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THE FORESTS of the national parks might well be called their crowning glory. The trees are as important to the natural park scene as are the glaciers and geysers, the mountains and canyons, the lakes and waterfalls.

In addition they represent segments of the forest primeval as the earliest pioneers saw them, and so have a historic significance. Also, and economically important, the park forests in the high country protect the watersheds of nearby communities.

The variety of vegetation in the United States is tremendous—and it is well represented in the national parks and wilderness national monuments. In them grow species found in the Tropics and the Arctic, in humid mountain regions, in junglelike low country, and in the semidesert.

Furthermore, within a single mountain park, with valleys low in elevation and peaks reaching far upwards, trees of several different "climates" thrive. The type of cover the plant life zone-changes approximately with every thousand feet in altitude, depending upon other governing factors such as the amount of moisture and direction of slope.

East of the Rockies there are several times as many species of trees, mostly deciduous or broadleaf, as in the West, where the small leaf conifers predominate. Most are represented in one or another of the national parks.

Although there is an apparent abundance of forests in the national parks, they constitute less than 1 percent of the forest area of the country.

JOSHUA-TREES IN BLOOM, Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Although they grow in the desert and bear a distinct resemblance to certain species of cactus, the Joshua-tree belongs to the lily family. These strange trees are found also in Death Valley National Monument and of course in Joshua Tree National Monument. (Courtesy, William Belknap, Jr.)

Last Modified: Sat, Oct 5 2002 10:00:00 pm PDT
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