Transcript Badlands National Park - Brown

By: Bennett Gorbatoff
Badlands National Park,
South Dakota, USA
Badlands National Park
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People have been fascinated by the Badlands throughout
history.
Native American stories and legends recognize the
Badlands geology, landscape, and fossils.
Early Europeans, homesteaders, ranchers, and the state of
South Dakota also recognized the Badlands and wanted to
protect it.
The Badlands National Monument was established in 1939.
It was redesignated Badlands National Park on November
10, 1978.
There are over 200,000 acres of protected land within the
park consisting of spires, a grass prairie, eroded buttes, and
pinnacles.
The National Park Service manages the park.
The Oglala Lakota Tribe also helps manage some areas of
the park.
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The landscape is roughly half badlands geologic
formations and half mixed grass prairie ecosystem.
The Badlands geologic formations are made up of rugged
spires and deep canyons.
The mixed grass prairie ecosystem is alive with a variety
of plants and animals.
Scientists have found 39 mammal species, 9 reptile
species, 6 amphibian species, 206 bird species, and 69
butterfly species.
The park also contains fossil resources.
The White River Badlands contains the largest known
number of late Eocene and Oligocene mammal fossils.
Fossil research from the Badlands has given significant
information to the science of vertebrate paleontology in
North America.
Fossil Poaching
 A major concern at Badlands National Park.
 Park Rangers educate the public and visitors about
the importance of not taking fossils from the park.
Prairie Fires
 Have occurred naturally through lightening for
centuries.
 Native American used to start fires to move out
animals.
 In the 20th century, people started stopping fires.
 The Park now has an active fire management
program.
 Each year the park burns a set number of acres of
prairie. The prairies recover quickly, usually in 3 to 4
weeks.
Reintroduction of the Black-Footed Ferret
 Badlands National Park was selected as
one of the areas in the U.S. to reintroduce
the endangered black-footed ferret.
 Approximately 25 to 30 ferrets now live in
the Badlands.
 The wild born ferrets in the park are now
producing babies of their own.
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United States. National Park Service. "Badlands National Park (U.S. National Park Service)." National Parks
Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, 18 Nov. 2015. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
BasicPlanet. "Badlands National Park." Earth Facts and Information. Bioexpedition, 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
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