Wilderness Research and Management in the Sierra Nevada National Parks
Van Wagtendonk JW and Parsons DJ. 1996. Wilderness Research and Management in the Sierra Nevada National Parks. Pages 486-499. In Halvorson WL and Davis GE. Science and ecosystem management in the national parks. University of Arizona Press. Tucson, AZ
This chapter describes the history and relevance of research conducted in the Sierra Nevada Parks (SEKI and YOSE) regarding wilderness and the impacts that human use has on it. It also discusses how this research has been used to make informed decisions about the management of these Parks.... The concept of managing wilderness had its beginning in the Sierra Nevada of California in 1890 when Sequoia and Yosemite (YOSE) national parks were established. Expansion of Sequoia in 1926 and establishment of Kings Canyon National Park in 1940 reinforced the importance of wilderness. Management has evolved from army troops patrolling for trespassers to the sophisticated use of computers and the application of scientific data in decision making. The success of the efforts to manage these spectacular areas has been largely dependent on the availability of data from long-term research studies. The Sierra Nevada form a chain of mountains stretching over 300 km along the eastern edge of California. Elevations range from near sea level on the west slope to nearly 4,000 m at the crest. Yosemite National Park lies in the central Sierra Nevada, while Sequoia and Kings Canyon (SEKI) national parks occupy the southern end of the range. The wilderness areas in the parks are characterized by rugged glaciated mountains incised by steep river canyons. The vegetation consists of dense conifer forests, interspersed with open expanses of granite and alpine meadows above treeline.
- Type
- Book Chapter
- Authors
- Van Wagtendonk, Jan; Parsons, David
- Units
- SIEN
- Keywords
- Monitor Natural Resources, Sierra Nevada, stock use, visitor impacts on wilderness, Wilderness, wildland management