Ясинская Анастасия, ГПОАУ АО АПК, специальность 04.02.02

The flora and fauna of Mount Rushmore

Introduction:

The USA is a relatively young country but it has a rich history. The history of this country is  reflected  in monuments of architecture, culture, painting and music. There are also natural and historical monuments. One of them is mount Rushmore, where the  first 150 years of U.S. history is carved on the stone. It is a protected area with rich and various nature. And that's why it was decided to take this place of interest  as the object of study.

The Object of study is

The mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

The Subject of the study is

Historical monuments, flora and fauna of mount Rushmore.

The Purpose of the work are:

To study mount Rushmore in South Dakota as a historical monument and natural protected area.

The tasks of the work are:

To analyze the literature on the topic  under discussion.

Identify and describe historical places of mount Rushmore.

To study the flora and fauna of the national Park - mount     Rushmore.

History

Mount Rushmore is a huge monument, not only a natural area, but also a work of art and engineering. Giant busts of presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are carved on the mount. The  Historian Doane Robinson shared his idea with the sculptor Borglum Hudson, the famous Creator of the carved images on the stone.

Borglum began his work in 1927 and continued for 14 years until his death.

Why should they?

George Washington (1732-1799, the first President) led the struggle in the American colonies achieved independence from Great Britain. Becoming the founder of a new country, he laid the foundations of American democracy.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826, 3rd President) was the author of the Declaration of independence.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865, 16th President) kept the unity of the state during the greatest trials of the civil war.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919, 26th President) played an important role in the construction of the Panama canal. He provided the rights of the working class.

Some facts

Mount Rushmore, consists of a smooth, fine-grained granite

The leaders, carved into facing the South-East rock, and so well-lit throughout the day.

Park Mount Rushmore covers more than 5 square miles of mountainous terrain.

The height of the mountain is 18.6 meters.

Tourism

Every year about 3 million tourists visit the memorial. They come to admire the beauty of the black hills. Most of the Park is open for climbing. It is internationally known center of sport climbing.

Flora of the mountain

Around the monument from coniferous trees grow mainly pine. Brown oak, fir, and poplar trihedral. Nine species of shrubs grow near mount Rushmore. There is also a large variety of flowers, including snapdragons, sunflowers. At higher elevations, the plants grow less.

Blue flax is one of the most common flowers found at mount Rushmore in late spring and early summer.

Fauna of the mountain

Bald Eagle and a hawk flying around mount Rushmore. Smaller birds, including songbirds, nuthatches, and woodpeckers, inhabit the surrounding pine forests. Terrestrial mammals include the mouse, American ferret, Chipmunk, red squirrel, Skunk, Cougars, porcupine, Raccoon, beaver, badger, American wolf, moose, different species of deer, pronghorn, sheep, red lynx, elk, mule deer, Groundhog with a yellow belly and American bison. The Western frog and the Northern leopard frog striped frog also inhabits the area. In addition, several species of snakes inhabit the region. In the streams of the Memorial, there are roach and trout. Snow goats here are very rare.

American ferret teeters on the brink of extinction. In fact, a member of the weasel family, literally died and rose again. The species was declared extinct in the wild, and then were successfully recovered in South Dakota. Today there are more than 1000 species of American weasels.

Geography

Climate

South Dakota has a continental climate with long cold winters and short summers. This arid region. The two most humid months of the year - may and June. In addition, there are short but heavy thunderstorm occurring during the summer.

Save

The silicone maintains the monument. In 1998, it was found an electronic device to track movement in the topology of the sculpture.

Fires

Based on the study of tree rings, it was determined that forest fires occur on mount Rushmore around every 27 years. Large fires do not occur often.

Conclusion:

In the course of his study I described the historical figures who are carved in the mountain, analyzed their contribution to the development of the country. Studied the flora and fauna of the national Park Black Hills, and allocated protected or rare species of animals and plants.

A list of information used

1. Гора Рашмор – Скала президентов в США. Режим доступа: http://paikea.ru/usa-mount-rushmore/

2. Гора Рашмор. Президенты на горе Рашмор. http://fb.ru/article/145819/gora-rashmor-prezidentyi-na-gore-rashmor

3. Гора Рашмор (Mount Rushmore). Режим доступа: http://www.americansights.ru/american-sights/rushmore-mount