558 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



prairie-dogs (Cynomys leucurus and C. 

 parvidens), badger (Taxidea taxus), 

 jackrabbits (Lepus townsendii and L. 

 californicus deseriicola) , cottontail rab- 

 bits (Sylvilagus nuttallii grangeri and 

 S. audubonii warreni), chipmunk {Eiita- 

 mias sp.), ground-squirrels (Citellus 

 sp.), mice, rattle-snakes, horned toads, 

 and birds as follows: sage sparrows, 

 sage thrashers, sage hens, ravens, 

 herons, western mourning doves, and 

 western meadowlarks. The forest-cov- 

 ered mountains are inhabited by elk 

 {Cervus canadensis), mule deer {Odocoi- 

 leus hemionus), black bear (Ursus 

 americanus), mink (Mustela vison en- 

 ergumenos) , marten (Martes sp.), yellow- 

 bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris 

 subspp.), weasels {Mxislela spp.), tree 

 squirrels, ground-squirrels, chipmunk 

 {Eutamias spp.), pocket-gopher (Thomo- 

 mysspp.), yellow-haired porcupine {Ere- 

 ihizon epixanthum) , bob-cat {Lynx sp.), 

 cougar (Felis oregonensis hippolestes), 

 snowshoe hare {Lepus bairdii), and 

 beaver {Castor canadensis subsp.). The 

 latter are confined to a few streams 

 but are now on the increase since they 

 have been under protection. The ma- 

 jority of the other animals often range 

 over two or more life zones. Among 

 the birds found in the forests of Utah 

 the following are worthy of mention: 

 dusky grouse, woodpeckers, sapsuckers, 

 flycatchers, crossbills, junco, nuthatch, 

 kinglet, thrush, bluebird, blue jaj^, 

 pine siskin, water ouzel, sparrows, 

 grosbeak, creeper, Clark's nutcracker, 

 hawks, owls and the eagle. Many 

 birds that winter farther south nest 

 within the state, some in the coniferous 

 types, others in the deciduous trees and 

 shrubs along the watercourses in the 

 lower mountains, and still others in 

 the sagebrush desert. The lakes and 

 marshes are important to the migratory 

 birds, especially the waterfowl which 

 often alight while migrating. 



Following the settlement of Utah the 

 greatest agricultural development has 

 taken place in those parts of the sage- 

 brush desert where it has been possible 



to irrigate with water from streams 

 rising in the mountains. The desert 

 areas that have not been placed under 

 irrigation have been used as winter 

 range for sheep and cattle which have 

 grazed in the mountain forests in sum- 

 mer. Because of the fact that the 

 pioneer settlements of Utah were very 

 remote from large industrial sources 

 of supply it was necessary for the 

 settlers to utilize the local resources. 

 Therefore, with the continued develop- 

 ment of the state, natural conditions 

 in the vicinity of the settlements were 

 materially changed through the denuda- 

 tion of the mountains as a result of 

 unregulated timber cutting, unrestricted 

 grazing, fires and the resultant erosion. 

 Floods and uncontrolable high water 

 became increasingly and alarmingly 

 frequent in many localities, reservoirs 

 and irrigation systems silted up rapidly, 

 washouts were numerous, fields were 

 covered with boulders, debris was 

 brought down from the adjacent moun- 

 tains, and streams became too muddy 

 during flood periods, and in some cases 

 at all times, for fish to live in them. 

 Since the creation of the National 

 Forests in the mountains, the U. S. 

 Forest Service has inaugurated sj^stems 

 of timber cutting and regulated grazing 

 which favor the ultimate restoration 

 of the forest and the forage plants on 

 the lands under its management. On 

 the other hand in regions remote from 

 the settlements large areas of virgin 

 forest representing virtually natural 

 conditions, except for some grazing, 

 existed when they were incorporated 

 in the National Forests. In the foot- 

 hills and the valleys adjacent to the 

 settlements, however, due to continued 

 over-grazing and repeated fires the 

 once luxuriant growth of sagebrush 

 has been largely replaced by six-weeks 

 grass {Bromus lector um). 



The bighorn sheep has become rare 

 but is said to be increasing to some 

 extent in the more rugged parts of the 

 Uinta Mountains in the Ashley National 

 Forest. A band of elk has been released 



