Show EROSION OF BRYCE by kenneth E weight ranger naturalist in zaon bryco bryce nature notes the he first impression of many people I 1 as they walk onto the rim ot of bryco canyon la Is that erosion ot of the canyon Is very rapid before much of an examination 0 of the canyon was wag made one very enthusiastic tourist made the remark why tho the union pacific build their lodge back farther it will only take a few years until they will have to move the building because of the receding canyon wall ll 11 after walking along the rim for a short distance the individuals attention was called to a large rocky mountain yellow pine pon derossa that was growing on the edge of the rim this tree was waa struggling to maintain its balance many of the roots on the canyon side were exposed and dead how long they had been exposed was a real problem comparison of this treo tree with a stump near by of about the same diameter showed it to bo be about ninety years old for exact age a boring should have been made this age determination was made by counting the annual rings on oil tile large end of tile the tree that had been cut previously it Is the natural thing tor for plants to send their roots downward and aad outward in the soil upon germination and growth of the seedling the large pine tree on the rim with the I 1 now exposed roots certainly in its earlier life was so situated that its roots were in the ground it sent its riots downward and outward la in order to support and anchor the rapidly growing stem and br branchle bran anchez chue allowing twenty or thirty years tor for the side roots mcdo made their outi ward growth in the soil to tho the point where they now stand exposed it leaves some sixty years for the bank to weather and erode up to tho the pro present state A measurement of the exposed portion of saverna roots showed most or of them to be stio six or seven feet long the assumption la Is that it has taken fifty or flirty years to wear away the biank under the tree a distance ot sixty feet it if this be true the rate of recession of 0 about one inch a year othor othi r trees on the rim were observed in the same way with similar conclusions trees on oil the side rim of the canyon no doubt are in a safer location because the bank does doea not wear ear away as fast on the sides as it does doea at the head it the conclusions drawn are anything near true then we can assure our good friend of the road that the do de cabin of the bryce canyon lodge nearest the rim n need eed not be disturbed for at least years in the future |