Relic Sites
by Gene Gade
THERE ARE SITES LIKE THIS
IN WYOMING THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY UNDISTURBED BY MAN, LIKE THIS ONE NEAR
THERMOPOLIS. THEY ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY REPRESENT A STANDARD FOR
COMPARISON BY WHICH WE CAN JUDGE THE HEALTH OF THE RANGELAND AND THE QUALITY OF
OUR MANAGEMENT.
WE’RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE IDEA OF STANDARDS AND MEASUREMENTS. IN THE BIBLICAL STORY, NOAH USED THE “CUBIT’ - THE DISTANCE FROM THE TIP OF HIS FINGERS TO HIS ELBOW- AS A UNIT OF LENGTH TO MEASURE HIS ARK. THE “FOOT” HAS BEEN A SIMILAR STANDARD FOR CENTURIES.
WE ALSO TAKE MEASUREMENTS OF HEALTHY PEOPLE SO, WHEN THEIR CONDITION CHANCES, WE CAN TELL HOW SICK THEY ARE.
WHEN SCIENTISTS AND MANAGERS WANT TO KNOW THE POTENTIAL OR CURRENT
CONDITION OF PIECE OF LAND OR A VEGETATION COMMUNITY, THEY FIRST LOOK FOR A STANDARD OF COMPARISION.
THEY TRY TO FIND AREAS SUCH AS THIS ONE THAT HAVE NOT BEEN DISTURBED BY HUMAN ACTIVITIES SUCH AS CULTIVATION OR LIVESTOCK GRAZING. WE CALL SUCH UNDISTURBED SITES, “RELIC AREAS”.
THE ASSUMPTIONS ARE THAT, IF AN AREA HAS NOT BEEN DISTURBED, IT WILL NATURALLY
HAVE THE KIND OF PLANT AND ANIMAL COMMUNITY THAT ITS PARTICULAR COMBINATION OF SOIL, CLIMATE AND LAND FORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING. ONCE WE HAVE THE RELIC AREA AS A STANDARD TO TELL US WHAT KIND OF LIFE FORMS AND PRODUCTIVITY TO EXPECT, WE CAN COMPARE IT TO SIMILAR SITES TO JUDGE THEIR HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY, AND THE QUALITY OF OUR MANAGEMENT.
I’M GENE GADE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE.