The Arches National Park Flashcards
Where is The Arches National Park situated?
It is situated on The Colorado Plateau which is in South East UTAH (USA).
What area does the park cover?
300km2
What is the average rainfall per year?
230mm per year
What are the temperatures like in the Summer months?
Over 40 degrees celsius
What is the dominant rock type?
Entrada Sandstone
Describe the altitude…
Up to 1700m (flat but elevated)
Describe the vegetation…
Sparse vegetation (but includes dwarf pinyon pine and juniper)
Why is it a popular tourist destination?
It is has the highest concentration of natural stone arches in the world (over 2000).
Name 3 of the popular arches in the park…
Delicate arch, double arch, landscape arch, the organ arch, the windows.
What are the opportunities?
1) hot weather (exceeding 40 degrees celsius)
2) dry (less than 230mm per year)
3) not many people
4) natural, unique landscape
5) animals such as the fennel fox
6) close by to California and Vegas (people are mobile and can travel)
7) Close by to other national parks
Name 2 other national parks which are closely…
Canyonlands national park and monument valley national park
Name a local settlement which benefits massively from tourism…
Moab
Problem: elaborate on trampling
Tourists may trample on (hiking, biking+driving) and damage fragile cryptobiotic crust (easily damaged as is quickly taken away by wind, rain and deflation). Exceeds environmental carrying capacity.
Problem: elaborate on overcrowding
Overcrowding for the size of the area, there aren’t actually that many people but it exceeds the perceptual carrying capacity. i.e. more people than you expected there to be.
Problem: elaborate on air pollution
Most people travel by car so there are lots of carbon dioxide emissions (greenhouse effect and global warming). Often tourists drive slowly to take in the numerous sandstone arches. Carbon dioxide reacts with water to produce weak carbonic acid therefore accelerated acid rain erosion of sandstone.
How does the “national park” status ensure sustainability?
It ensures that tourism is carefully managed and ensures that the park is used purely for recreation and not work.
Management: elaborate on entry permit scheme
You have to pay and entry fee and the parks are zoned according to the carrying capacity of the area (fewer people are allowed to areas which are ecologically delicate.)
Management: elaborate on negative planning policy
There is only 60km of tarmac road within the whole park. Visitors are not allowed to drive off road, tourist facilities and the ranger service are concentrated in the less delicate parts of the park. Parking is also only allowed is designated parking bays and not on the side of the roads.
Management: elaborate on rangers
Local people are employed as rangers (so this creates employment for residents of local settlements such as Moab). The rangers help to police tourism within the park.
Management: elaborate on permanent settlements
There are no permanent settlements within the park due to strict planning regulations, so there are no hotels. People wishing to stay over, stay in the designated ‘Devil’s Garden campsite.’
