Saguaro National Park Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Saguaro National Park - Research Paper Example The Northern part of the State’s claim to fame is that of the Grand Canyon, the most recognizable Wonder of the World; the White Mountains’ sprawling ranges are peppered with vast stands of Ponderosa Pines, historic Western towns, and ski resorts. Additionally, Monument Valley, which stirs up awe in anyone who crosses it, has appeared in several films; and boating enthusiasts from different parts of the State frequent Arizona’s Lake Powell (Joyce, 2). Moreover, of great significance is Saguaro National Park, formerly Saguaro National Monument, which is the focus of this paper. History of Saguaro National Park Saguaro National Parkis made of 91,327 acres and is made up of two separate sections namely the Rincon Mountain District (Saguaro East) and the Tucson Mountain District (Saguaro West) (Shannontech.com, 1). The significance of this national park lies in the rich Sonoran Desert’s diversity life found within a framework of prehistoric and historic human occupation (Colostate.edu, 13). Historically, Saguaro has evidently had human habitation for as long as twelve thousand years ago. During that time, the region was much wetter as opposed to the way it presently is. It supported habitation by such animals as the bison, mammoth, among other mammals. The Hohokam people settled in Saguaro roughly 2300 years ago and they had learned to carry out agriculture by 700 AD. For many centuries, these people thrived in the Santa Cruz Valley (where Tucson is presently situated) but in the fifteenth century, they vanished (Shannontech.com, 3). Saguaro national park became a national monument in the year 1933 following a presidential proclamation by Herbert Hoover. It became the first monument reserved to protect a plant species. In 1959, there was need for extra effort to prevent people from exploring the opening part of the park's area for copper. Towards the end of the year 1961, President Kennedy signed a bill that expanded the monument by adding Tucson Mountain district’s 15,360 acres to the monument. Later, twenty-one thousand more acres were added to this district. In October 1994, following a bill signed by President Bill Clinton, Saguaro National Park was established as the United States’ 52nd national park (Shannontech.com, 6 & Uhler, 1). Plants Although Saguaro National Park is situated within a desert, there is a profusion of life. The park has magnificent examples of Sonoran Desert ecosystem that include various desert plants, as well as the renowned saguaro cactus, an American Southwest symbol (Shannontech.com, 1). Braun explains that plants foun d in this park vary from desert vegetation such as cacti, creosote and ocotillo in the lower elevations to Douglas-fir oak, and ponderosa pine in Rincon Mountains’ upper elevations (10). Plants that grow in Saguaro National Park are adapted to drought in such a way that they go dormant to conserve their water in periods of long dry seasons. Many plants seem lifeless during these periods but they are capable of coming to life budding new green leaves soon after a rainfall. For instance, a plant called ocotillo transforms from what was seemingly a handful of lifeless sticks into a sunny shrub with its branches tall and green within only forty-eight hours following a rainfall (Nps.gov, 1). Uhler explains that the saguaro cactus has been portrayed as the king of the Sonoran Desert, as a plant with personality, as the supreme symbol of the American Southwest, and as a prickly horror. It is famous for the variety of odd, with the shapes that it assumes inspiring fanciful and wild i maginings and some assuming all too human shapes. At times, giant saguaro cacti attain a height of 50 feet. These plants are unique to the Sonoran Desert.