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Yosemite National Park (15)
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Plants and Animals
Yosemite is known, of course, for its magnificent scenery, but a variety of forms of life are also abundant in the park. In the park, there are about 230 species of birds, 80 animal species, and 1400 species of shrubs, trees, and flowering plants.
Once the home of great bears, the last grizzly was eradicated in the park in 1895. Bighorn sheep, which also disappeared from the park, have been reintroduced. But the most typical animals most visitors see are the smaller ones.
Squirrels are common, as well.
A wide variety of trees add immeasurably to the beauty of the park. One memorable tree is the Jeffrey pine which used to grow on the top of Sentinel Dome. The tree was able to grow in such a challenging location by drawing sustenance from the cracks in the granite. On the top of this dome it was the target of many lightening strikes and was stunted. The remains of this tree can still be found in this exotic location.
Another of Yosemite's trees is the whitebark pine, found in the high country.
The western juniper can also be found in the mountains.
Another of Yosemite's trees is the red fir.
High country forest, which at the altitude of Tenaya Lake (8141 feet) includes red fir, lodgepole pine, western pine, Jeffrey pine, western juniper, and quaking aspen.
The beauty of Yosemite is accentuated by the wildflowers which can be found there in the temperate seasons.
These flowers can be found along the ground in the dirt and gravel.
Here are some purple wildflowers.
The purple-colored penstemmon can be found in a variety of locations in the park.
A closeup of the penstemmon is shown below.
More wildflowers are shown below.
Rhododendron and their colorful flowers can also be found in the park.
The beautiful iris can also be found in Yosemite.
Below are some blue wildflowers.
Wildflowers can be found in the forest, in meadows, and growing out of earth in rock formations.
This meadow is covered with cinquefoils.
Some additional flowers are shown here.
This yellow wildflower can be easily found.
References
Information about Yosemite National Park has been drawn from personal experience, data available in the park itself, and a number of other sources, including:
- Adams, Ansel. (1985). Ansel Adams: An Autobiography. Boston: Little, Brown, & Co.
- Bennett, Ross (Ed.). (1980). The New American Wonderlands: Our National Parks. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society.
- Brower, Kenneth. (1997). Yosemite: National Geographic Park Profile. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society.
- Butcher, Deveraux. (1949). Exploring Our National Parks and Monuments. Washington, DC: National Parks Association.
- California National Parks. (1969). Menlo Park, CA: Lane Magazine & Book Co.
- Ditton, Richard P., & McHenry, Donald E. (1989). Yosemite Road Guide: Throughout the National Park. El Portal, CA: Yosemite Association.
- Jensen, Paul. (1959). Yosemite. In America's Wonderlands: The Scenic National Parks and Monuments of the United States. Washington, DC: The National Geographic Society.
- Johnson, James Corwin. (1993). Yosemite Photographer's Guide. Santa Barbara, CA: Yosemite Park and Curry Co.
- Jones, William R. (1989). Yosemite: The Story Behind the Scenery. Las Vegas, NV: KC Publications.
- Keyes, Nelson Beecher. (1957). America's National Parks. Garden City, NJ: Doubleday & Co., Inc.
- McMillan, Bill. (1983). Old Lodges and Hotels of Our National Parks. South Bend, CA: Icarus Press.
- Medley, Steven P. (1994). The Complete Guidebook to Yosemite National Park. Yosemite National Park: Yosemite Association.
- National Geographic's Guide to the National Parks of the United States. National Geographic Society, 1992.
- National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States. (2003). Washington, DC: National Geographic Society.
- National Parks of North America. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 1995.
- National Parks of the West. (1980). Menlo Park, CA: Lane Publishing Co.
- O'Neill, Elizabeth Stone. (1984). Meadow in the Sky: A History of Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows Region. Groveland, CA: Albicaulis Press.
- Sanborn, Margaret. (1989). Yosemite: Its Discovery, Its Wonders and Its People. Yosemite Association: Yosemite National Park.
- Sargent, Shirley. (1990). The Ahwahnee Hotel. Santa Barbara, CA: Sequoia Communications for Yosemite Park and Curry Co.
- Schaffer, Jeffrey P. (1995). Yosemite National Park: A Natural History Guide to Yosemite and Its Trails. Berkeley, CA: Wilderness Press.
- The Sierra Club Guides to the National Parks of the Pacific Southwest and Hawaii. (1984). New York: Stewart, Tabori, and Chang.
- Tilden, Freeman. (1970). The National Parks.. New York, Alfred A. Knopf.
- Yosemite: A Guide to Yosemite National Park. (1989). Official National Park Handbook. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society.
- Yosemite Magazine. American Park Network, 1994.
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