Fins are thin slabs of sandstone weathered into parallel lines. Many of the arches in Arches National Park are formed when erosion makes a hole through the fin and leaves the surrounding rock intact. This image does not show an arch, but the rock formations are impressive enough. I also like the juniper tree that makes its own arch. I have lived with juniper trees (we called them salt cedars) for as long as I can remember. In parts of Arizona, they were considered to be invasive and treated like weeds. The ranchers dragged chains across the desert with bulldozers and destroyed the juniper trees under the mistaken notion that removing the trees would improve the rangeland for cattle. It didn't and the juniper trees are still growing back. But the use of chains and bulldozers hasn't stopped. See "Watch This 25,000-Pound Battleship Anchor Chain Rip Through Juniper in Nevada." The justification for this procedure is to improve the rangeland for species that already live in the area. Here is a link to the counter-argument, See "Old Chaining Page: Chaining in the American West,"
No comments:
Post a Comment