Yosemite National Park, California

Location State and Region (formal and informal)

Physical Characteristics Park borders (area) Size of the park (acres) Climate Landforms Vegetation Wildlife

Located in California and region is in mountains

Size: The size of the park is 747,956 acres. Climate: In the summer, the climate in the day is about 90 degrees in Yosemite Valley. In Wawona in the 70s in Tuolumne Meadows. At night in Yosemite is 50. Tuolumne at night is 30s. Average precipitation: 37.2 inches. Average snowfall: 29 inches Landforms: The Yosemite is comprised of igneous rocks. Granite also dominates the Yosemite. Vegetation: chamise, ceanothus, manzanita, blue oak, interior live oak, and gray pine,California black oak, ponderosa pine, incense-cedar, and white fir. Wildlife: 400 species of vertebrates including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Sierra Nevada Fox, black bear, acorn woodpecker, a California ground squirrel, a bobcat, or a Western fence lizard, golden-mantled ground squirrel, chickaree, marten, Steller's jay, hermit thrush, and northern goshawk. Visitors: 4 million visitors Most popular visitor sites: El Capitan, North Dome, Sentinel Rock History of Development: The Ahwahneechee lived in the Yosemite for generations. The Europeans then came in the 1800's. The rugged terrain challenged the travelers. In 1907, the construction of Yosemite Valley Railroad occurred, which increased visitation. Today, 3.5 million people enter the park to explore. Changes in landscape over time: Sierra Nevada formed by the uplift and tilt of the earth's crust, which created range of Sierra Nevada. Sierra Nevada risen high enough for glaciers and a mountain icefield to form periodically along the range crest.

HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS Visitors per year Most popular visitor sites History of development (movement) Changes in landscape over time (human-environment interaction)