GEOG 3950: Geography and Ecology of the Colorado Plateau Autumn Interterm 2019

Prof Don Sullivan Office: 233 Boettcher West Phone: 303-871-3043 (office); 720-955-4151 (cell) Labs: 160 Olin Hall (303-871-4082) 17 Boettcher West (303-871-2832)

GEOG 3950: Geography and Ecology of the Colorado Plateau is an autumn Interterm course that focuses on the physical geography, geology, vegetation, and ecology of the arid Colorado Plateau. This region, stretching from western Colorado into central Utah is a land of stark geological phenomena, national parks, and desert climate conditions. The red rock country of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks will figure prominently in discussions of the ecology and geology of the region.

This is a travel course. We will camp on Forest Service land and in National Parks. We will do our own cooking in camp.

Be aware that we will be working at elevations of 10,000-11,000 feet on Grand Mesa, so you should be prepared for cool weather. At the other extreme, when at lower elevations daytime temperatures will be quite warm, evenings will almost certainly be quite a bit cooler.

The course will begin on Monday, August 19 in room 16 Boettcher West at 9:00 am. We will meet for about 3 hours for classroom discussion, and to organize field and camping equipment and load up the vans. At 12:00 noon we will depart for the field; during the afternoon, we will begin our field exercises. We will return to Denver late in the afternoon of August 28.

The Colorado Plateau is a region of mesas, buttes, and rivers. Drained by the Colorado and Green Rivers and their tributaries, rivers have carved deep canyons through the flat- lying sedimentary rocks, exposing more than a half million years of geologic history. The rock layers tell a story of the environmental and tectonic history of the region. Evidence of Native American occupation of the area can be found in the enigmatic petroglyphs, some of which we will visit.

Rising above the desert lowlands are the La Sal Mountains of eastern Utah and Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flat-topped mountain. Vegetation in the region ranges from the desert shrubs and cacti around Grand Junction, Colorado and Moab, Utah to the pine forests of the La Sal Mountains and the spruce-fir forests of Grand Mesa. The Grand Mesa has been the site of research by Professor Sullivan and his students. They have cored many of the lakes and wetlands on the mesa and have used the sediments from those sites to study climate and vegetation changes over the last 25,000 years.

Readings

Required text: Naturalist’s Guide to Canyon Country, David Williams and Gloria Brown, 2013, Canyonlands Natural History Association.

Course readings will include additional basic introductory material on the geology, cultural history, and environmental history of the region provided by the instructor.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to discuss the geologic history of the Colorado Plateau and the Rocky Mountains, and identify specific geologic formations that illustrate that history.

• Students will be able to identify and distinguish between the dominant and most common vegetation types in the region.

• Students will be able to identify the most common plant species in the region.

• Students will be able to identify and discuss several lines of scientific enquiry used to reconstruct past environmental change.

• Students will develop an understanding of the impacts of past climate and environmental change on the environment of the Colorado Plateau.

• Students will be able to distinguish between qualitative, quantitative, and anecdotal forms of analysis and evidence, and demonstrate skills for interpreting quantitative information.

• My primary goal for this class is to create an engaging, inclusive, and stimulating learning environment that will foster your interest in the material we will discuss. I will try to incorporate a variety of approaches to accommodate different learning styles, and I encourage you to talk with me if you have comments or suggestions to improve your experience in this class.

• Please note that in accordance with University of Denver policy there is a zero tolerance policy with regard to drugs and/or alcohol for the duration of this course.

Evaluation Evaluation will consist of a map quiz, a final exam, and class participation.

During this class we will be traveling through western Colorado and Eastern Utah. Your ability to put the various locations that we will visit into a spatial context will greatly increase your understanding of the topics we will discuss and your enjoyment of the class. With this in mind, I will provide you with a map of the area and a list of places you should be able to locate on the map. The map quiz will account for 15% of the final grade.

The final exam will be given before we depart for Denver on the last day of class and will cover material discussed during the class. The format of the final examination will include multiple choice questions and short essays, as well as a section on plant and rock identification. The final exam will account for 75% of the final grade.

Class participation, including participation in discussions and group exercises, and contribution to group camp activities, will count for 10% of the final grade.

Class Schedule: Mon, 8/19 meet at 9:00 am in 16 Boettcher West for classroom session; pack vehicles with field equipment; depart for Grand Mesa; camp on Grand Mesa Tues, 8/20 visit to Colorado National Monument; geology of the Colorado Plateau; introduction to the vegetation of the region; plant adaptations to desert environments; drive through Unaweep Canyon Wed, 8/21 introduction to the geography and biogeography of Grand mesa; visits to several lakes and wetlands to discuss research into past environmental changes (the last 25,000 years) Thurs, 8/22 drive to Dewey Bridge BLM campsite with stops at Rabbit Valley, Cisco, and Dewey Bridge; the Entrada Sandstone; cryptobiotic crusts; camp near Dewey Bridge Fri, 8/23 Professor Valley and the Fischer Towers; La Sal Mountains and laccoliths; Fischer Towers overlook; stream capture Sat, 8/24 drive to Moab, Utah; stops in the Colorado River valley; petroglyphs; camp at Moab KOA Sun, 8/25 Arches National Park; Double O Arch hike; visitor center; arch formation; Moab Fault Mon, 8/26 return to Arches National Park; Park Avenue hike; Dead Horse Point; camp at Canyonlands National Park Tues, 8/27 Canyonlands National Park; visitor center; Mesa Arch; Upheaval Dome; Confluence Butte hike Wed, 8/28 Thompson Springs petroglyphs; return to Denver

Things to Bring: Below is a list of things to bring on the field trip. We will be camping, and preparing most of our food in camp. Cooking utensils, stoves, eating utensils, etc. will be provided. Tent, sleeping bag, insulite pad; if you don’t have a tent, we can probably supply one Long sleeve shirts, sweater, cool weather jacket Long pants Hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen towel (?) Flashlight/headlamp—be sure you have at least one Hand lens, binoculars, if you have them Hiking boots or sturdy shoes, socks Tevas/Chacos, or other sandals Poncho (optional) shorts Water bottle or two insect repellent phone/camera If you are lacking any of the camping gear listed above, let me know. I may have some spare equipment you can use.