Joe Morahan Nature Photography: Rocky Mountain National Park

Monday, January 19, 2009

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is a living laboratory. Everyone from preschoolers to Ph.D.’s can study their favorite natural sciences while enjoying the breathtaking beauty of this park. 150 lakes and 450 miles of streams are the basis of the riparian (wetland) ecosystem in the park. Lush plant life and dense wildlife are the hallmarks of these wet areas that speckle and divide other ecosystems.Forests of pine and grassy hillsides dominate the montane ecosystem in the park. These areas may be drier than riparian areas but life still abounds. Look for critters leaping or creeping from tree to tree or poking their heads from underground.As you gain elevation, you leave the montane areas and enter the subalpine ecosystem. The bent and gnarled bodies of spruce and fir trees tell the story of hard summers and harder winters near the mountain tops. (http://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm)