Geneva Chong US Geological Survey Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center 675 E. Broadway P.O. Box 2353 Jackson, WY 83001
The proposed site represents the Northern Rocky Mountain NEON domain.
The state land section is centered at 43°33’30”/110°50’00” and covers one square mile on the west side of state route 390 between Wilson and Moose, Wyoming. Rendezvous Peak (10,927’) is approximately located at 43°34’00”/110°54’30” in the Bridger-Teton National Forest and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (Special Use Permit from the USFS). The state land is surrounded by private land, which is in turn bordered by the Forest and Grand Teton National Park. Fish Creek flows through the state land before entering the Snake River to the south.
Topography, hydrology, ecology, and socio-economic characteristics make this area an ideal NEON site for the Northern Rocky Mountain domain. The area is representative of the heterogeneity of the domain, which contains numerous mountain ranges separated by river valleys. The topographic and hydrologic features of the area interact with climate and biological components to manifest in a classic northern Rocky Mountains ecosystem. The vegetation gradient encompasses cottonwood forests along the Snake River through wetlands, sagebrush, aspen, mixed conifer and finally alpine vegetation on nearby peaks. The Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) is one of the only ecosystems in the continental US that still contains its complete suite of native herbivores and carnivores. In addition, some large mammal migrations persist including the longest migration in the continental US (max recorded roundtrip 600km by pronghorn antelope between Grand Teton National Park and the Upper Green River basin). Ecological uniqueness notwithstanding, the GYA is representative of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico. One could point specifically to Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico; Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado; and Glacier National Park, Montana; and design comparative hydrologic and air quality studies, for example, with the GYA as represented by the proposed site. From a socio-economic perspective, this site represents the classic trajectory of change in Rocky Mountain communities. The typical mountain town economy is tied directly to the quality of the environment, yet it often grows at the expense of the environment. Cost of living is often higher than residents’ wages support resulting in distant “bedroom” communities and large numbers of commuters, which have high environmental and social costs. Finally, the proposed area is situated to allow the measurement of impacts from external forces operating at multiple scales including energy extraction to the south (e.g., the Hoback and Upper Green River basins), land-cover/land-use change to the west (e.g., from agriculture to housing), and global change (e.g., interactions with topography such as east- vs. west-slope precipitation, changes in seasonality, etc.). Developing the capacity to forecast potential changes and impacts will be invaluable for natural resource managers of the Northern Rocky Mountains and elsewhere particularly in relation to the cascading effects of climate change as mediated through changes in hydrology, vegetation, and subsequent productivity, which alter the area’s and region’s abilities to support native ecosystems and human economies.