Yosemite National Park

History of the Park

• First inhabited by Native Americans as long as 10,000 years ago
• The Ahwahneechee (tribe) have lived here for generations, followed by the arrival of Europeans in the mid 1800s
• The discovery of gold initially brought non-native settlers to Yosemite Valley, creating conflict amongst natives and newcomers over resources

History of the Park

• On June 30, 1864, Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant, providing the national park with federal protection
• In the 1920's, accommodations to the increasing numbers of tourists started being made (hotels, nature guides, etc)
• Today, the park is visited by 3.5 million tourists every year

Geographical Location/Size

• Area: 1,190 mi² (3,081 km²)
• Located in Eastern & Central California in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, 225 km east of San Francisco
• Also located within portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties

Biome/Climate

• Yosemite's primary biome is taiga, but there is a section that is the temperate forest biome
• The mountain temperatures are ever-changing with cold, snowy winters
• Average winter temperatures (Yosemite Valley) range from -2°C-12°C
• Average summer temperatures range from 1°C to 31°C

Indigenous Animals

• Bobcat, gray fox, mountain kingsnake, Gilbert's skink, white-headed woodpecker, brown creeper, spotted owl, acorn woodpecker, California ground squirrel, and Western fence lizard

Indigenous Plants

• Monkeyflower, little elephant's head, subalpine paintbrush, applegate's paintbrush, henderson's shooting star, arrowleaf groundset, sierra butterweed, single-stemmed grounsel, alpine columbine, alpine buttercup, harlequin lupine

Endangered Species

• Sierra Nevada Red Fox: Trapping of these animals were banned in 1974. In addition, harmful activities such as logging and livestock raising are off-limits. This animal is listed under the Endangered Species Act
• Others include: Wolverine, Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, and the Pacific fisher

Invasive Species

• Plants: yellow star-thistles; displace native vegetation and grow rapidly (and thus hindering growth), and Himalayan blackberries
• Animals: New Zealand mud snail; these snails form colonies consume copious amounts of algae, which could disrupt the base of the food chain, altering the natural ecosystem