wind cave national park

Table of contents

Basic Information

• Location is South Dakota in the black hills, in the south-eastern.

• As early as 1890 the cave was opened to tourists.

• 28,000 Acres originally after

• January 3rd, 1903 president Theodore Roosevelt made a bill claiming wind cave as a national park

• The park has 75% of it as open grass land

• Park boundaries expanded when there was no more wild life

• In 1912, the American Bison Society was looking for a place to reestablish a bison herd.

• 1946 there was 28,059 acres

• Currently there is 28,295 acres of mixed grass prairie, ponderosa pine forests, and wildlife are the main features of this park

• With the loveliness there are little predators such as grizzly bears, and predators

• Also known for its box work, formation of this is composed of thin calcite fins

• Boxwork it an unusual form formation of a cave

• Calcite is carbonate mineral

• Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound

• An active fire program was started, with the first direct fire occurring in 1972.

• Fire program burns a small portion of the park, as a try to replicate regular fires

• Historical fires burn across the prairie every four to seven years

• Between July 4 and November 5, 2007, forty-nine black-footed ferrets, one of North America's rarest mammals and a predator, were reintroduced.

Location

General Area

Animals

Black footed ferret

• They have black feet

• Sleep for average of 21 hours

• Eats prairie dogs

• Primarily hunts at night

• Between July 4, 2007 and November 5, 2007, forty-nine black-footed ferrets, one of rarest mammals in North America, and a predator, were reintroduced to the park.

• 12 more were caught and reintroduced in November of 2010

• Considered to be an elusive species

animals continued

Blacktail Prairie Dogs

• Give birth once a year

• Breeding season ranges from mid-march to mid-April

• Activity and appetite is decreased in winter months

• All prairie dogs are only found in north America( 5 different species)

• Blacktail prairie dogs are only found in south Dakota (SD)

• Its name cynomys comes from 2 Greek words, kynos (means dog) and mys (means mouse)

• Latin for Lewis in honor of merriweather Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition in the early 1800’s because the species was collected for scientific study

• Prairie dogs have created tunnels to use as their home

Burrowing owls

• Use abandoned prairie dog tunnels

• Come out during the summer

Essential Questions

What two abiotic factors mostly affect the population or ecosystem?

What happens if this factor is removed? How will it affect the food web/chain?

Temperature plays a big factor in wind cave national park. It controls the population by controlling the time when the animals mate (mating season) because all animals try to find a mate for a period of time. Temperature kills animals of a heat stroke and other temperature related problems, such as frostbite. Temperature can kill organism in minutes.

Water plays a big part in the ecosystem. Floods can kill many animals and especially decreases the population of the prairie dogs (flood debris has been found, for example pine needles). Droughts have the potential to wipe out entire species of animals. Polluted water can kill animals (can make species threatened, endangered, or even extinct) and can be cleaner for a longer period of time if we as humans reduce our carbon footprint in the world. If water was removed and the animals could not find another water source, they would become extinct. If the temperature factor was removed the unknown will happen, it could be mildly hot, cold, or even comfortable.

Human Impact

We humans hurt the environment. We drive cars that give out carbon dioxide that can kill the animals if the pollutants get in the water sources or the air. It reduces the air quality which affects the animals and our breathing rate which will increase the heart rate if we can’t breathe, which will lead to unconsciousness then death. If we do not switch to a safer way of transportation soon it could lead to the end of live on earth, wind cave national park, other national parks, like I said if we don’t reduce our carbon footprint. It will not be good for the ozone, organisms or the future of this world. I cannot imagine life on another planet. In wind cave national park why is there the fire program and why not just make sure there is no fire and let the animal populations grow and let it sustain itself instead of slowly burning down parts of the park destroying the animal’s habitat. Let everything sustain itself and increase the national parks boundaries further so the animals have space to grow and keep revolutionizing to change the future of the world. The future of life on this planet depends on the choices that we make today; even the small everyday choices can make a difference in the future. Wind cave has in my opinion has a lot of flaws in the things they do, like the fire program I was telling you about earlier I don’t like it because it burns down the forest and destroys the animals home/habitat. Also the hunting in the park is unneeded and should be prohibited.

The ecosystem would not have any of the programs and problems they have now. If we build nothing within a 225 mile radius the perimeter of the park should be fine, fine from the chemicals and gases that can kill animals and humans. The smoke from factories also pollutes the water vapor in the clouds and when it rains it corrodes objects over time and can also help the Detrivores over time. But if that happens we are also making holes in the ozone.

Essential Questions (continued)

Essential Questions: Biotic organisms 1st Question

Prairie Dog- The prairie dog is only found in its native state of South Dakota. The prairie dog has been in this ecosystem since the beginning of Wind Cave National Park. The prairie dog’s role in the ecosystem is that it makes homes for the burrowing owl, and gets eaten by the black footed ferret, bobcats, golden eagles, coyotes, American badgers, red- tailed hawks, and more animals. If the Prairie Dog wasn’t in our ecosystem, the Burrowing Owl couldn’t use the abandoned Prairie Dog tunnels.

Black Footed Ferret- Like the Prairie Dog, the Black Footed Ferret is also native to the Wind Cave National park. The Black Footed Ferret is a carnivore. The Black Footed Ferret’s role in the food chain is to eat the Prairie Dog. Their strategy to get food is to hunt for Prairie Dogs and other animals at night. They are becoming endangered because they keep getting captured.

Essential Question: Biotic organisms 2nd Question

Prairie Dog-The Prairie Dog is native to our ecosystem Wind Cave National Park. The Prairie Dog has existed in our ecosystem since the creation of Wind Cave National Park.

Basic Information Slide 3

Location/Map Slide 4

Animals Slide 5/6

Essential questions Slide 7/8

Food Web Slide 9

Temperature Slide 10

Biotic Graph Slide 11

Credits Slide 12

food web

Temperatures

Biotic Graph

Credits

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-tailed_prairie_dog#Predators
• http://books.google.com/books?id=hfLFkf14LWMC&pg=PA116&lpg=PA116&dq=wind+cave+national+park+food+web&source=bl&ots=TiCJFHB8CQ&sig=UJVns4CFXrA6n6a15vRs74NryYM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=kCbhUu2mOIzNsQSM7oGIBg&ved=0CFQQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=wind%20cave%20national%20park%20food%20web&f=false
• http://www.nps.gov/wica/index.htm
• http://www.nps.gov/wica/historyculture/learning-about-the-park.htm
• http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/wind-cave-national-park/
• http://www.nps.gov/wica/naturescience/wind-cave-natural-history.htm
• http://factsofun.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/wind-cave-national-park-a-most-unusual-cave-and-wildlife-preserve/
• http://www.nationalparked.com/US/Wind_Cave/
• http://www.stateparks.com/wind_cave.html
• http://www.npca.org/parks/wind-cave-national-park.html?adwords=1&gclid=CLTutbupg7sCFUzxOgodzQsAmA
• http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/led-lighting-makes-for-sharp-cut-in-wind-cave-s/article_ad6883f2-a817-11df-8d65-001cc4c002e0.html
• http://www.outdoorplaces.com/Destination/USNP/sdwincav/
• http://www.nps.gov/wica/naturescience/animals.htm
• http://www.nps.gov/wica/historyculture/index.htm
• http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-wind-cave-national-park.htm
• http://www.nps.gov/wica/parknews/wind-cave-begins-night-hikes-in-search-of-ferrets.htm
• http://www.nationalparks.org/explore-parks/wind-cave-national-park
• http://www.nps.gov/wica/parkmgmt/wildlife-management-the-whole-park.htm
• http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=11495
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_Cave_National_Park
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_carbonate
• Accuweather
• http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=743993

Wind Cave National park

South Dakota