One of the quests in the 3d Game Lab which we are using in my Humanities 101 course is titled “Become a Wikipedian.” As you can probably guess by the title of the quest, the goal of this quest is to choose an article on the world wide famous http://www.wikipedia.org website which many of us have come to know well and have used extensively over the past few years. To complete this quest, we have to study and conduct research on a Wikipedia article which we choose and must edit the article and update it using credible outside sources.
For my assignment, I chose to conduct research on the 12,633 foot San Francisco Peaks which are located approximately 7 miles to the North of Flagstaff, Arizona. The San Francisco Peaks are the remnants of an ancient Stratovolcano which some experts believe may have stood as high as 15,000 to 16,000 feet above sea-level prior to its eruption less than 1,000 years ago.
The San Francisco Peaks are the youngest volcano and the only Stratovolcano located in the San Francisco Volcanic Field which has over 600 volcanic vents and covers an area of approximately 1,800 square miles. In their current state, the San Francisco Peaks consist of 8 named mountain peaks. Of these 8 peaks, 7 rise to more than 10,000 feet above sea-level. At 12,633 feet above sea-level, Humphrey’s Peak, the highest of the named peaks rises more than 5,700 feet above downtown Flagstaff.
The San Francisco Peaks rise through 4 named biotic communities and life zones (Transition-Open Woodlands, Canadian-Fir Forest, Hudsonian-Spruce Forest and Alpine-Tundra) as they rise from the Ponderosa Pine forests surrounding Flagstaff at their base to the Alpine-Tundra zone on the upper most reaches of Mount Agassiz and Mount Humphreys. It is these life zones which I have chosen to emphasize on by updating and adding additional information to the Wikipedia article regarding the San Francisco Peaks.
According to a study conducted by Thomas D. Sisk, Professor of Ecology at the Northern Arizona University and John D. Graham, Dean at Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, at a Latitude of approximately 35 degrees North, the San Francisco Peaks are the southernmost climatic alpine area on the North American continent north of the high volcanoes of central Mexico. This meaning that there is no other Alpine-Tundra environment in the United States which lies further south than the Alpine-Tundra zone of the San Francisco Peaks.
The La Sal and Tushar Mountains of Utah and the Southern San Juan Mountains of Colorado contain the nearest true Alpine-Tundra communities to the San Francisco Peaks of Northern Arizona. Because of this vast distance and isolation from other Alpine-Tundra communities, many of the 80 species found in the Alpine-Tundra of the San Francisco Peaks are rare and unique to the area due to being unable to migrate to and from the nearest Alpine-Tundra communities in Southeastern Utah and Southern Colorado.
One of these species is the well-known and endemic San Francisco Peaks Groundsel (Senecio franciscanus), which is found nowhere else in the world other than near the top of the San Francisco Peaks. Senecio franciscanus is a dwarf perennial alpine plant that grows low to the rocky ground where it is found, to a height of only 3 to 10 cm (1.25-4 inches).
The first update which I made to the Wikipedia article about the San Francisco Peaks is found under the Geography section of the article, located directly under the section which lists the top 4 highest named peaks of the San Francisco Peaks. I added the details of the paragraph which tell how many acres of Alpine-Tundra area is found on the San Francisco Peaks and also the section which tells that this small area of Arizona is also the only location in the state which lies on United States Forest Service (USFS) land that supports a Bristlecone Pine forest. As credible outside sources for my research I used two articles and studies which I located online. The first source came from the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the second came from faculty members at Northern Arizona University who conducted detailed research of the San Francisco Peaks Alpine-Tundra ecosystem. I also used a Coconino National Forest Plan Revision which was completed by the USFS as a source for the indicating that this Alpine-Tundra zone is the only area of Arizona which lies on USFS lands that supports a Bristlecone Pine forest.
For credible outside sources for this part of my research, I studied about and used articles which I found pertaining to studies conducted by Susan L. Woodward, Instructor for the Geology Department at Radford University. Instructor Woodward’s research was published in July, 1996 and provided detailed information regarding Dr. Merriam’s Life Zone concept which he based off of the San Francisco Peaks. I also used research conducted by Dr. Roger Y. Anderson who is a professor with the University of New Mexico’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. Dr. Anderson’s research and findings were published by the New Mexico Geological Society in their Nine Field Conference. The article pertaining to Dr. Anderson’s research pertained to the life zones of Northeastern Arizona.
For my assignment, I chose to conduct research on the 12,633 foot San Francisco Peaks which are located approximately 7 miles to the North of Flagstaff, Arizona. The San Francisco Peaks are the remnants of an ancient Stratovolcano which some experts believe may have stood as high as 15,000 to 16,000 feet above sea-level prior to its eruption less than 1,000 years ago.
The San Francisco Peaks are the youngest volcano and the only Stratovolcano located in the San Francisco Volcanic Field which has over 600 volcanic vents and covers an area of approximately 1,800 square miles. In their current state, the San Francisco Peaks consist of 8 named mountain peaks. Of these 8 peaks, 7 rise to more than 10,000 feet above sea-level. At 12,633 feet above sea-level, Humphrey’s Peak, the highest of the named peaks rises more than 5,700 feet above downtown Flagstaff.
The San Francisco Peaks rise through 4 named biotic communities and life zones (Transition-Open Woodlands, Canadian-Fir Forest, Hudsonian-Spruce Forest and Alpine-Tundra) as they rise from the Ponderosa Pine forests surrounding Flagstaff at their base to the Alpine-Tundra zone on the upper most reaches of Mount Agassiz and Mount Humphreys. It is these life zones which I have chosen to emphasize on by updating and adding additional information to the Wikipedia article regarding the San Francisco Peaks.
According to a study conducted by Thomas D. Sisk, Professor of Ecology at the Northern Arizona University and John D. Graham, Dean at Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, at a Latitude of approximately 35 degrees North, the San Francisco Peaks are the southernmost climatic alpine area on the North American continent north of the high volcanoes of central Mexico. This meaning that there is no other Alpine-Tundra environment in the United States which lies further south than the Alpine-Tundra zone of the San Francisco Peaks.
The La Sal and Tushar Mountains of Utah and the Southern San Juan Mountains of Colorado contain the nearest true Alpine-Tundra communities to the San Francisco Peaks of Northern Arizona. Because of this vast distance and isolation from other Alpine-Tundra communities, many of the 80 species found in the Alpine-Tundra of the San Francisco Peaks are rare and unique to the area due to being unable to migrate to and from the nearest Alpine-Tundra communities in Southeastern Utah and Southern Colorado.
One of these species is the well-known and endemic San Francisco Peaks Groundsel (Senecio franciscanus), which is found nowhere else in the world other than near the top of the San Francisco Peaks. Senecio franciscanus is a dwarf perennial alpine plant that grows low to the rocky ground where it is found, to a height of only 3 to 10 cm (1.25-4 inches).
The first update which I made to the Wikipedia article about the San Francisco Peaks is found under the Geography section of the article, located directly under the section which lists the top 4 highest named peaks of the San Francisco Peaks. I added the details of the paragraph which tell how many acres of Alpine-Tundra area is found on the San Francisco Peaks and also the section which tells that this small area of Arizona is also the only location in the state which lies on United States Forest Service (USFS) land that supports a Bristlecone Pine forest. As credible outside sources for my research I used two articles and studies which I located online. The first source came from the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the second came from faculty members at Northern Arizona University who conducted detailed research of the San Francisco Peaks Alpine-Tundra ecosystem. I also used a Coconino National Forest Plan Revision which was completed by the USFS as a source for the indicating that this Alpine-Tundra zone is the only area of Arizona which lies on USFS lands that supports a Bristlecone Pine forest.
I also edited and updated the History section of the San Francisco Peaks Wikipedia page, where the article discusses the Life Zones found on and near the San Francisco Peaks. In the year 1889, Dr. Clinton Hurt Merriam who was an American zoologist, ornithologist, entomologist and ethnographer studied these mountains greatly and developed the concept of Life Zones based on the Ecology of the San Francisco Peaks and their surrounding areas down to the depths of the Grand Canyon.
The Wikipedia article on the San Francisco Peaks already provide fairly good detail pertaining to the Life Zones which occur in the area. What I did to this section of the article was added more detailed information to it to include the elevation ranges, most common plant species which occur in each Life Zone and the average annual precipitation of each Life Zone.
For credible outside sources for this part of my research, I studied about and used articles which I found pertaining to studies conducted by Susan L. Woodward, Instructor for the Geology Department at Radford University. Instructor Woodward’s research was published in July, 1996 and provided detailed information regarding Dr. Merriam’s Life Zone concept which he based off of the San Francisco Peaks. I also used research conducted by Dr. Roger Y. Anderson who is a professor with the University of New Mexico’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. Dr. Anderson’s research and findings were published by the New Mexico Geological Society in their Nine Field Conference. The article pertaining to Dr. Anderson’s research pertained to the life zones of Northeastern Arizona.
I believe that all of the outside sources which I have used in my research and to update the Wikipedia article on the San Francisco Peaks are credible because all sources come from either College Professors who specialize in Geology, Ecology or some other form of Environmental Studies, or from state government agencies which also focus on the environment and ecosystems of Arizona.
The reason that I made the changes which I made to the article was because I felt that the article did not provide enough detailed information pertaining to the Alpine-Tundra and other life zone regions which are found on and around the San Francisco Peaks. Other than the original postings, I was unable to locate any edits which were made to the sections of the article which I made changes to.
When it comes to using my thoughts on a Wikipedia being used as an academic research source for students and professional clients, I think that it depends solely on the credibility of the sources which were used in the chosen Wikipedia article for information pertaining to the topic. I would feel comfortable using Wikipedia as an academic research source as long as all sources were credible and reliable and as long as I could show in my research assignment the credibility of all sources
I had never heard the term Stratovolcano before and had to look that one up. I haven't been to Flagstaff before, but after seeing the pictures I think I will. I had no idea Arizona had such beautiful forests. I guess I have to get out more.
ReplyDelete