Change in a petrified forest and implications towards management |
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Authors: | James Wilbur Katherine Hansen |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, 59717 Bozeman, Montana, USA |
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Abstract: | The Gallatin Petrified Forest of Montana, USA, is a unique resource. The extensive area of the fossil forests, the numerous
petrified trees in upright positions, and the large number of vertical layers of “successive” forests are unparalleled in
the world. Collection by permit is permitted, but damage to the petrified forest by indiscriminate collection occurs. To assess
the impact, a comparative examination of replicate (over 13 yr) photography of selected specimens was undertaken. The amount
of change over time, the possible cause of change, and the relationship of the location of the specimen to that amount of
change were determined. It was found that although considerable loss continues, impacts prior to a 1973 collection policy
were most severe. There was more loss by natural erosion than by collection, but the collections are additive to the natural
changes. Size of petrified outcrops and the steepness of the slope on which they were found did correlate with the amount
of natural change occurring over time. Human-induced change was associated with the distance of the outcrops from the main
trailheads and the specimen size. This method provides a tool with which to monitor impacts and develop a future policy aimed
towards conservation of a unique resource in light of the need for appreciative recreation and some specimen collection. Recommended
changes in present management policy are provided. |
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Keywords: | Petrified forest Conservation Sustainable development |
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