A Paleoecological Approach Ary, Research Should Consider the Resources Outside of the Park
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RANGER: THE JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL PARK RANGERS -- are not within the monument. Since the fossil record does not end at the park bound- A Paleoecological Approach ary, research should consider the resources outside of the park. In 1994, The Morrison Formation Ex- ?lib Managing Paleontological Resources tinct Ecosystem Project, was initiated as a multidisciplinary endeavor designed to de- By Vincent L. Santucci to define the natural boundaries. Research- termine the nature, distribution, and evolu- Fossil Butte National Monument ers and resource managers are cognizant tion ofancient ecosystems that existed in the that ecological boundaries do not generally Western Interior ofthe United States during coincide with adminstrative boundaries (i.e., the Late Jurassic. A team ofspecialists were rangesofbison, grizzlies. or wolves existing assembled to gain a more con~pletepicture within and around Yellowstone). ofthe Morrison ecosystem. Isotopic dating, Ecosystems are dynamic entities and regional tectonics, and trace fossil analysis been collected from the field. Appropriate evolve over time. The interrelationships were some of the lines of evidence used to field collecting techniques combined with between organisms and the changing envi- interpret the ancient climate and changes in detailed field data acquisition are essential ronment will be continually redefined. A the paleohydrology. in the science of paleontology. Museums paleoecological perspective incorporates a The value ofa multidisciplinary approach. around the world contain fossils that pos- temporal component to understanding eco- one that goes beyond park boundaries, pro- sess inadequate data. Past collecting habits systems. The paleoecological perspective vides greater opportunities for interpreting have generated cabinets full of fossils that provides an opportunity to assess the factors ancient landscapes to the public. Part of the lack important scientific information. At- related to temporal changes such as climatic responsibility within the National Park Ser- tempts to reconstruct missing information trends or extinction events. vice is to provide the highest level of scien- can result in conlpromising the scientific There is some value in viewing ecosys- tific understanding to the park visitor. Pre- integrity of the data. A holisitic and multi- tems from a dual-uniformitarian perspec- senting a broad perspective of the ancient disciplinary approach to managing paleon- tive. This view recognizes that the "present setting can often be a very effective means tological resources provides the greatest is the key to the past" and that the "past is the of interpreting paleontological resources to opportunities to interpret the ancient land- key to the future." Our ability to best under- the park visitor. -I scape. Paleontologists interested in conduct- stand our universe, from the limited slice in ing research within National Park Service time we occupy, is enhanced by any knowl- areas should employ holistic strategies as edge gained from the past. Vince Santucci currently is serving as chief part of their field collection of fossils and A multidisciplinary approach to under- ranger at Fossil Butte National Monument. the associated geological and paleoecologi- standing past ecosystems is the recom- Most of his career has been spent in the field of paleontology. cal data. mended approach to managing paleonto- As new methods and technolo,'ales re- logical resources. Research collecting should shape the paleontologist's approach to ex- look beyond the fossilized floral and faunal cavating fossilized remains. the ability to specimens. All paleontological resource assimilate new levels of information in- collecting should require that researchers creases. In some cases, "conservation pale- obtain any associated geologic or ontology" or preserving fossils in sit11is the paleoecologic data. This associated infor- preferred resource management decision. mation can enable greater levels of interpre- This strategy is based upon the assumption tation of ancient sedimentary environments, that future technology may be able to extract past climates, historical biogeography of greater amounts of information from the paleospecies and other information. paleontological resources. Just as modem ecosystems don't end at A paleoecological approach to managing park boundaries. likewise, paleoecosystems non-renewable paleontological resources is extend beyond these same geographic bound- a holistic strategy for research and field aries. Fossil Butte preserves approximately collection. The study of paleoecology, like 8.000 acres of ancient Fossil Lake. Within modem ecology, considers the relationships the park boundaries are important expo- between organisms and the environment. sures of the deep water portion of the fossil- Thus ecosystems and paleoecosystems are iferous Green River Formation. Fossil rich defined by both biological andphysical com- deposits representing near shore and shal- ponents. In our efforts to define an ecosys- low water segments of the lake, which pre- tem. or even a paleoecosystem. we attempt serve a different assemblage of organisms, RANGER: F..ILL I +J', ANGER R - The Journal or the Association or National Park Rangers Vol. XV, No. 4 Fall 1999 Environmental Excellence! The Challenge of the 21 st Century .