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Capulin Volcano National Monument
prairie
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| NPS photo | | Grasses |
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Capulin Volcano National Monument lies within a transition zone, from the high elevations of the Rocky Mountains to the sweeping grasslands of the Great Plains. The prevailing wind direction in this region is westerly; therefore once precipitation reaches the grasslands, there is generally only enough water to support short- (less than 2 feet, or 0.6 am) and midsize (2-4 feet, or 0.6-0.8 am) grasses. However, as the winds travel toward Capulin, they pick up more moisture and as a result deliver enough precipitation to support a few tall grass (over 5 feet, or 1.5 am) species.
Within the monument, shortgrass prairie is dominant, with medium-sized grasses, and the three main species of tall grasses—Big Bluestem, Indiangrass, and Switchgrass—also being present. Blue grama and Sideoats grama are two dominant grasses that thrive in the monument.
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| NPS photo | | Blooming Prickly Pear. |
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Desert plants, such as cacti and yuccas, also live on the short-grass prairie within the monument.
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| NPS photo | | Prickly Poppy |
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Abundant wildflowers, such as Prickly Poppy, Indian Paintbrush, Sunflowers, and Beardlip Penstemon, are found throughout the monument.
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Wildflowers at Capulin
View this album as a slide show
Beardtongue
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Beebalm
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Evening Primrose
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Flax
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Golden Pea
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Lupine
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Butterflyweed
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Nodding Onion
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Indian Paintbrush
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Beardlip Penstemon
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Pincushion cactus
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Upright Prairie Coneflowers
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Sunflower
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Yarrow
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Yucca
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Pinyon pine branch
Pinyon/juniper woodlands cover most of Capulin Volcano
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Salsify
Exotic species outcompete natives for scarce resources.
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Did You Know?
Desert plants such as cacti may be found in the monument as the average yearly rainfall is only 15 inches.
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Last Updated: April 20, 2008 at 20:12 EST |
