Wasatch and Uinta montane forests

Wasatch and Uinta montane forests

Coniferous forest with Kings Peak in the background, Uinta Mountains
Ecology
Biome Temperate coniferous forest
Borders Colorado Plateau shrublands, Wyoming Basin shrub steppe and Great Basin shrub steppe
Bird species 190[1]
Mammal species 91[1]
Geography
Area 41,500 km2 (16,000 sq mi)
Country United States
States Utah, Wyoming and Idaho
Conservation
Habitat loss 2.45%[1]
Protected 68.9%[1]

The Wasatch and Uinta montane forest is a temperate coniferous forest ecoregion of the United States.

Setting

This ecoregion is located almost entirely within the state of Utah, with a very small portion stretching north just into southwestern Wyoming. Located in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada, this ecoregion covers the driest ranges of the Rocky Mountains.

Flora

The dominant vegetation type of this ecoregion is coniferous forest, composed mainly of Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca), subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmanni) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), with limited populations of Limber pine (Pinus flexilis). This ecoregion is unique from other Rocky Mountain ecoregions in that large areas are dominated by Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii).

Fauna

Mammals include mule deer (Odocoileus hemonius), elk (Cervus canadensis), moose (Alces alces), Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis), mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus), black bear (Ursus americanus) and cougar (Puma concolor).

Threats and preservation

The majority of this ecoregion has been greatly affected by livestock grazing, logging, mining, and recreational uses such as downhill skiing, and as a result, its conservation status is "Critical/Endangered". Very few areas are protected, and the largest area that is protected, the High Uintas Wilderness in northeastern Utah, mainly protects areas in the high alpine zone, with the more diverse montane and subalpine zones being almost entirely unprotected. The main threats to this ecoregion's integrity are motorised recreation, widespread livestock grazing and downhill skiing.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Hoekstra, J. M.; Molnar, J. L.; Jennings, M.; Revenga, C.; Spalding, M. D.; Boucher, T. M.; Robertson, J. C.; Heibel, T. J.; Ellison, K. (2010). Molnar, J. L., ed. The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-26256-0.