Wasatch and Uinta montane forests
The Wasatch and Uinta montane forests are located in the eastern region of the Great Basin in the western United States, characterized by their towering peaks exceeding 12,000 feet (3,600 meters). This unique ecoregion stretches from southwestern Wyoming to the Colorado Plateau in southern Utah, encompassing both the Wasatch Mountain Range, which serves as a backdrop to urban areas like Salt Lake City, and the Uinta Mountains, known for their distinct east-west orientation and geological features shaped by millions of years of uplift and glaciation. The forests consist mainly of various conifer species, which thrive in different soil types and altitudes, creating rich biodiversity that includes large mammals like elk and bighorn sheep, as well as diverse bird and amphibian populations.
However, these montane forests face significant challenges due to human activities, including logging, mining, and recreational use, which have led to habitat degradation and altered ecosystems. Historical impacts date back to Native American tribes and European settlers, with increased resource extraction and development further stressing the environment. The forests are not only critical for their ecological value but also serve as recreational spaces for outdoor enthusiasts, particularly in winter sports. Ongoing conservation efforts are essential to mitigate the effects of climate change, invasive species, and past practices, aiming to sustain the health and biodiversity of this vital region for future generations.
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Wasatch and Uinta montane forests
Category: Forest Biomes.
Geographic Location: North America.
Summary: The coniferous montane forests of the Wasatch and Uinta mountain ranges are valuable resources threatened by wildfires, beetle infestation, and invasive plant species.
At the eastern edge of the Great Basin in the western United States, the Wasatch and Uinta Mountain ranges begin their dramatic ascent to elevations over 12,000 feet (3,600 meters). Beneath their peaks lies a deep green conifer forest, part of a unique ecoregion that stretches from the far corner of southwestern Wyoming to the Colorado plateau in southern Utah. The Wasatch and Uinta Montane Forests biome includes both the Wasatch Mountains, which form the backdrop for the Ogden, Salt Lake City, and Provo, Utah metropolitan areas, and the Uintas, the highest east-west oriented range in the contiguous United States.
Though inaccessibility and conservation efforts have preserved pockets of undisturbed habitat throughout the region, most of the area has been impacted over the years by logging, mining, livestock grazing, and recreational use. As a consequence, forest plant communities have been compromised, resulting in degradation of plant and animal habitat.
One hundred miles east of Salt Lake City, the treeless peaks of the Uinta Mountains rise 11,000–13,500 feet (3,400–4,100 meters) into rarefied air. Consisting of quartzite, shale, and slate, these broad, flat monoliths are the products of 70 million years of geological uplift and glaciation.
The Wasatch and Uintas are bordered by the Great Basin Desert to the west, and because they are also in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada range—much further to the west—they are more arid than the rest of the Rockies. They receive less than 20 inches (50 centimeters) of precipitation per year. The higher peaks, however, receive a great deal of dry snow.
Biodiversity
Different species of conifers grow depending on varying soil types—in this case, either limestone or quartzite. Douglas fir thrives in limestone soils, while regions with quartzite support forests of lodgepole pine. Altitude is also a factor. Ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine have a range of about 8,000–9,000 feet (2,440–2,900 meters), while Engelmann spruce is only found over 10,400 feet (3,170 meters).
The Wasatch Range is generally steeper, more rugged, and not quite as dry as the Uintas; however, these mountains are not as high in elevation. Similar to the Uinta mountains, the canyons and passes of the Wasatch support coniferous forests of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, and trembling aspen. Gambel oak also grows over a wide area.
Wildlife is abundant and diverse in the Wasatch and Uinta montane forests. Large mammals include elk, mule deer, pronghorn, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, fox, badger, coyote, black bear, and mountain lion. Ground squirrel, woodchuck, marmot, hare, jackrabbit, and other small mammals species can be found here as well. Beaver and otters inhabit areas near streams and rivers.
Bald and golden eagles, the great horned owl, falcon, kestrel, and more than 100 additional bird species inhabit these mountain ranges. There are also at least seven amphibian and 14 reptilian species that have been identified.
Human Impact
Native people first lived in and around the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains around 12,000 years ago. The indigenous Ute, or Uintah, people lived mainly in the lower hills and plains, but hunted and gathered food in the forested uplands in warmer seasons.
By the early 1800s, European explorers and trappers were crossing the plains to the mountains of Wyoming and Utah. Fur trading companies held gatherings just north of the Uinta Mountains, where trappers could trade beaver and fox pelts for supplies and gold. Individual explorers and small groups of traders made little impact on the surrounding ecosystem; however, this would soon change.
In 1846–47, Mormon emigrants traveled to the Salt Lake Valley on the Mormon Trail, which led them through the forested canyons of the Wasatch. In 1849, gold was discovered in California, and a steady stream of settlers passed through Utah to find their fortunes in the west. When the gold rush ended, some miners returned to the mountains of Utah. Construction of silver and gold mines in Little Cottonwood Canyon and Park City required vast quantities of timber from the Wasatch and Uinta mountains.
When the transcontinental railroad reached Utah in 1868–69, demand for lumber grew yet again. Loggers cleared the north slope of the Unitas for railroad ties, leaving nothing but acres (hectares) of stumps. As branch railroad tracks and roads spread their web over northern Utah, more of the Wasatch and Uinta forests disappeared. Grasslands replaced trees, and ranchers began grazing their cattle and sheep on the logged slopes.
The snow that falls in the mountains of Utah is some of the driest in the country—perfect for skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling. By 1940, ski enthusiasts began clearing the forests for ski runs, but the now well-known ski resorts did not impact forest ecology until the 1970s. By 2020, there were fifteen multi-sport resorts in Utah, most of them within an hour of Salt Lake City.
There are several factors in the ongoing decline of forest health in the Wasatch and Uinta montane forests. Past logging and grazing practices have contributed to forests that are extremely dense, with large areas of woody debris that provide volatile fuel for wildfires. The density of the forest stresses individual trees, causing them to compete for soil and water. Global warming may also be adding stress, as warmer conditions accelerate evapotranspiration and open the door to in insect assault. As a result, the forest becomes susceptible to bark beetle infestation. Invasive species of weeds are also a problem. These factors combine to reduce biodiversity, alter wildlife habitats, and damage critical watersheds.
More people live adjacent to and enjoy the forests of the Wasatch and Uinta mountains than ever before. Increased development, especially adjacent to ski resorts, impacts the remaining fragmented habitat areas. Proactive forest management that embraces the use of conservation practices and treatments, such as controlled burning and thinning, can improve and preserve the health of this essential forest ecoregion for future generations.
Bibliography
Jag, Julie. “Utah’s Ski Resorts Really Did See More Skiers and Snowboarders Last Season.” The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 June 2021, www.sltrib.com/sports/2021/06/15/utahs-ski-resorts-really/. Accessed 18 Aug. 2022.
Elias, Scott. Rocky Mountains. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2001.
Stokes, William Lee. Geology of Utah. Salt Lake City: Utah Museum of Natural History, 1986.
Surhone, Lambert M., Mariam T. Tennoe (ed.), and Susan F. Henssonow (ed.). Wasatch and Uinta Montane Forests. Saarbrucken, Germany: Betascript Publishing, 2010.
Veranth, John. Hiking the Wasatch. Salt Lake City, UT: Wasatch Publishers, 1991.