Petrified Forest Analysis

Analyses from 7,300 years ago at the Hawken site in northeast Wyoming do not match with the hypothesis of a dry Altithermal, though this may be limited to the site from which the data was collected, and not representative of the entire High Plains area (Lovvorn, Frison, and Teiszen 2001).

The base of IIIb1 appears slightly oxidized and yielded an age of 2277± 36 14C yr BP. Above this is a ~60-cm-thick, organic-rich “black mat” (IIIb2) consisting of multiple thin beds containing varying amounts of plant matter including both decomposed humic material and uncharred plant macrofossils that constitute a significant proportion of the sediment volume in the most organic-rich deposits. The IIIb2 black mat was formed between 1934 ± 29 14C yr BP and 1759 ± 25 14C yr BP, with the most organic-rich portion predating 1833 ± 36 14C yr BP. Organic carbon content of the black mat varies, but the highest values are ~2%. Plant remains in IIIb2, consisting mostly of bulrush achenes and pollen, indicate emergent aquatic floodplain vegetation, and the unidentifiable stem fragments ubiquitous throughout the layer are likely also bulrush (Figure 8). Faunal remains within IIIb2 at 11-37 include snail and ostracode species indicative of marshy conditions (Table 4). From the base of IIIb1 to the sharp upper boundary of the IIIb2 black mat, a trend of decreasing calcium carbonate, increasing gypsum, and increasing organic carbon is evident. Gypsum content ranged from 3.7–16.6% and occurred as tiny clumps of intergrown lathe crystals, whereas carbonate content ranged from ~4–13% and occurred as small soft

First, we must examine the sedimentary formations; when they were formed, how they were formed, and what materials they consist of. About ninety-three to one hundred million years ago, the Western Interior Seaway rolled through the North American continent, eventually reaching the geographical area of today’s Mesa Verde National Park (National Park Service 2005). This sea deposited a thick, hard sandstone base that is called Dakota Sandstone, although this layer is not exposed in the park

Scholar Award, and Dr. H. Wesley Peirce, Bert Butler, and Keith L. Katzer scholarships from the University of Arizona Department of Geosciences. Bobby and Coy McKinley allowed access to their deeded land. Bureau of Land Management archaeologists Brenda Wilkinson and David Simons provided logistical support and permits to conduct fieldwork on public land. We thank archaeobotanist Karen Adams for identifying charcoal samples, Manuel Palacios-Fest for microinvertebrate analysis, Adam Hudson for GPS corrections, and Todd Lange, Lori Hewitt, and Rich Cruz at the NSF-Arizona AMS Laboratory for expediting radiocarbon sample combustion and measurement. This research greatly benefitted from discussions with Vance Haynes, Tammy Rittenour, and Michael Ort, and various drafts of the manuscript were significantly improved by comments and critical reviews provided by Greg Valentine, Jay Quade, and Vance

First of all, the author points out that, Yellowstone fires diminished the park's trees and other plants also disappeared because of enormous fire. It is mentioned that one third of the trees burned and it is disaster. This point is challenged by the lecturer. She says by removing some kind of trees more chance created for smaller plants and

As minutes pass by, a beaver comes upon the Red Maple. Luckily for the Red Maple, its chemicals act as a repellant. As the beaver walks away, the Red Maple continues on its work. As if the wind was a messenger, the tree knew that it had only a short amount of time left before it would rain. The leaves of the Maple begins to droop as the clouds begin to cover the sky. But also covering the sky was truck exhaust. To the left and right of the Red Maple, trees were being cut down. Deforestation has come with urbanization, a rate of 1.02%. Deforestation has caused habitat destruction, forcing many animals to be moved. The biodiversity of the dead forest is not

Many petroglyphs, animal fossils, and artifcats are visible throughout this formation in addition to the exposed, petrified logs. Chinle is broken up into smaller members and from oldest to youngest they are- Mesa Redondo Member, Blue Mesa Member, Sonsela Member, Petrified Forest Member, and Owl Rock Member. Each member is made up of unique materials that are responsible for their remarkable color. The Paleozoic sandy conglomerate and siltstone of Mesa Redondo Member is red, yellow and purple and was once part of the river’s floodplain before its deposition between 225-227 million years ago. The Blue Mesa Member consists of multicolored mudstone cobbles in blue, green, grey, and purple colors and dates to 220-225 million years ago. These older members make up the badlands of Petrified Forest and display their colorful banding. The 216 million year old Sonsela member includes a few smaller bedded areas with brown cross-bedded sandstones, more multicolored mudstones in blue, grey, and purple, white and grey sandstone beds, and white cross-bedded sandstone conglomerates with an assortment of sizes for cobbles. The Petrified Forest member, an area within the Painted Desert feature, is approximately 213 million years old with thick red and brown mud and sandstone layers. As one would guess, this member contains a good majority of the fossilized wood segments and uranium-bearing minerals that are often present with such organic matter as trees and logs. At 205 million years old, the youngest Owl Rock Member represents an area where there had once been a dry inland lakebed, leaving observable trace minerals from the evaporation process. The colors found here are typically light to dark red with orange and white, resulting from the mudstone littered with thin layers of limestone throughout. The wide variety of color

One piece of this history is the subsurface Paleozoic rocks. Paleozoic rocks are for the most part hidden in the Park despite being in the Colorado Plateau, which is likely due to both erosion, and it being buried in other various rocks. Next is the deposition of the Moenkopi Formation during the early Triassic time period. When North America was still apart of Pangea, the area that was the Colorado Plateau was located within close range of the Equator. 300-600 feet of sand and mud were accumulated during this time, with marine life being included which tells Geologists that the sea sometimes was in the area. The climate at the time was warm, with varying times of humid and dry spells. There is very few beds of the Moenkopi Formation left in the area once again due to erosion. Third is the deposition of the Shinarump Member of the Chinle Formation. This basal conglomerate was deposited on top of the Moenkopi Formation. It is made up of gravel and sand, which indicates that there was water depositing it. The Shinarump Member also averages between 35-50 feet thick. Next in the geological history is the deposition of Chinle beds later in the Triassic time period. When the sea regressed to the west of the area, a large plain was left behind. As the climate changed, so did the environment. Soon grasslands and marshes began to form in the area. During this time hundreds of feet of shaly material accumulated which formed both the Lower Petrified Forest Member and the Upper Petrified Forest Member. In some parts, these two members are separated by the Sonsela Sandstone Member, composed of the most petrified wood compared to all other rock units featured in the Park. The Owl Rock Member is at the top of the Chinle Formation, and completes it. Near the end of the Triassic time period, tectonic activity was occurring heavily in the Arizona basin. In the western sea at this time a chain of volcanoes erupted,

The project is located at an elevation of ~730 m above mean sea level and within the Basin and Range physiographic province (BR). The BR is composed of high relief mountains or foothills separated by low-lying valleys and salt flats. The salt flats of the Amargosa do not support plant life, but Phreatophytes (deeply rooted plants) occur on their edges and near the adjacent gravel-dominated alluvial fans. Iodine bush (Allenrolfea occidentalis) grows closet to the salt flats, while saltgrass (Distichlis stricta) and arrowweed (Pluchea sericea) occur more distal. The dominant species in the salt flat-proximal areas is honey mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) that occurs as large stands. Sacatone grass (Sporobolus airoides) and desert holly (Atriplex hymenelytra) intergrown with

The Petrified Forest was founded on December 9, 1962, and is one of the many national forests in the United States of America. Located in Petrified Forest, Arizona, hundreds of people visit the park every year to witness the rainbow rocks and to view the many petrified logs. These logs are scattered all across the park and range from 60 to 125 feet long (World Book Encyclopedia, 1997). Along the logs are thousands of different species of plants and animals. Travelers will experience the many different geographic features and seasons of the park. The Petrified Forest has a vast variety of amazing geographic features including the Chinle Formations; colorful badland's hills with flat-topped mesas, and sculpted buttes. The blue flat-topped mesas

Look at all those tree stumps, is as if some giant cut down the trees. Wandering the Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona I noticed the fallen trees were devoid of bark and branches. I began to wonder what could have caused only the trunks of the ancient trees to survive.

In 1998, the US Forest Service sent a team to figure out why a lot of trees were dying in the Malheur National Forest in east Oregon. They determined the area that was affected. They also took a little over 100 samples of the dead and dying trees. The tests revealed that the trees

August and the rest of the characters went to the the Broarwood Nature Reserve in Pennsylvania, which was was about about 4 hours from upper Manhattan. When they reached there, they did some side activities such as horseback riding. Although, the second day at around 7:30 pm, they went for an outdoor movie night. During this period of time, Jack needed to use the restroom, but the lines were too long so Jack went to the forest area behind a tree and passed the orange cones they were specifically told not go past. They could not see ahead of them since there was no light, and passing by they saw a flashlight, it just turned out to be Henry, Miles, and Amos.

Ancient trees, dressed in white, soft and delicate furs, are bravely standing attached to the ground, arcing their hands to the sky, creating a connection between two worlds. So far away from civilization, they are calling us to join them. To forget all the constrains of the outside world, and just enjoy the sweet fragrance of nature. They strongly defy the cold winters and malicious winds, that have been trying to break them down and destroy them. Winters come and go, but these trees are still standing proudly and healing their wounds obtained from the enemy.

The projects undertaken by PWD have not faltered to destroy the highland flora and the walnut, deodar, maples and pines have borne the brunt of the civilised moves of mankind. The author brings out the sheer tragedy of the reckless deforestation in his accounts like, “the walnut was one of the first to go. A tree I had lived with for over ten years, watching it grow just as I had watched Prem’s son, Rakesh, grow up…” He could feel the plight of the felling trees with the same pathos that he had felt for his young brother, who died on road to Delhi. Thus the author’s note, “both victims of the roads; the tree killed by the PWD, my brother by a truck.”- (Ruskin Bond, Collected Fiction, ‘Death of the Trees, page-