Atlas for Viewmont High School in Davis County, Utah

Atlas for
Viewmont High School
in Davis County, Utah
Authorship: Kortney Johnson
Project Info: An Atlas for a Utah School project of GEOG 3600Geography of Utah, University of Utah, Genevieve Atwood, Ph.D.
instructor;
Spring Semester 2011
Caveat: This atlas may contain errors. Please use it to better know who you are
by understanding where you are. Use this atlas with professional courtesy,
essentially as a draft document. Acknowledge original sources of figures and
tables.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part 1 - Geography
Chapter 1: Location
Chapter 2: Landmarks
Chapter 3: Connections
Part 2 – Physical Geography
Chapter 4: Physiographic Provinces
Chapter 5: Scenery, Resources and Hazards
Chapter 6: Water Resources
Chapter 7: Weather & Climate; Past and Present
Chapter 8: Biosphere & Agriculture; Past and
Present
Part 3 – Human Geography
Chapter 9: Demographics Information
Chapter 10: Demographic Trends
Chapter 11: Economics and Education
Chapter 12: Emerging Issues and Trends.
Atlas Summary
The atlas was a project of GEOG3600-Geography of Utah, Spring
Semester 2011 off from the University of Utah. It was done by an undergraduate
majoring in Economics as an exercise to gain as sense of place of Utah, on the
assumption that the more one knows about where one lives the more one knows
about one’s self. Davis County, especially Viewmont High School, was chosen
because this is the area I grew up in and the high school I went to. This Atlas
does have it’s own strengths and weaknesses. A particular strength of this Atlas
is that it contains a great deal of essential information about Utah. Its weakness
is that I only had one semester to put this together but helps give a general
overview of the demographics, geography and history of Utah. I hope that it can
be used a useful source for anything pertaining to our wonderful State.
Geography is the science that deals with the study of the Earth and
includes the lands, topographies, populations, and experiences. In this instance,
we are looking at the geography of Davis County, Utah for Viewmont High
School. Viewmont High School is located in Bountiful, Utah along the Wasatch
Mountains and just East of the Great Salt Lake. These local features is what
distinguishes Davis County from other counties. You can easily find Viewmont
High School’s general area by looking for a “V” on the Wasatch Mountains. The
climate in this region is very diverse. All four seasons are witnessed in this area:
Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Davis County is mainly a residential region but
lies just outside of Salt Lake City, our state capital. Because of the area being
residential, there are many schools, mainly primary and secondary education
schools.
CHAPTER 1- LOCATION
Where on Earth is Viewmont High School?
A few observations / comments about this image:
1. Note how you can find Utah on the North American continent by spotting the
whitish patch of Great Salt Lake.
2. Note how much of Earth’s surface in this image is covered by water. Earth is the
water planet. Two thirds of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans.
3. This image shows North America with the Pacific Ocean to the west and Atlantic
Ocean to the east.
4. Utah is located in western North America, a continental location relatively far
from oceans.
5. This image shows low pressure weather systems, almost for sure of winter
storms, that move from west to east across the mid-section of the North American
continent. Note the area of clear skies over Utah and much of southwestern and
central United States.
So What?
Your school is located on planet Earth, in our Sun’s solar system, in the Milky Way
galaxy, in our universe. Utah is located on the North American continent. Location is
one of the five themes of geography. Location answers one of the fundamental
questions geographers ask… Where is …?
This image shows some relationships we can analyze from the perspective of Earth’s
five subsystems: the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere and
anthrosphere.
With respect to the geosphere, the solid Earth, ____________ School is located on the
North American continent, on land. We walk, not swim. With respect to the
hydrosphere, the water Earth, Utah’s location far from oceans affects weather and
climate. Utah receives much less rainfall than along the coasts of Washington,
Oregon, and California. With respect to the biosphere, the living Earth, even in this
image from space, it is possible to tell that Utah has lush green areas in the north
west and dry brown regions in the west. At this scale it is not possible to distinguish
the consequences to ___________ School. The anthrosphere is a term that means the
part of Earth that is affected by humans (think “anthro” as in anthropology). At this
scale even Kennecott Utah Copper’s Bingham mine is not quite discernable. From
outer space, I wonder what evidence would indicate that ___________ school, its faculty
and students are here?
LOCATION is the first of the FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY
Where is Utah located? Geographic grids.
(Section contributed by Genevieve Atwood.)
1. Location on Earth can be relative to a physical feature such as a place, or an ocean,
or a mountain range. For example, Utah can be located on the globe-image on the
left, and on the map-image on the right relative to the white splotches of salt flats of
northwestern Utah.
2. Another way to locate Utah on a map that shows the boundaries of the USA is to
mentally divide the US into an eastern half and western half, and Utah is right in the
center of the western half.
3. Another way to locate Utah is to use the convention of geographic coordinates
called the geographical grid. It consists of two sets of imaginary lines shown on the
globe-image on the left, and in detail on the image of Utah on the right.
4. The north-south lines run from pole to pole. These lines are lines of longitude and
are also called meridians. The prime meridian, or starting place, the zero line runs
north south through Greenwich, England. Utah is about one third of the way west,
around Earth, from England.
5. The east-west lines run parallel around Earth and are often called parallels of
latitude. Earth’s equator runs equidistant from the poles, hence its name, Equator.
Unlike the prime meridian that is an arbitrary starting place for the grid, the
Equator is an imaginary line where our Sun shines directly overhead on the spring
and fall equinox. For centuries, humans have known their location north south. Utah
is about half way from the equator to the North Pole.
6. The image on the right shows the geographic grid of our region. Utah is 5 degrees
by 5 degrees. There are 360 degrees in a circle. So Utah is 5/360ths of Earth northsouth, and 5/360ths east west along our parallel. Can you identify the west 109
degree longitude line? That is Utah’s eastern margin. The western margin
(approximately) is -114 degrees longitude (the “minus” sign is geographer’s
shorthand for “west of the prime meridian.” Utah’s southern boundary is 37 degrees
north of the equator. Utah’s northern boundary is 42 degrees north of the equator.
7. If you look at the grid on the global-image, you can see that the lines of longitude,
the meridians, get closer and closer at the poles. That is why Utah, although it is 5 by
5 degrees, is narrower east-west than north south.
8. You can use the grid to say where something is… such as Salt Lake City… even
from this very coarse scale. Salt Lake City is located immediately south and east of
the Great Salt Lake. The Great Salt Lake is the blue patch east of the white splotches
of the salt flats. So, in geographers’ terms, Salt Lake City is at about 112 degrees west
longitude and between north 40 degrees latitude and north 41 degrees latitude.
There are 360 degrees in a circle, 60 minutes in each degree, and 60 seconds in a
minute. You could locate any place on earth, including your school, using geographic
coordinates. That’s what many GPS units do.
So What?
Location matters for several reasons. It can be important to know where you are
because you may need to find your way to somewhere else; or you may need to tell
someone how to find you; or you may want to know the relationship of something
with respect to you. Location almost always is in relationship to something else. Salt
Lake City can be described as south and east of Great Salt Lake, or by its geographic
coordinates (40 degrees 30 minutes North and 112 degrees West).
Two factors of location that greatly influence the physical environment of a place
are: location with respect to the equator; and location with respect to oceans. Other
factors such as location with respect to elevation will be discussed in other chapters.
Geography is all about location, location, location and the web of relationships near
and far.
Location with respect to the equator largely determines how and how much of the
sun’s energy reaches a place. When the sun is directly overhead the Equator, the
sun’s energy arrives on the ground at right angles to flat land, such as farmers’
fields. Utah is located somewhat less than half way from the Equator to the North
Pole. The Equator is 0 degrees latitude; the North Pole is at 90 degrees; and Utah lies
between 37 and 42 degrees north of the equator. Therefore, Utah never has the sun
directly overhead. Sun rays always reach Utah at an angle. That is why solar arrays
are tilted toward the south, to catch the most amount of direct sunlight. Utah has
four seasons because of our mid-latitude location. The location difference between
St George in the south of Utah and Bear Lake in the north causes differences in social
and behavioral patterns. For example, St George and Bear Lake grow different
agricultural commodities and celebrate different tourist seasons (economics). Social
institutions and patterns also have different emphasis, such as contrasts in numbers
of senior centers and use of golf courses (sociology).
Location with respect to oceans greatly determines weather and climate. Weather
and climate (the atmosphere subsystem of Earth systems) largely determines the
plants and animals of a region (the biosphere subsystem of Earth systems). This is
true for Utah. Location also largely determines the amount of water in rivers and
lakes (the water subsystem of Earth systems is the hydrosphere), and those largely
determine where people live (the anthrosphere subsystems of Earth systems).
Think about where hospitals are located in Utah. They are located in cities. Utah
cities were located where there was water. The fifth of the five subsystems of Earth
systems, the geosphere, matters to Utah because we are a “continental” location.
This also greatly determines where cities are located, and where water resources
are found.
Utah is not Iowa, or Mexico, or Oregon. There are many differences, and LOCATION
determines many of those differences.
Where is Utah located with respect to states of the USA? And does it matter?
(Section contributed by Genevieve Atwood).
At least four observations / comments about this figure / map / image:
1. This map shows the states of the United States of America. It adds Hawaii and
Alaska, not to scale, and out of place in the lower left of the map. The 48 states of the
US are called the conterminous states meaning they are continuous, their
boundaries touch.
2. Utah is in the western half of the conterminous US. Its boundaries touch Idaho,
Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada.
3. The southeastern point of Utah is the Four Corners, the only place in the US where
four states come together. I’ve been there and had body parts in all four states at
once.
4. Utah’s state boundaries run north-south and east-west. They approximately
coincide with lines of latitude and longitude.
5. Western states tend to be larger than eastern states. Utah is the 11th largest state
according to http://www.theus50.com/area.php.Alaska, Texas, California, Montana,
New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, and Oregon are larger. According
to this site, Minnesota is slightly smaller than Utah. Idaho, Kansas, and Nebraska
follow. The US50 website lists Utah’s area as 84,905 square miles. How strange…
Utah is listed as 13th in size by Netstate.com, smaller than Minnesota and Michigan.
How could that be?
So What? (At least two paragraphs with at least 2 sentences each.)
A state’s location with respect to other states matters for several reasons. State
boundaries are called “political boundaries” for good reason; they were established
by laws of Congress when territories petitioned to become states. Utah’s statehood
came in January of 1896, after several petitions that included requests for a state of
different shape and size. Politics still is one of the main reasons location with
respect to others states matters even today. Western states argue that their needs
differ from those of eastern states, and states compete with neighboring states for
resources, businesses, and transportation routes, just to name few ways. .
All geographers study webs of relationships among peoples, places and
environments. Geographers generally categorize themselves as “physical
geographers” or as “human geographers.” Physical geographers concentrate on
relationships among the five subsystems of Earth systems: the geosphere,
hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and anthrosphere. Human / cultural,
geographers focus on relationships that include perspectives of social and
behavioral sciences. This atlas uses considers seven perspectives of social and
behavioral science: anthropology, economics, family and consumer studies,
geography, political science, psychology, and sociology. Note how geography is a
social / behavioral science.
Utah’s location impacts all seven social and behavioral science perspectives. For
example, anthropology from life styles of early peoples to present-day cultural
anthropology. Utah’s relationship to other states of the US is impacted by location.
Closer states tend to be more economically tied than distant states. Utah being in the
United States versus Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, or Zimbabwe influences family /
consumer relationships … in fact all seven sets of issues of social and behavioral
sciences. Utah’s political boundaries influence its physical geography less that its
human geography. But political boundaries influence Utah’s physical geography
indirectly. For example, neighboring states fight over water (the hydrosphere) and
can work together to reduce pollutants (the atmosphere).
A final note on location, political boundaries, and Utah’s size: How can Utah’s surface
area in square miles be something to argue about? Are we number 11, 12, or 13 in
size? Look at the map. The states that rival us in size are Minnesota, the land of
lakes, and Michigan. That’s the clue. How is the surface area of “land” calculated? If
you were Governor of Utah, would you consider Great Salt Lake part of the state’s
surface area? If you were Governor of Michigan, would you consider the bed of Lake
Michigan part of your state’s area?
No matter what, location with respect to political boundaries matters.
Utah is not Iowa, or Mexico, or Oregon. There are many differences, and LOCATION
with respect to political boundaries determines some of those differences.
CHAPTER 2 – LANDMARKS
Arched National Park
A few observations / comments about this image:
1. Arches National Park is located is located near Moab, Utah.
2. Moab, Utah is located in the southern section of the state.
3. The arches are famous for their sandy texture and redish/orange coloring.
4. Utah is famous for these arches, as well as the snow capped mountains in the
background of this photo.
5. This photo shows the different types of climate Utah has each year.
So What?
Arches National Park has been a national park since 1971. It has preserved over
2,000 different arches. This landmark in Utah is highly attractive to tourists, as
well as the locals. People who visit the arches can climb, camp, bike, hike and
take guided tours.
Notice that this particular photo shows the a couple different types of Utah
climate. The arch represents the warmer climate and the mountains in the
background of this photo show the colder climate. Even though Utah is widely
considered a desert, we surprisingly have all for seasons here: spring, summer,
fall and winter.
Both landmarks show structure and shapes. The arches are delicate and sandy
while the mountains are firm with more solid soils.
The Great Salt Lake
A few observations / comments about this image:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Great Salt Lake is located west of the Wasatch Mountains.
The Salt Flats are located on the west side of the Great Salt Lake.
The white shorelines of the lake are piles of salt.
The Great Salt Lake is located in.
The lake is drying out towards the islands and is more moist near the living
communities
So What?
The Great Salt Lake is known for its high salt content. It is said to be 8 times
saltier than the ocean. The lake is also the remains of the Lake Bonneville, which
covered most of the western Utah in prehistoric times. The Great Salt Lake was
named this particular name by Brigham Young, President to the LDS Church in the
mid 1800’s. The lake was the reason why the Capital of Utah is Salt Lake City.
The Great Salt Lake has very few fish in it, mostly brine shrimp. Since there is so
much salt on its shores, there is a big salt mine located on the southern part of the
lake.
Three rivers are connected to this lake: the Bear River, Weber River and the Jordan
River.
A famous landmark on the Great Salt Lake is Antelope Island. It is a State Park. This
attracts many tourists with its great wildlife , especially buffalo.
The Bountiful Temple
A few observations / comments about this image:
1. The Bountiful Temple is located on the Wasatch Mountains
2. The Bountiful Temple overlooks the Salt Lake Valley
3. This photo shows the temple was built among a bunch of houses and living
communities
4. The Oquirrh Mountains are shown here on the top left of the photo
5. The Wasatch Mountains have lush vegetation and trees.
So What?
The Bountiful Temple is a well-seen landmark in Davis County in Bountiful,
Utah. It was built in the mid 1990’s and is sacred to the LDS Church. It was the 47th
temple built by the LDS Church and was the 8th temple built in Utah. Amazingly, this
temple can be seen for miles in the valley. It is lit up every night and can be seen
from a landing airplane at Salt Lake National Airport very well at night.
Viewmont High School
A few observations / comments about this image:
1. This image was from Google Earth.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Notice the Viewmont is relatively small in the area.
The high school is located among many residential areas.
The football and baseball fields are relatively bigger than the school itself.
Viewmont is located west of Main Street is this photo.
So What?
Viewmont High School had been in Davis County for many decades. It’s rival schools
are Davis High School in Kaysville, Utah and Bountiful High School in Bountiful,
Utah. It is the second high school in Bountiful, Utah.
Viewmont High has some strange and famous history, including is terrifying stories.
It is famous for the abduction of a female student by Ted Bundy. It is said that there
are still sightings of her in his Yellow VW Bug. Along with this abduction, Viewmont
is said to have haunted catacombs located underneath the school.
Viewmont High School is well-known for it’s athletics, as well the choir program.
Every Christmas, the students raise money for Guadalupe, a school located in Salt
Lake City. This particular school is for underprivileged children. The goal is to raise
money for these kids so that they have presents to open on Christmas morning.
Along with the fundraiser, the guys grow out their beards and the girls don’t shave
their legs until enough money is raised for the cause.
CHAPTER 3 - Connections
A few observations / comments about this image:
1. This image has 6 different regions blocked by different colors.
2. The Wasatch Front, the area we live, is in red.
3. The Great Salt Lake is between the Wasatch Front Regional Council and the
Bear River AOG.
4. The borders of each region are mainly along mountainous areas.
5. The Wasatch Front Regional Council includes: Davis County, Salt Lake
County, Summit County, Weber County and Tooele County.
So What?
This image, of areas in Utah, are grouped by different counties. A county is
the largest governmental division of most states in the United States. They
are smaller than the state but larger than cities or towns. Since counties are a
governmental division of land, they have much higher status than cities. For
example, Utah has 29 counties divided among the state.
Location, one of the five main themes in Geography, is well-related with
counties. County boundaries are based on 4 qualities: geographic coordinates,
natural features, property right and arbitrary boundaries. From the image above,
most of the county boundaries lie along some geographical feature, For example,
the Wasatch Front Regional Council and the MAG have borders along the Wasatch
Range. The Six County AOG, Southeast AOG and the Five County AOG fun along the
Colorado River. Also, Utah’s main highway, I-15, runs along county borders in the
Six County AOG and the Five County AOG.
A
few observations / comments about this image:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Davis County lies along the I-15.
This image shows 7 main cities in Davis County, even though there are more.
The Great Salt Lake is West of Davis County.
The Wasatch Range is East of Davis County
I-80 runs just South of Davis County.
So What?
Movement is one of the five Themes of Geography. When one thinks of
movement, they first thing that pops into mind is TRAVEL. Way to travel include
walking, riding a bike, flying in an airplane and driving in a car. For this image,
driving in a car comes to mind first since the map includes highways. Highways are
major roads that connect two or more destinations. In Davis County, the main
highways include I-15 (North and South), Highway 89 and Legacy Highway. I-15
lies in between the other two highways
few observations / comments about this image:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Viewmont High School is located a point A.
Viewmont High School’s Address is 120 West 1000 North in Bountiful, Utah.
VIewmont High School is East of I-15.
Viewmont High School is West of Main Street.
The colored street are main roads in Bountiful:
Main Street, 200 West and I-15.
So What?
Viewmont High School is located in Bountiful, Utah. It is one of two high
schools in this town. In this image, Viewmont is located centrally to main roads in
Bountiful: Main Street, 200 West and I-15.
In Geography,, highways are considered very important. If you look at a map,
roads and highways are placed strategically, and in this instance for I-15 in
Bountiful, it is located just West of the Wasatch Range. It follows the natural
landforms curves.
CHAPTER 4 – Physiographic Provinces
A few observations / comments about this image:
1. Each image above shows a different aspect of Utah’s physiographic
provinces.
2. The first image is a satellite view of what Utah’s mountains look like.
3. The second image shows Utah’s different physiographic provinces.
4. The third image shows the different types of vegetation, and products
grown/made in Utah.
5. Utah’s geography is very diverse.
So What?
In the first image, Utah is shown from a satellite perspective. The main focus
is on the mountain ranges in Utah. The range in the middle of Utah, just East of
the Great Salt Lake, is the Wasatch Range. The Wasatch Range is considered the
western edge of the Rocky Mountains. Most of Utah’s population lives along this
particular range.
In the second image, Utah is divided into 3 separate provinces: Basin and
Range, Middle Rocky Mountains and the Colorado Plateau. The Basin and Range
Colorado Plateau is generally considered as a 4th province. The Basin and Range
province is known for its mountain ranges, corresponding with sediment lined
basins. The Middle Rocky Mountains province follows along the Wasatch Range
and the Uintah Mountains. It generally has mountainous environment. The
Colorado Plateau runs east along the Colorado River. This province is wellknown for its sandy soils and delicate arches. And finally, the Basin and Range
Colorado Transition combines the same features from the Basin and Range
Province, as well as the Colorado Plateau.
In the third image of Utah, little pictures have been placed in the areas of
Utah that supply the source. Along the Wasatch Range and the Uintah
Mountains, there is a vast source of pine trees and similar vegetation. In
southeast Utah, the sandy soils and fragile arches reside here. Southwestern
Utah supplies pottery making and houses Zions National Park.
These 3 images really give someone the idea of what Utah has to offer in it’s
geography. In the north, we have the Great Salt Lake that lies west along the
Wasatch Range. In southern Utah, we have all of Utah’s National Parks and
desert-like climate. In the central area of the state, Utah offers it’s wonderful
mountain scenery and wildlife.
CHAPTER 5 – Scenery, Resources and
Hazards
A few observations / comments about this image:
1. Each of these images are connected to Utah’s seismic activity/patterns.
2. The first images shows Utah’s main fault: the Wasatch Fault.
3. The second image shows the concentrated areas where Utah is likely to have
an earthquake.
4. The third image shows where Utah has had earthquakes, big and small.
5. Utah’s earthquakes are centrally located along the Wasatch Range.
So What?
Although Utah is known for its physical geography, what about the
geography below it’s surface? I’m talking about Utah’s seismic patterns and activity.
In the first image, it shows Utah’s main fault line: the Wasatch Fault.
Obviously, it runs along the Wasatch Range. The fault is so prominent, that it is
likely the epicenter of where an earthquake will be generated from. This image also
shows the other smaller faults in the state.
In the second image, we progress to more depth of the seismic intensity if
Utah. The Rocky Mountains show a significant amount of intensity from central
Utah, all the way up through Wyoming. The redish-orange areas highlighted are the
most concentrated areas of seismic activity. It looks as though the farther away you
go from the Wasatch Range in Utah, the less strength the earthquakes will be.
In the third image, it shows where earthquakes have happened in the state.
This particular figure shows earthquakes ranging from 0-4 magnitudes. Most
activity has been around 1 magnitude or so. In the southwestern area of Utah, I can
count three 4+ magnitude earthquakes within an approximate 50 mile span.
CHAPTER 6 – Water Resources
Observations:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Great Basin is located in the western portion of Utah.
The Colorado Basin is located in the eastern portion of Utah.
Hydrologic river basins mainly lie within the Colorado Basin.
Utah’s precipitation lies mostly along the Wasatch Front.
There are 11 different Basin Plan Areas and Hydrologic River Basins in Utah.
So What?
The hydrosphere is one of the five subsystems of geography. The hydrosphere
includes all water on the earth, under and on the surface. This can include rivers,
lakes, oceans, streams, ponds and so on. One of the main aspects of the hydrosphere
is the water cycle. The water cycle is interlinked with the hydrosphere and involves
the MOVEMENT (a theme of geography) of water on the planet. In a short
explanation, water cycles through three different forms: liquid, gas and solid.
There are many process that are involved with water, including
precipitation(condensed water vapor), snowmelt (runoff from melting snow),
infiltration (flow of water from ground surface water into the ground itself),
evaporation (water transforming from liquid to gas), condensation (water turning
from gas to liquid) and transpiration (release of water vapors from plants into the
air).
From the first image Viewmont High School is located in the Great Basin
region. In the second image, Viewmont High School is located in the Weber River
Basin Plan Area. In the third image, this shows the annual precipitation in Utah.
Viewmont High School is located along the Wasatch Front and according to the
image, this is where the most precipitation falls.
CHAPTER 7 – Weather and Climate;
Past and Present
Observations:
1. Utah has four different climate zones.
2. Desert climates are located along the SE and NW areas of Utah.
3. The Humid Continental and Undifferentiated Highlands run right along the
Wasatch Mountains.
4. The Humid Continental climate zone is the smallest zone in Utah.
5. The largest climate zone is the Steppe zone.
So What?
Utah has a very diversified climate. From the image above, Utah has four
climate zones: Steppe, Desert, Humid Continental and Undifferentiated Highlands.
The Steppe is a climate zone that is considered semi-arid and contains
grassland plain, usually with few trees. This zone has extremes when it comes to
temperatures: extreme heat and extreme cold. Steppe is Utah’s largest climate zone
covering approximately 33% of the state.
The Desert is a climate zone that usually received a low annual precipitation
fall, approximately 10 inches of rainfall or less. These particular areas in Utah are
found in the NW and SE parts of the state.
The Humid Continental climate zone is classified as having well-distributed
precipitation. This includes cold snowstorms in the winter and warm
thunderstorms in the summer. Here in Utah, this climate zone runs along the
Wasatch Front and the Great Salt Lake. This zone only takes up approximately 3%
of Utah. For my school, (Viewmont High School) it lies in the Humid Continental
climate zone.
The Undifferentiated Highlands climate zone is referred to the mountain
climate. It gets colder at higher elevations, which in turn makes the air get colder.
The main type of precipitation in this climate zone is usually snowfall.
CHAPTER 8 – Biosphere & Agriculture;
Past and Present
Observations:
1. Utah has six different vegetation zones.
2. The smallest vegetation zone is the Saline Desert, which is located in the
North West area of Utah.
3. Viewmont High School is located in the Sagebrush Zone and runs along the
Montane Zone.
4. According to the first image, there are 7 different areas that supply many
ecoregions in Utah. There are 37 ecoregions total among these areas.
5. Viewmont High School is located along the Wasatch Mountains and lies in the
blue region in the first image.
So what?
The Bioshpere is broadly known as the living Earth. It is named for
dominant vegetation species. All vegetation has it’s own habitat. Related to habitat,
a bioregion covers fairly large areas of land or water and resembles communities.
Not only does it have somewhere to live, it also has a job or niche.
Here in Utah, there are six different vegetation zones: the Saline Deseret,
Sagebrush Zone, Montane Zone, Shadscale Zone, Pinyon-Juniper Zone and the
Creosote Bush Zone. In Utah, the largest zones are the Montane and Pinyon-Juniper
Zones. From the third image above, you can observe that the Pinyon-Juniper Zone
surrounds the Montane Zone. These two zones generally run along mountain
ranges. In the case, these zones run along the Wasatch and Uintah Mountain ranges.
With Utah having six vegetation zones, there are also numerous ecoregions
in the state. 37 to be exact. These 37 ecoregions are sorted out between 7
provinces: Central Basin and Range, Mojave Basin and Range, Wyoming Basin,
Wasatch and Uinta Mountains, Colorado Plateau, Southern Rockies and the
Northern Basin and Range. Viewmont High School is located in the Wasatch and
Uinta Mountains Province. This area is mainly covered with mountains and pine
trees.
The Biosphere includes just more than the vegetation and ecoregions. It also
includes settlements of peoples in a region. In the second image, it shows the
agricultural aspect of the Utah Indians. Each region had a different culture. In Utah,
there are four different agricultural areas that the Native Utah Indians had: Plains
Related Culture, Sevier Culture, Fremont Culture and Anasazi Culture. Not only are
they showed by boundaries, they also overlap with eachother along those borders.
Chapter 9 – Demographic Information
 Introduction: Demographics are statistics that describe
populations of places. Demographics can be about the
entire population, such as, how many people live in a
county. Demographics can be about a subset of a
population, such as, what are the wages of people who
work in a county. This chapter of the atlas brings together
several data sets about the population of Davis County.
 Contents of this chapter:
Statistics of the demographics in Davis County, Utah.
- Social Statistics
- Economic Statistics
- Housing Statistics
- ACS Statistics
Social Characteristics show more >>
Average household size
Average family size
Population 25 years and
over
High school graduate or
higher
Bachelor's degree or
higher
Civilian veterans (civilian
population 18 years and
over)
With a Disability
Foreign born
Male, Now married, except
separated (population 15
years and over)
Female, Now married,
except separated
(population 15 years and
over)
Speak a language other
than English at home
(population 5 years and
over)
Household population
Group quarters population
Economic
Characteristics - show
more >>
In labor force
(population 16 years
and over)
Mean travel time to
work in minutes
(workers 16 years and
over)
Median household
income (in 2009
inflation-adjusted
Estimate
3.26
3.67
Percent
(X)
(X)
U.S.
2.60
3.19
160,517
Margin of
Error
+/-0.02
+/-0.03
map
+/-251
(X)
94.9
84.6%
(X)
map
(X)
32.7
27.5%
(X)
map
20,199
10.8
10.1%
+/-671
map
(X)
12,552
(X)
4.4
(X)
12.4%
(X)
+/-959
map
64,786
63.2
52.3%
+/-1,053
62,796
61.2
48.4%
+/-895
21,826
8.5
19.6%
+/-1,182
283,521
map
+/-887
(X)
(X)
(X)
(X)
Estimate
Percen
t
U.S.
Margin
of Error
141,526
70.7
65.0%
+/-1,216
map
22.7
(X)
25.2
+/-0.4
map
65,892
(X)
51,425
+/-861
map
dollars)
Median family income
(in 2009 inflationadjusted dollars)
Per capita income (in
2009 inflation-adjusted
dollars)
Families below poverty
level
Individuals below
poverty level
Housing
Characteristics - show
more >>
Total housing units
Occupied housing
units
Owner-occupied
housing units
Renter-occupied
housing units
Vacant housing units
72,272
(X)
62,363
+/-1,120
25,001
(X)
27,041
+/-374
(X)
4.6
9.9%
+/-0.5
(X)
6.0
13.5%
+/-0.6
Estimate
Percen
t
U.S.
Margin
of Error
91,467
map
+/-285
87,074
95.2
88.2%
+/-606
68,637
78.8
66.9%
+/-713
18,437
21.2
33.1%
+/-702
4,393
4.8
11.8%
+/-574
Owner-occupied homes
68,637
Median value (dollars)
214,300
(X)
1,468
348
Median of selected
monthly owner costs
With a mortgage
(dollars)
Not mortgaged
(dollars)
map
+/-713
map
185,40
0
+/-2,151
map
(X)
1,486
+/-15
map
(X)
419
+/-5
ACS Demographic
Estimates - show more
>>
Total population
Male
Female
Median age (years)
Under 5 years
18 years and over
65 years and over
Estimate
Percen
t
U.S.
Margin
of Error
286,502
144,518
141,984
28.6
29,219
190,202
22,840
50.4
49.6
(X)
10.2
66.4
8.0
49.3%
50.7%
36.5
6.9%
75.4%
12.6%
*****
+/-242
+/-242
+/-0.2
+/-172
*****
+/-77
One race
White
Black or African
American
American Indian and
Alaska Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian and
Other Pacific Islander
Some other race
Two or more races
280,324
263,435
97.8
91.9
97.8%
74.5%
+/-509
+/-880
map
3,344
1.2
12.4%
+/-334
map
1,593
0.6
0.8%
+/-283
map
4,835
1.7
4.4%
+/-392
map
1,054
0.4
0.1%
+/-172
map
6,063
6,178
2.1
2.2
5.6%
2.2%
+/-932
+/-509
map
map
Hispanic or Latin (any race)
21,018
7.3
15.1%
*****
map
Chapter 10 – Davis County Demographics
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=ChangeGeoContext&ge
o_id=05000US49011&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=Davis+County&_cityTown=
&_state=&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010
&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2009_5YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=
null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=
Analysis/Interpretation:
1. In social Characteristics, the average household size and average family
size (in Davis County) are very close in estimates, compared to the U.S.
where there is almost a whole person difference from household to family
size.
2. Nearly half of the population in Davis County is in the labor force. (above
the age of 16)
3. The per capita income is less than the U.S. average by about 2,000.
4. There are more males than females in Davis County by almost 4,000.
5. Davis County’s race is predominantly Caucasian.
So What?
What are demographics? Demographics are the characteristics of a
population. This statistics can vary from a city to a county to even a state. For this
specific case, we are looking at the demographics of Davis County, Utah. Chapter 9
of this Atlas shows the demographics of Davis County from 2005 to 2009. (the link
above shows the same demographics) What is great about the demographics from
this website, it shows the characteristics in comparison to what the U.S.
demographics were at this time.
With these specific demographics, they are categorized into four areas: Social
Characteristics, Economic Characteristics, Household Characteristics and ACS
Demographic Estimates. With the Social Characteristics, its main features are the
average household size and average family size. For Davis County, the average
family size and the household size are nearly the same number, whereas in the U.S.,
there is about a one person difference between the average household size (2.60)
and the family size (3.19). With the Economic Characteristics, its main features are
the population in the labor force and the income in the county. Above the age of 16,
almost half of the population in Davis County is in the labor force. With the
Household Characteristics, it shows how many housing units are in the county,
along with how many people own or rent housing and even the vacant houses.
Surprisingly, only about 5% of the housing in Davis County is vacant, compared to
the U.S. at 12%. With the ACS Demographics, its main features are the populations
of the county, as well as the sex, age and race of the people living in the county.
Davis County is not highly diverse in race, mainly Caucasian.
Chapter 11 - Economics, Education and
Davis County School District.
Labor Force Quality
Bachelors Degree or higher:
53,203
Bachelors Degree or higher:
155,745
33.00%
High School Degree or higher:
95.06%
High School Degree or higher:
White Collar Workers:
58%
Blue Collar Workers:
41%
Very Creative Professionals:
14%
Creative Professionals:
22%
Young and Educated:
Universities in Community:
Universities in County + 50 miles:
5.58%
1
21
Universities in Metro Area:
8
Community Colleges in Community:
1
Community Colleges in County + 30 miles:
5
Community Colleges in Metro Area:
11
Observations
1. From the first image, Davis County is one of the lowest population growth
rates in the state.
2. From the second image, Davis County is the second largest school district in
the state.
3. From the third image, 95% of Davis County’s resident have at least a high
school diploma.
4. From the stats in the second image, Davis County mainly houses people with
younger families, especially since there are over 65,000 students there.
5. From the third image, about 33% of Davis County residents have obtained a
Bachelor’s Degree.
Analysis / Interpretation: Quoted from Zick and Smith
1. Page 101 “Although estimates vary, the best available numbers suggest a
predicted increase in the number of school age children from 2000-2015 of
between 13-40%.”
2. Page 102 “..the percentage of youth who graduated on time from Utah high
school in 2000 was 12 points higher than the national average.”
3. Page 70 “…older Utahns are relatively better off. They typically have higher
needs adjusted incomes, are less likely to be functionally poor, and are more
likely to own their own home than older Americans living elsewhere.”
4. Page 80 “ The cost of living in Utah falls a little under the national
average…Utah’s cost of living was about 96% of the national median.”
5. Page 87 “ The strong presence of credit unions in Utah might suggest that
Utahns are smart shoppers when it comes to basic financial services.”
So What?
The three images above have different statistics but can all link together in
some form or another. In the first image, Davis County’s population growth is at
1.0%. From that image, it looks like the northwestern part of the state falls within
this percentage area. Davis County is actually .5% under the state average for
population growth. In the second image, it shows the population of the ten largest
school districts in the state. In 2009, Davis County is the second largest school
district at almost 65,000 students. The top three school districts are all within 1000
students from first to second, and second to third. This statistic shows that there
are a lot of young families living in these three counties: Granite, Davis and Alpine.
In the third image, these statistics are for the labor force in Davis County. Some of
the standout stats are that 95%, or about 155,000 people, of the labor force in Davis
County has a high school diploma. Also, about 33%, or about 53,000 people, of the
labor force has a Bachelor Degree. What I like about these stats is that it shows this
area in Utah is mainly Primary and Secondary Education oriented geographically.
Most universities are outside of the Davis County boundaries.
In my Analysis/Interpretation section, I wanted to choose quotes from Zick
and Smith that really stood out to me. The first quote I chose really puts into
perspective of how many young families live in this area. An estimated 13-40%
increase in school aged children from 2000-2015. That is a big jump. The fourth
quote I chose shows a little bit about the living situation here in Utah. Utah is 96%
of the national average for the cost of living. Maybe this could be a factor of why so
many young families live here in Utah.
Chapter 12 - Emerging Social/Behavioral
Science Issues and Davis County.
OBSERVATIONS
1. In Utah, the 2000 Census states that 64% of households in Utah are married
couple household, 13% are single parent households and the other 23% is
single parent households living with others that are not family.
2. The divorce rate in Utah is 4.5 per 1000 people, compared to the nation at 4.1
per 1000 people.
3. The median age for Utah is 27.1 years, compared to the nation at 35.5 years.
This statistics shows that Utah has a lot of young families and less elderly.
Higher birthrate over death rate.
4. There are some pockets of poverty among the older generation in Utah, more
in elderly women than elderly men by 3%. Only 1 in 3 elderly people was
lifted from this poverty from Social Security. With out Social Security about
40% of elderly persons in Utah would be living in poverty.
5. Utah is one of the lowest ten states the obesity lies within.. but from 1991 to
2001 the obesity rate still doubled.
6. Utah is one state that is less diverse in race than others in the nation but with
increases in immigration, Utah’s economy has flourished more than it would
have if people did not migrate into this area. There would be labor shortages
and reduced economic activity with out them.
7. There is an uneven distribution of racial groups suggesting segregation in
residential areas.
8. With Utah mainly being a Republican state, this can pose issue for minorities
where their interests do not get as much attention or response. The best
solution for this is for the minorities to swing vote.
ANALYSIS / INTERPRETATIONS
One issue that is on the rise is the increase in the number of younger families in Utah
compared to the elder population in the state. The median age for Utah is 27.1 years
old, whereas the nation is at 35.5 years old. That is an astonishing 8 year difference.
To go further from the median age is the large number of young families in Utah.
There are more births compared to deaths in Utah, which in turn, could potentially
cause economic turmoil or issues in the future if the path keeps rapidly going this
direction.
So What? (some stats taken from chapters 11 and 12)
The seven perspective of Social and Behavioral sciences are all linked together in
this subject of social issues in an area. In this case, we look at Davis County Utah. To
start off with Anthropology, which is the study of human beings from either the
aspect of cultural of physical Anthropology. The cultural aspect, for example, could
be that Utah has one of the lower obesity rates in the country. The physical aspect,
for example, could be the lack of racial diversity in residential areas. Very
segregated communities.
Next is Economics, which is the study of goods and services. An example of this is
Davis County could be the median household income (inflation adjusted income) in
Utah, which is at about $65,000. This is about $14,000 higher than the national
average.
After Economics is Family and Consumer Science, which is the study of modern
living patterns. An example of this could be the lack of racial diversity in Utah.
About 91% of Utah is Caucasian.
Next is Geography! The main concept with this is physical characteristics of an area.
Utah has a variety of geography, ranging from mountains to desert, to lakes, to city
living. It is super diverse.
After Geography is Political Science, which is the study of power, mainly in the
concept of government. One example here could be the state is mainly Republican,
which could raise issues among the minorities in the state from where their interest
may not get a lot of attention.
Next is Psychology, which is the study of mind and behavior. One example of this
could be seen in a way of a sense of place. In Davis County, you can always know
which way is East because of the Wasatch Mountains.
Finally, we have Sociology, which is the study of society. This can include the social
statistics of average household size and family size. In Utah, the household size is
3.26 people, compared to the nation at 2.60 people. For the family size, the numbers
aren’t too different with Utah at 3.67 people and the nation at 3.16 people. Each is
about .a 50-.60 people difference.