DI Library: Physical Geography (GE 306): National Parks Geography

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Find a Park: California | National Park Service
Explore the map or browse the list to find a national park in California.

The National Park Service website has a microsite for each National Park and National Monument. Once you're on the main page for a specific park, look under Learn About the Park to find information about the history of the park (under History & Culture) and the geology and ecology of the park (under Nature).

Overcrowding in Parks (2022) | U.S. Department of the Interior
A December 2022 statement made by the Superintendent of Zion National Park in response to a congressional hearing on overcrowding in national parks.
National Parks Are Overwhelmed by Crowds and Litter | NPR
This 2021 segment describes the problem of overcrowding at national parks and what the parks are doing to mitigate the effects.
National Parks Overcrowding | U.S. Department of the Interior
A July 2021 statement on the impacts of overcrowding in national parks made by one of the Regional Directors of the National Park Service.
What We Do: Manage Congestion | National Park Service
This page provides information about managing congestion at national parks, including a link to the 2020 Congestion Management Toolkit, which provides a variety of strategies that parks can use to reduce congestion.
Managing New Peaks At National Parks | U.S. Department of Transportation
This 2018 article describes the problem of traffic congestion at national parks and how the National Park Service has addressed it.
How A Surge in Visitors Is Overwhelming America’s National Parks | Yale Environment 360
This 2017 article describes the problem of overcrowding at national parks.

Log in to Read Ebooks (DI Students, Faculty and Staff)

To read these ebooks, click the links below and use your Microsoft 365 login credentials (your DI email address and password).

You can also click the LIRN Library tab in Canvas, which will take you to the LIRN Library Portal and log you into all of the library resources. Need help? Contact the DI Library.

Ebooks - login required

Ecosystems of California (ebook) by Harold Mooney (Editor); Erika Zavaleta (Editor)
Covers the state's ecosystems using multiple lenses: past and present, flora and fauna, aquatic and terrestrial, natural and managed. Each chapter evaluates natural processes for a specific ecosystem, describes drivers of change, and discusses how that ecosystem may be altered in the future. The text explicitly incorporates both human impacts and conservation and restoration efforts and shows how ecosystems support human well-being. Available through ProQuest Ebook Central (login required).
Introduction to Earth, Soil, and Land in California (ebook) by David Carle
From earthworms and earthquakes to Earth Day, this concise, engaging guide is a multifaceted primer on the literal foundation of California's environment. Available through ProQuest Ebook Central (login required).
The American Environment Revisited: Environmental Historical Geographies of the United States (ebook) by Geoffrey L. Buckley (Editor); Yolonda Youngs (Editor)
This innovative book provides a dynamic--and often surprising--view of the range of environmental issues facing the United States today. See Chapter Four. Wild, Unpredictable, and Dangerous: A Historical Geography of Hazards and Risks in US National Parks. Available through ProQuest Ebook Central (login required).
America's National Park System: The Critical Documents (ebook) by Lary M. Dilsaver
The extensive collection of documents illustrates the system's creation, development, and management. The documents include laws that established and shaped the system; policy statements on park management; Park Service self-evaluations; and outside studies by a range of scientists, conservation organizations, private groups, and businesses. Available through ProQuest Ebook Central (login required).
Uncertain Path: A Search for the Future of National Parks (ebook) by William C. Tweed
Tweed takes us to California's spectacular High Sierra to discover a new vision for our national parks as they approach their 100th anniversary. Available through ProQuest Ebook Central (login required).
Geology of the Sierra Nevada (ebook) by Mary Hill; Phyllis M. Faber; Bruce M. Pavlik
This guide to the Sierra Nevada's geological history covers the area that includes Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Lassen Volcanic National Parks, as well as Devils Postpile National Monument. Chapter 7 provides an overview of gold and gold mining in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Available through ProQuest Ebook Central (login required).