The Midden is the Resource Management Newsletter of Great Basin National Park, published each summer and winter. Find out the latest going on at Great Basin National Park, Nevada in resource management and research. Th Midden - Great Basin National Park: Vol. 22, No. 2, Winter 2022
-
Great Basin National Park
Article 1: Shifting Baseline
It is easy to see national parks as static and unchanging. But the world is always moving, and slower, gradual changes often go unnoticed. Over time these changes may become accepted as the status quo, the way things have always been. Read more
-
Great Basin National Park
Article 2: Hidden Stories of Snake Creek Cave
For thousands of years, humans have entered caves and made their mark. From rock writing to historic inscriptions, these cultural resources capture a moment of the composer’s life. Such is the case for the more than 200 historic inscriptions within Snake Creek Cave in Great Basin National Park. Read more
-
Great Basin National Park
Article 3: Life at the Top: Range Shifts of Four High Elevation Plants
Nachlinger catchfly, Holmgren’s buckwheat, Nevada primrose, and Pennell beardtongue are all rare, herbaceous plant species of conservation concern. They occur in high elevation habitats and are endemics, meaning they are limited to Great Basin National Park or a few other ranges in eastern Nevada. Read more
-
Great Basin National Park
Article 4: Genetic Analysis of West Desert Bonneville Cutthroat Trout
The Bonneville Cutthroat Trout is a subspecies of cutthroat trout that lived throughout the Bonneville Basin, which included Lake Bonneville and its tributaries, at the end of the last ice age. Once thought to be extinct, genetically pure populations have been found in recent decades in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Nevada. The Bonneville Cutthroat Trout is the only species of trout native to Great Basin National Park and east central Nevada. Read more
-
Great Basin National Park
Article 5: Mark and Recapture Study for the Model Cave Harvestman, Sclerobunus ungulatus
Arachnids, particularly shy cavernicolous ones, keep their secrets close to their scute. In fact, they don’t like to spill the beans at all. In order to engage them in disclosing all their secrets we cannot whisper sweet nothings, instead hard science is called to the field of battle. Read more
-
Great Basin National Park
Article 6: A Closer Look at Nevada Primrose
At the summit of Mt. Washington grows a rare plant with a unique backstory. Primula cusickiana var. nevadensis, the Nevada Primrose, is a perennial plant with showy purple petals (Panel D in image to the right), and was first described as its own species in 1967 by Noel Holmgren. It is part of the Primula cusickiana species complex: a group of related plants with similar morphologies found throughout the Great Basin. Read more
-
Great Basin National Park
Article 7: Preserving Historic Lehman Orchard
Lehman Orchard changed for the better this past summer. With funding from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act Conservation Initiative, park staff replaced the irrigation system, planted new fruit trees, installed new fencing, and designed and installed informational signs and a viewing platform. The upgrades and orchard restoration work completed this year will help preserve Lehman Orchard for years to come. Read more