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There is only a small area of this ecoregion in Colorado, but like the primary area in Wyoming, this Colorado ecoregion is a high elevation broad basin located between mountain ranges and is interrupted by hills and low mountains and dominated by arid grasslands and shrub lands.
Wyoming Basin Information:
Description:
The Wyoming Basin is a shrub steppe ecoregion which lies within the nearctic realm and the deserts and xeric shrub lands biome.
Geography
The ecoregion is found in the northwestern United States and is located primarily within the western and central portions of the state of Wyoming but does extend minimally into northwestern Colorado, southeastern Idaho, south-central Montana, and north-central Utah. The ecoregion has a total area coverage of 51,100 square miles.
This ecoregion is located within multiple high altitude inter-montane basins largely surrounded by various subranges of the Rocky Mountains. These basins are in the rain shadow of the North American Cordillera and as such have an arid to semi-arid climate with long, very cold winters and short, hot summers.
Conservation Status
Although very little of this ecoregion is protected, the land within this ecoregion is largely intact due to the harsh climate and resulting poor agricultural potential. However, heavy livestock grazing, fire suppression and the introduction of non-native plants (especially grasses) have resulted in some areas being significantly altered.
Also, the extensive oil and gas exploration and mining amount to the most serious threats to the integrity of this ecoregion.
Location:
The Wyoming Basin in Colorado is located in the northwestern corner of the state.
Elevation:
3,500 to 4500 feet
Geographical Region:
Rocky Mountains
The Ancients
First Wayƒarer
First Migration
(The Algonquian Cultures)
Tribes such as the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Cisca, Shoshone and Sutaio all
would regularly followed seasonal migrations patterns within and through
the Wyoming Basin ecoregion.
They would travel along watercourses, camp on the shore, fish the water,
gather berries and other plants, cross over mountain passes to hunt, and
traverse great distances in their migrations to visit other family members.
Other tribes, such as the Crow and Lakota, traveling from the western
Missouri Valley and north interior lands may have migrated through this
region to fish, hunt and visit for trading purposes.
Second Migration
(The Uto-Aztecan Cultures)
Some of the tribes of the southern division of the
Numic family groups,
including the Ute Native Americans from southwest Utah, north Arizona and
south Nevada may have migrated through the Wyoming Basin ecoregion.
Fossils:
The Earth
Cold Spring Mountain, 8,690 feet (40.895086, -108.871408)
Diamond Peak, 9,665 feet (40.950239, -108.878171)
Limestone Ridge, 10,129 feet (38.8661, -106.02189)
Vermillion Creek (40.7624350, -108.8866615)
Yampa River (40.5276297, -108.9843913)
Little Snake River
The Modern Man
The Steps
Steps Afoot
Colorado Footpath Journey Index
Steps Afield
Colorado Roadpath Journey Index
The Appendixes
Colorado Campground Index
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