Like many other United States National Parks, Badlands is unique unto itself with physical attributes that when they are seen one knows it is Badlands National Park. Located in an area rich with history, the Badlands was created and founded as a national monument in 1939 by President Roosevelt before officially becoming a national park in 1978 (Steiner, 1993). The landscape of buttes, ravines, and hills found in the midst of the prairie of Southwestern South Dakota influenced the Lakota Sioux to call the area, ‘mako sica’ or ‘badlands’ (“South Dakota Legends,” 2003). The Sioux Pine Ridge reservation lies on the southern border of the national park, allowing the Sioux access to lands they consider sacred (Discover America, 2009).
Ecosystems:
There are 2 ecosystems found within the Badlands National Park; the badlands (Steiner, 1993) and the mixed-grass prairie {Prairies and Grasslands, n.d.). The badlands is a relatively arid area of land, dominated by geological formations that inspire its descriptive name. The inhospitality of this area supports a few species of mammals, in particular, big horn sheep. The Audobon sheep were once a dominant species but over hunting drove them to extinction in 1929 (Leman, n.d.). Today Rocky Mountain bighorn have seen their population in the area grow since their introduction in the 1960s (Leman, n.d.). Additionally, various mule deer can be found in the hills and ravines of the badlands ecosystem as well as the mixed grass prairie (Steiner, 1993). Sod tables, hardened areas of the prairie that once dominated the area and have resisted erosion provide a home to short grasses or steppes that lie within the vast rock dominated landscape of the badlands region (Stoffer, 2003). The mixed grass prairie region that lies to the south of the rock laden area of the badlands, is the largest protected region of its type in the United States (Weiser, 2016). This area exists as a transitional zone between “the moister tall-grass prairie to the east and the more short-grass prairie to the west” (Prairies and Grasslands, n.d.). Biologists have found over 400 different plant species growing within this particular ecosystem (Prairies and Grasslands, n.d.) The Western wheatgrass is prevalent of the grasses and is important as a sod builder (Prairies and Grasslands, n.d.). The grasses of this area support a varied prairie-friendly animal population. The most recognized and largest are the bison, which are closely watched to help avoid disease which considering their history as a symbol of the American west and its extinction in its once native area. Other native animals of the mixed-grass prairie are relatively common to the ecosystem, such as coyotes, mule deer and various species of snakes. There are, as well, the predatory birds of the region; eagles, falcons, and hawks among the birds.(Leman, n.d.).
Of special note would be two keystone species, the sagebrush grasshopper (Keystone Species, n.d.) and the prairie dog (Mammals, n.d.). The sagebrush grasshopper has a wide reach in its effect on the area. Should this grasshopper no longer exist in the region, while it would not have a great effect on the amount of grasses in the region, it would have a direct negative effect on quite a few of the animals found here. As the primary food source for meadowlarks the disappearance of the sagebrush grasshopper would result in a dwindling of the meadowlarks if not extinction if they could not have a secondary food source. The kit fox also feeds on the sagebrush grasshopper as it primary food source. While the kit fox feeds also on the desert pocket mouse, losing the grasshopper as a food source would mean the potential extinction of the desert pocket mouse which would become the sole food source for the kit fox. In a domino effect, the sagebrush grasshopper is the primary food source for the leopard lizard, which in turn is the primary food source of the newly reintroduced black-footed ferret. Plains coyotes which feed on black-footed ferrets though not exclusively, would have their population decrease as they began to feed on other secondary food sources like black-tailed jackrabbits and bison, which would have a depletion effect on each of these species (Mammals, n.d.). It is clear the sagebrush grasshopper is a key stone species which wide effect on multiple species. A second keystone species and one that would be little more recognizable to tourists would be the prairie dog. These animals create towns on the prairies that consist of burrows that cover a wide area of land. These burrows help to provide cover for many other animals on the open prairie for protection and living quarters. Additionally, other predators of the Badlands like bobcats, coyotes, and especially the black-footed ferrets are directly dependent on the prairie dogs for their survival (Mammals, n.d.).
The Black-footed ferret, North America’s most endangered land mammal, was reintroduced into the area after seeing their number dwindle to merely 18. Today that number has risen to 50 in the mixed grass prairie ecosystem of the Badlands National Park (Leman, n.d.). These animals depend on the prairie dog population for their diet. A single ferret could eat up to 100 prairie dogs in the course of a year (Basic Facts, n.d.), which makes their existence in the mixed grass prairie ecosystem with its abundance of prairie dogs a positive opportunity for their growth.
Geology:
In essence, the geological remains are what the area is known for. It is how it gets its name. The land formations that can be seen from afar and draw visitors to the area are formed by areas of land that have alternating sedimentary layers of hard and soft rocks. As the softer rocks go through wind and water erosion the harder horizontal sandstone layers remain with nearly vertical walls that form below (Steiner, 1993). The climate of the region plays hand in hand with the erosion process. Since the geographical region is semi-arid, the rain it receives usually falls as sudden storms with deluges. Without having vegetation or trees to slow the process the water moves swiftly gathering the loose, soft rock as it moves forming deep gullies and ravines. The layered formations of these rocks cover millions of years (Steiner, 1993).
The environments and climate of various time periods formed the rock layers that have produced the remnants that exist today. Fossil gathering soils were formed as the land went through transformations like uplifting and being flooded before drying out (Geologic Formations, n.d.). The erosion that began some 500,000 years ago has been the driving force to form what we see today in the Badlands. The different sediments that gathered in layers through each time period established the six specific formations that make up the geological formations; Sharps; Rockyford Ash; Brule; Chadron; Yellow and Pierre Shale covering from 75 million years ago (Geologic Formations, n.d.). Examining each layer provides evidence of the climate and environmental features of the time period through the fossils found. The area has the most complete record of fossils from the Oligocene epoch (Steiner, 1993). So much so that the area is considered as the birthplace of the study of vertebrate paleontology (Critical Park Issues, 2016).
Environment Issues Today:
The geographically isolated location of the Badlands National Park is a detriment to a degree. The tremendous large fossil finds have been a major draw for tourists and visitors. At the same time, the isolation of the area and its large openness has enticed fossil poachers to sneak in and gather fossils of various types (Critical Park Issues, 2016). The area is too large to be policed effectively, so the park service depends on tourists to police themselves as well. The endangered status of the black-footed ferret makes its survival a top priority concern within the park. Their population is watched and followed more so than most the other animals of the area (Critical Park Issues, 2016).
The eye-catching beauty of the unique rock and land formations make the visual aspects of the park an enticing draw. However, the coal-fired plants and huge strip mining operations of the region, in the neighboring states of Wyoming and Montana fuel the air pollution that plagues the visibility of Badlands National Park. The particles associated with these sources of pollution have negative effects on the rock formations as well. Not far to the south in Nebraska is the largest train switching station for diesel engines in the nation. Nebraska also has huge ethanol producing plants (A Big View in Big Country, n.d.). The accumulation of these relatively close sources of pollution do have a negative effect on the Badlands Park. At the same time, its relative isolation keeps the visitation rates at a manageable number considering its large area.
Badlands National Park is a unique geological and environmental experience for tourists and visitors from the United States and around the world. It has strong ties to the Native Americans which heightens its cultural and historical importance within the region.
References
A Big View in Big Country. (n.d.) Badlands National Park Service. 2. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/badl/planyourvisit/upload/Air-Quality-Site-Bulletin.pdf.
Badlands Geologic Formations. (n.d.) National Park Service. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/badl/learn/nature/geologic/formations.htm.
Badlands Mammals (n.d.). National Park Service. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/badl/learn/nature/mammals.htm.
Badlands National Park - Critical Park Issues. (2016). us-parks.com. Retrieved from
http://www.us-parks.com/badlands-national-park/critical-park-issues.html.
Badlands Prairies and Grasslands. (n.d.) National Park Service. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/badl/learn/nature/prairiesandgrasslands.htm.
Basic Facts about Black-Footed Ferrets. (n.d.) Defenders of Wildlife. Retrieved from http://www.defenders.org/black-footed-ferret/basic-facts.
Discover American Indian Heritage at Badlands National Park. (2009, November 13). Badlands National Park. Retrieved from http://www.ohranger.com/badlands/news/2009/discover- american-indian-heritage-badlands-national-park.
Keystone Species. (n.d.) Badlands National Park. Retrieved from
http://temperategrasslands-badlands.weebly.com/keystone-species.html.
Leman, Christie. (n.d.) Animals in the Badlands of South Dakota. Retrieved from https://www.trails.com/list_11158_animals-badlands-south-dakota.html.
Steiner, Joan. (1993). South Dakota Badlands. Retrieved from https://www3.northern.edu/natsource/HABITATS/Sdbadl1.htm.
Stoffer, Philip W. (2003). Geology of Badlands National Park: A Preliminary Report. USGS. 2. Retrieved from https://www3.northern.edu/natsource/HABITATS/Sdbadl1.htm.
Weiser, Kathy. (2016). South Dakota Legends: Badlands National Park. Legends of America. Retrieved from http://www.legendsofamerica.com/sd-badlands-2.html.
