Ecology
Partners is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to raising awareness and resources in support of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument’s scientific, interpretive, and educational programs.
Soils and Hydrology
"...Fragile cryptobiotic crusts, themselves of significant biological interest, play a critical role throughout the monument, stabilizing the highly erodible desert soils and providing nutrients for plants..." (Presidential Proclamation 6920, 1996)
Conservation of soil resources is important, as soil, combined with water, provides the base of support for life within the Monument. Soils in arid and semiarid regions are particularly critical to sustaining ecosystems because the can be more vulnerable to degradation from a number of natural and artificially induced disturbances. Biological soil crusts, which are widespread but not pervasive, play an important ecological role in the Monument in the functioning of soil stability and erosion, atmospheric nitrogen fixation, nutrient contributions to plants, soil-plant-water relations, seedling germination, and plant growth.
For more information, visit the Soils and Hydrology page on the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument website.
Vegetation and Weeds
"...Spanning five life zones from low-lying desert to coniferous forest, with scarce and scattered water sources, the monument is an outstanding biological resource. The blending of warm and cold desert floras, along with the high number of endemic species, place this area in the heart of perhaps the richest floristic region in the Intermountain West..." (Presidential Proclamation 6920, 1996)
The blending of the three floristic provinces (Grand Staircase, Kaiparowits, and Escalante Canyons) in the Monument provides the potential for a high degree of plant diversity. Steep canyons, limited water, seasonal flood events, unique and isolate geologic substrates, and large fluctuations in climatic conditions have all influenced the composition, structure and diversity of vegetation associations of this region.
For more information, visit the Vegetation and Weeds page on the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument website.
Wildlife
"...The wildlife of the monument is characterized by a diversity of species. Mountain lion, bear, and desert bighorn sheep roam the monument. Over 200 species of birds, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons, are found in this area. Wildlife, including neotropical birds, concentrates around the Paria and Escalante Rivers and other riparian corridors within the Monument..." (Presidential Proclamation 6920, 1996)
The wildlife of the monument is characterized by a 
diversity of species. Mountain lion, bear, and desert bighorn sheep roam the monument. Over 200 species of birds, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons, are found in this area. GSENM is giving several animal species a chance to rediscover the same landscapes where their ancestors once lived. Through its reintroduction program, GSENM has relocated pronghorn, otters, and big horn sheep from other western states back into their historic ranges within the Monument.
For more information, visit the Wildlife page on the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument website.
