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<br />Natural Resources ofRM.B.L.
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<br />.."lle Gu nnison R lver n asin, wb ieh (':n-clu:scs Rocky Moun-
<br />lain Biological J~.lb()ratory, is a distinctive noral and faunal
<br />region, Ilcrc, pa~l glacial aCllon, prrsenl we-ather and
<br />dn" i nagc patterns, a nd a ltiwd i n.a 1 va rial ion a TC inwra-cting
<br />to pToducc uunsu...l, infonnative behavior <tnt[ distributions.
<br />of animal tlnd plant populalions_ Clas.'i-icallifc 7.om::,'j; ranging
<br />from SOl1Ol.an to Alpine arc found within lhe- ]lasin~ a:s w~lI
<br />as many s.utH]ividing and hlendin!; -community type.<j; rccog-
<br />nI7,'" h Ie a mong or with i n t h-c~ zones.
<br />l)-attcTlls of O!:::c~urr('nc(' of urganisms vmy willdy. Many
<br />rdic I poplllal ions; of more nort hedy plants and anima Is a l'e
<br />known from the Hasin. Some spede.... m::nlf over a wide vari-
<br />ely of IOGII habilat:s.. For c-xampl~, the -common ycnow~
<br />nnwcrcd !itonc(:rop plant. Sed!im lat!ceolahm~, can he
<br />found in the Basin fmm as low as 7,500' e1evalion to ] 3,000'
<br />or m orc, :spa nnill,f{ seve-rOIl Ii r C 1_ones in a va riety of dry pi ant
<br />-communilics. AppClTcnlly, a~ long as. cert3in fundamental
<br />r~quh("mcnt:':i. perhaps of drainage. soil chemistry, and cx-
<br />po:s.tlre, arc 11 lel, this p lanl can easi Iy adapt lo 01 her loca I
<br />condi I in mi. of tClll pc ral n roe. 1)1 a n l neigh bon;. and so forth.
<br />.['he mechanisms nf this adaplahility, e.lfefuHy :Studied,
<br />In igh t P rove of Rcncral in lcreSl. ] n 01 her .f:a,'\Cs., sc ric-s of
<br />-closely ..dated furms aplwar to parli~iuu tlH~ available en-
<br />'II]. 'fon mcnt as a mea n:s. of <l void lug cmullc li lion> M.. ny i nsc-cl
<br />W"Olll~. fnl" r"x.lmpl(', an' n~p..cscntec. in the (;unnisOlI Basin
<br />hy ;S.ev~~ral spt'des, which split up the -<tva.l.llllc habitat with
<br />T("SPCct tu specific t{'mpcrature arlaptotlions. host plant spc-c-
<br />ia H:r,a l-tons, UT time of adult ac livll y du rlllg: the Sl1mmer,
<br />SUell p~H{"rmj; nf dislributiou Ilold out oppor[unities fur
<br />n'vc3ling :study. The entin' Basin i:s rcmarkahlc- as. a "uatlll".
<br />al laboratory" for study of oTgani,';;'ffis suhjc(:[rd to a wide
<br />va r icty of pllysl tal and hiologic..l j II (lu-cm:('S_
<br />Wi. hill the n.....in. lhere aTe many spcdal1y protC'-ctcd
<br />undislurbcd arcas availahle fOT slmly. Notably, RMUL is
<br />l he ca Tela kn nf I he- N at n rc Con:'iil'Tva ncy 's Mcxie", n Cu l
<br />R ('s~a rch Pn'sC'I V(' for su lwlpi nt': {>col ngy, ..'h~:;jj a rea of -120
<br />aefes, <lit an ahilwh~ of 11,000 to 12,r>OO f("~~l on Galena
<br />Mouutain, a few mill's nOrlh""cst of the I.ahoratory'.r;; town-
<br />sit c at Got h ie, is rcmaTk a h Ie in i lS pr('>~t~ ~ va lion of ~ n ('Ill i rc
<br />high mont aue wa1l~ rs lwd. IlcT(', <'igll tcen ma jnl" ponds, wi t h
<br />widely differing physil'al .and hiotic charactcris;ltr.s. -consti-
<br />lute a polcnt resource r or fresh - \Y atcr ecologi-t-al :st ud i('~...
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<br />Abol.'(' .. - Thf' R Mil l. t-o-wmi!('- is j 11 IlK" V.il Uey uf tlw t":;i~. Hhw, ell rmimn
<br />C.onnt)', Golor<ldo. Sf:~.('l.at of !he- 111;:11111 rrnn munil Irs l'fC'i('lll <II l he-- r ,..hm-~.
<br />lOry ;1IJ(' -cvid("m bnl', nota bty willow :and ~r" II'." ;ii",-wr i atiQlls in t 11.... f1 m~-.
<br />ground, rt'Soll.legfillMland i'lIl1d "~I>ellgrol't'''' OLllhe rOlr slnjx'.
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<br />Re!-ow m Th~ pika, Oor:h-Otmt.rl pdnaJu, is a fn:~lWIH (('<oi.leU[ or l1i~h m(JollIl.
<br />tfl in rockslidNi~ :a f10d ;~ a f<L~.0l iH~ ~lihjC("l or d..s-'5- fit>ld ob~n';II1 roll a~ ",.dl as all
<br />intcreMin,K locus or r<':SC<I wh.
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