Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park - photo by US National Park Service

Colorado

On March 14, 2010 the Eastern Native Tree Society and Western Native Tree Society switched from discussion lists on Google Groups to a new discussion list in a Bulletin Board format at: http://www.ents-bbs.org/index.php   Posts made since the inception of the BBS on March 14, 2010 will be sorted and archived on the BBS. Click on the link to go to the equivalent section on the new BBS. This website will continue to serve as a front end for the ENTS and WNTS groups. It will continue to serve as a repository of older posts, and will serve as the host site for special projects and features that are not well suited for a BBS format. Please visit the BBS for the latest information and trip reports.

Trip Reports and Discussions

  • Meet the Bragg Spruce and the Galehouse Pine December 20, 2009
  • Pike National Forest  (WNTS Colorado Trip Report)  WNTS/ENTS- I'm attaching a report of a recent visit to the Pike National Forest, hopefully of interest to forum members. I'm of course happy to expand on visit, should there be questions. I'd also like to take a second or two and encourage other WNTS/ENTS members to report of recent or past visits to the forested environments of the Western US!.. Nov. 13, 2009
  • Narraguinnep Canyon, CO Oct. 27, 2009  Laura, It is interesting that some patches were spared. I am sure you have thought of many ways to look at the question already. Whenever someone brings up a research project of this nature. I immediately start to think of how I would approach the problem. This is what comes to mind for me. The first step would be to map the areas that were burned and what were not burned. Maybe from aerial photos? These could be compared to topographic maps of the area to see if there was any obvious pattern to the why some areas survived and others did not. Are they shielded by canyon walls or bluffs so that wind from one direction would push the fire away from these areas? Lee Frelich has noted in fire in the Boundary Waters area of Minnesota that fires can jump across lakes that are a couple miles or more across. So while a physical barrier might play a role, it may not be the primary cause for patches to be left. The second step would be to visit these areas and see if they are different qualitatively fro the areas that burned. Are these areas actually unburned, or has the understory burned, but the larger trees survived? What is the density of the understory and overstory wood in these areas? Is it as far as can be remembered different from that which was found in the areas that did burn? Are the unburned areas ones that are wetter than the areas that burned? I can't think of any good reason why any of the underlying geology would have an effect. If the pockets survived because of variations of the wind direction, this is something that you can't go back in time and examine. I also wonder of there might be any measurable difference in fire frequency in the areas in which the trees survived and in the areas where they did not. I would expect if the burn pattern was patchy by chance there would be fires in some areas that did not occur in others, but that if the record was long enough that the average frequency would be similar. I wish I knew more about this type of research investigation, but even from a layman's perspective it is an intriguing subject.... more »
  • Fossil Redwood  September 8, 2009
  • Durango CO Event July 2010?
  • Eastern and Western Summits July 28, 2009
  • The San Juans, La Platas and back East  July 21, 2009

 

 

 

Sawatch Mountains- Roof of the Rockies - Bob Leverett's Mountain Meccas March 2008

Rocky Mountain National Park http://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm Rocky Mountain National Park is a living showcase of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. With elevations ranging from 8,000 feet in the wet, grassy valleys to 14,259 feet at the weather-ravaged top of Long's Peak. 150 lakes and 450 miles of streams are the basis of the riparian (wetland) ecosystem in the park. Lush plant life and dense wildlife are the hallmarks of these wet areas that speckle and divide other ecosystems. Forests of pine and grassy hillsides dominate the montane ecosystem in the park. These areas may be drier than riparian areas but life still abounds. Look for critters leaping or creeping from tree to tree or poking their heads from underground. As you gain elevation, you leave the montane areas and enter the subalpine ecosystem. The bent and gnarled bodies of spruce and fir trees tell the story of hard summers and harder winters near the mountain tops. 

Colorado Wild Homepage http://www.coloradowild.org/ Colorado Wild's Forest Watch Campaign works to protect old growth forest, sensitive wildlife habitat, and other sensitive areas in Colorado's forested high country. We simultaneously work to steer fuels reduction efforts towards areas near homes where they are most effective. Through comprehensive monitoring, public education, and application of sound scientific principles, we work to stop ineffective fuels reduction and unfounded logging disguised as “forest health” projects. We promote sustainable forest thinning in these areas that not only protects homes, but provides quality local jobs. 

Colorado Tree Coalition's Champion Tree Registry http://www.coloradotrees.org/champions/ The Colorado Tree Coalition (CTC) Champion Tree Program maintains records of the largest trees in the state. Each year we accept nominations from rural and urban areas all over the state. 

GORP - Colorado Wilderness http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_wilderness_area/co.htm Beaver Creek, Beyers Peak, Black Ridge Canyon, Buffalo Peaks, Bull Canyon, Willow Creek and Skull Creek, Cache La Poudre, Collegiate Peaks, Comanche Peak, Cross Mountain, Diamond Breaks, Dolores River Canyon, Eagles Nest, Flat Tops, Fossil Ridge, Greenhorn Mountains, Holy Cross, Hunter-Fryingpan, Indian Peaks, Irish Canyon, La Garita, 
Lizard Head, Lost Creek, Maroon Bells - Snowmass, Mount Evans, Mt. Massive, Mount Massive, Mt. Sneffels, Mt. Zirkel, Neota, Never Summer Mountains, Powderhorn, Ptarmigan Peak, Raggeds, Rawah, Sangre De Cristo, Sarvis Creek, South San Jaun, Uncompaghre, Vasquez Peak, 
Weminuche, West Elk.