is a serious problem due to the increasingly warm and dry climate. As temperatures rise and invasive species such as cheatgrass continue to invade the par they become competitors for previous organisms and greatly change the physical appearance of the park. There are also many species in Rocky Mountain National Park that are either threatened or endangered, meaning they are on the verge of extinction. For example, the Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout is a fish that needs cold and clear water to swim in, as well as natural streams with high quality water and a large amount of space. Currently, this fish has 1% of its original habitat to live and swim in. It faces threats such as hybridization with newly introduced fish species, and severe pollution, as the use of the land around the waters are polluting the water and killing plants near the water. The Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout was just put on the Endangered Species Act waiting list this year.

Greenhouse Effect/Global Warming

Global warming is the gradual increase in Earth’s temperature. Due to global warming and the increasingly warmer climate winters have become warmer and shorter, and summers have become hotter and longer. At Rocky Mountain National Park climate change has taken a huge toll on the environment. A reliable indicator of this climate change is the movement of water. For example, over the past thirty years scientists have observed runoff from alpine snow fields, lakes, and rivers into the park’s paths. The winter snowfall creates what is called “a natural reservoir” of water in the mountains and releases that water steadily throughout the spring and summer months, this is a paramount source of waters for the park’s wildlife. However, because of global warming and the rising temperature, the snow melts earlier in the year, this leads to an extended period of time during the summer, with low level rivers, as well as dry soil and plants. This seemingly small change, has greatly affected the animals and plants in the park. A specific species that has been affected by climate change is the pine beetle. Before climate change during the cold winter many of these beetles died and their population was regulated, but now because of the warmer winters caused by climate change the beetles have not died during the winter. Therefore, the beetle population has not been regulated, and has even gotten out of control. The warmer weather in the summers also allows the beetles to speed up development and reproduction, only increasing their growing population. This growing population can offset the ecosystem and affect other species as well. Climate change also causes very unpredictable weather patterns, such as drought. Currently, the park is growing through a drought, which leaves the trees with little moisture, causing them to be prone to forest fires.