Mark Behan
Marc Hefty Photography.
Mark Behan (1931–2008) was a professor of botany at the University of Montana, where he taught courses in plant physiology, ecology, identification, and the uses of plants by mankind. He spent several year-long assignments in Nepal and Pakistan working on university and faculty development. His ten-year affiliation with the Bombay Natural History Society focused on endangered fauna of Indian grasslands, and invasive plants of protected areas in India.
Contributions to this Site
Cottonwoods
Populus sp.
by Joseph A. Mussulman, Kristopher K. Townsend, Mark Behan
During the Expedition, they encountered four species of cottonwood trees as they moved across North America. One wonders how they would have managed without them.
Sage Grouse
Centrocercus urophasianus
by Joseph A. Mussulman, Mark Behan
“The Heath Cock or cock of the Plains is found in the Plains of Columbia and are in great abundance from the enterance of Lewis’s river to the mountains which pass the Columbia between the Great falls and Rapids of that river.” Thus we have a historic account of sage grouse range and abundance.
Quaking Aspen
Populus tremuloides
by Mark Behan
More than a year into the expedition, Lewis recognized a tree native to New England in the middle of Montana. The generic name, Populus is Latin for Aspen.
Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
Discover More
- The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.
This site is provided as a public service by the
Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance
with additional funding from the following:
