Article • Values Embodied in Geoheritage

Ecological Value

Scientist points out larvae living among river cobbles
Scientist points out larvae living among river cobbles in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

NPS photo by Brittni Medina.

Introduction

Four major systems—the geosphere (solid Earth), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (living organisms)—interact to create Earth’s ecosystems. Surficial geology is the interface with soil, water, and air that creates the diverse platform on which living things exist. Natural geologic heritage areas conserve not just the geologic foundation, but also places for ecosystem processes and change to occur. Conserving a variety of geologic heritage sites across an assortment of ecosystems maximizes natural area diversity. These intact ecosystems are more resilient and able to adapt to changes.

Ecological Value at a Glance


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  • Lichens of Southeast Utah

    • Sites: Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument
    scaly gray lichen growing on dark soil crust

    Those bright colors you may see on sandstone and biological soil crust are alive! Lichens grow in every size, shape, and color in Southeast Utah.

  • Denali National Park & Preserve

    An Ecological Overview of Denali National Park and Preserve

    forested landscape with snowy mountains in the distance

    A quick overview of the natural history that formed what we know today as Denali National Park - and glimpses at changes that might happen in the near and distant future.

  • Ecological Recovery After the 1912 Katmai Eruption as Documented Through Repeat Photography

    map of the Valley of 10,000 Smokes with dots marking locations of repeat photos

    The eruption of Novarupta in 1912 in Katmai National Park and Preserve was the largest in recent history and devastated a large mountainous and coastal region. In 2004, the National Park Service initiated an effort to acquire, relocate, and rephotograph some of these scenes as part of a larger effort to document changes in the landscape throughout the park lands of southwestern Alaska.

  • Understanding Moraine Formation Around Denali's Muldrow Glacier

    • Sites: Research Learning Centers, Denali National Park & Preserve
    man standing on a boulder

    To predict future impacts, scientists use clues about how geologic systems responded to past climate changes by examining glacial geologic records.

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Part of a series of articles titled Values Embodied in Geoheritage.

Previous: Cultural Value

Next: Economic Value

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Last updated: December 28, 2020