The Death Valley expedition facts for kids
The Death Valley expedition was a trip in 1891 to study where different plants and animals live in California's Death Valley. This field of study is called phytogeography, which means the study of how plants are spread out geographically.
It was the first of many trips paid for by the United States Congress starting in 1890. The team included many kinds of scientists, such as biologists, naturalists, botanists (plant experts), and zoologists (animal experts).
Contents
The Death Valley Expedition: Exploring Nature
What Was the Expedition About?
The main goal of the Death Valley expedition was to learn about the plants and animals in the area. A famous naturalist named Clinton Hart Merriam led these studies. He wanted to understand how different living things are spread across the land.
Merriam was especially interested in finding "life zones." These are areas where the climate and environment are similar, leading to similar types of plants and animals living there. Understanding these zones helped scientists figure out if land was good for farming or raising animals.
Death Valley was a perfect place for this study. Even though it was known for being harsh, it offered a unique chance to explore seven different life zones. These zones ranged from the hot valley floor all the way up to the cooler Panamint Range mountains. Scientists hoped to find new and unusual species of plants and animals.
Who Were the Explorers?
Clinton Hart Merriam put together a team of talented scientists for the expedition. These included:
- Zoologists (animal experts): Vernon Orlando Bailey, Basil H. Dutcher, and Edward William Nelson.
- Ornithologists (bird experts): Albert Kenrick Fisher and Theodore Sherman Palmer.
- Entomologist (insect expert): Albert Koebele.
- Botanists (plant experts): Frederick Vernon Coville and Frederick Funston.
- An amateur naturalist: Frank Stephens, who later helped start the San Diego Natural History Museum.
Dr. Theodore Sherman Palmer was in charge of the expedition for the first three months. This was because Merriam himself was asked by President Benjamin Harrison to study fur seals in Alaska. Merriam joined the team later.
What Did They Discover?
The Death Valley expedition was very successful. The scientists gathered a lot of important information. They wrote detailed reports that are still valuable today.
Some of their key reports included:
- "Botany of the Death Valley Expedition" (online link)
- “The Death Valley Expedition: A Biological Survey of Parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah” (online link)
- "Annotated List of the Reptiles and Batrachians Collected by the Death Valley Expedition in 1891, with Descriptions of New Species" (online link)
These reports helped people understand the plants, animals, and natural history of Death Valley and the surrounding regions much better.
