Harvey Monroe Hall Natural Area

A variety of alpine and subalpine communities is preserved in this area. The lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana, is the main component of the subalpine forest, though there are numerous stands of white-bark pine, Pinus albicaulis. On the eastern edge of the area there is a small grove of mountain hemlock, Tsuga mertensiana.

Interspersed in the forest are meadows and grasslands with Salix spp., Carex spp. and Juncus spp., among others. Above the forest there are krummholz and alpine fell fields. Nearly 350 species of vascular plants and ferns have been collected in the area.

Animal life is abundant and typical of the region.

Geologically, the western portion of the area is composed of Mesozoic granitics and the eastern of tightly folded, highly metamorphosed pre-Cretaceous sedimentary rocks.

Much of the area is barren and has been recently glaciated. There are several active glaciers in the area, the largest being the Mount Conness glacier which is approximately 500 meters (1,650 feet) long and covers an area of approximately 0.4 square kilometer (0.15 square mile). Moraines, tills, cirques, tarns, and U-shaped valleys are among the glacial features observable here. The glaciers date from neo-glacial period of the past 2,800 years, though some of the glaciated features are older.

There are numerous perennial snowbanks and glacial lakes in the area, as well as ponds, swamps, springs and streams.

Integrity: The Natural Area was established in 1933 and grazing was phased out in 1946. The vegetation had been partially denuded by sheep but has recovered. The Carnegie Institution Timberline Transplant Garden is located here.

Use: Research, educational, observational.

Ref: Clausen, Jens, 1969. The Harvey Monroe Hall Natural Area. Dept. of Plant Bio. Pub. 459. Washington: Carnegie Inst.

March 1980