CNHP Wetland Ecologist Denise Culver is quoted in a recent article in the Pikes Peak Courier View regarding our recently completed Teller County survey of critical biological resources and how it has benefited local landowners. The article also notes how the survey was a great learning experience for several students from Colorado College in Colorado Springs, who participated in the fieldwork.
Denise gave a presentation on the project and its findings to the Teller County Planning
Commission this past Tuesday.
For more information about the project, see our past posts:
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
8th Annual Colorado Rare Plant Symposium this Friday
Update: The post originally said the RPTC meeting was Saturday. It is, in fact on Friday, the day before the CoNPS annual meeting. We apologize for the error.
The Colorado Native Plant Society's annual meeting is this weekend (September 31 - October 1) in Carbondale, Colorado. In conjunction with that meeting, the Colorado Rare Plant Technical Committee (RPTC) will hold its 8th Annual Colorado Rare Plant Symposium on Friday (Sept. 30th) from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Third Street Center on 520 S. Third St., Carbondale.
The RPTC is an ad-hoc group of agency, academic, and NGO botanists that has been working for years to advance rare plant conservation efforts in the state. This year, the RPTC will provide a photo review of the federally listed threatened and endangered plant species known from Colorado, including some recently listed species. Discussion of their relationship to Colorado’s important plant biodiversity areas, current conservation status, critical habitat designation and potential threats will be emphasized.
The symposium is open to any one with an interest in the rare plants of Colorado. Come prepared to exchange your knowledge of our rarest species with other amateur and professional botanists from throughout the state.
Contact Jill Handwerk for more information (970-491-5857). Registration is $10. To register visit the CoNPS website or register at the door.
The Colorado Native Plant Society's annual meeting is this weekend (September 31 - October 1) in Carbondale, Colorado. In conjunction with that meeting, the Colorado Rare Plant Technical Committee (RPTC) will hold its 8th Annual Colorado Rare Plant Symposium on Friday (Sept. 30th) from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Third Street Center on 520 S. Third St., Carbondale.
The RPTC is an ad-hoc group of agency, academic, and NGO botanists that has been working for years to advance rare plant conservation efforts in the state. This year, the RPTC will provide a photo review of the federally listed threatened and endangered plant species known from Colorado, including some recently listed species. Discussion of their relationship to Colorado’s important plant biodiversity areas, current conservation status, critical habitat designation and potential threats will be emphasized.
The symposium is open to any one with an interest in the rare plants of Colorado. Come prepared to exchange your knowledge of our rarest species with other amateur and professional botanists from throughout the state.
Contact Jill Handwerk for more information (970-491-5857). Registration is $10. To register visit the CoNPS website or register at the door.
Monday, September 26, 2011
CNHP White River NF fen work in the news
The Glenwood Springs Post Independent recently published an article about the biologically rich and unique fens in the White River National Forest that CNHP ecologists, botanists, and wetland mappers helped identify and catalogue over the last several years.
“The Colorado Natural Heritage Program's methodology and painstaking work made this project possible,” says John Proctor, White River National Forest Botanist. Thanks for the kind words and opportunity to work with you, John!
“The Colorado Natural Heritage Program's methodology and painstaking work made this project possible,” says John Proctor, White River National Forest Botanist. Thanks for the kind words and opportunity to work with you, John!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Dinosaur National Monument field trip
This summer, CNHP botanists Jill Handwerk and Peggy Lyon
traveled to Dinosaur National Monument to update some element occurrence
records that had not been visited for many years. They searched for six of Colorado’s
rare plant species:
- park rockcress (Arabis fernaldiana)
- Ownbey's thistle (Cirsium ownbeyi)
- stream orchid (Epipactis gigantea)
- Dieter's erigeron (Erigeron wilkenii)
- alcove bog orchid (Limnorchis zothecina)
- sheathed deathcamas (Zigadenus vaginatus)
As an extra bonus – the scenery was fantastic!
Rock formation known as Picasso's Portrait.
Limnorchis zothecina
Zigadenus vaginatus
Pelleae atropurpurea hanging from crevices in an alcove.
Pelleae atropurpurea close-up.
The Green River in Dinosaur NM.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
What I did on my Summer Field Season - Part 2
by Amber Provinzano
(read Part 1 of Amber’s report, in case you missed it)
CNHP Botany Team leader Jill Handwerk joined Pam and me in the field a for a few days to see the endangered Colorado butterfly plant (Gaura neomexicana ssp. coloradensis). We also hiked around a few parks and ranches, making counts of the roundtip twinpod (Physaria vitulifera), and wondering how rare plants can survive in habitat that has been so changed by human presence.
Wetland Work
Later in the season, I participated in a field session of the National Wetland Condition Assessment that CNHP is working on for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Together with field botanists Lindsey Washkoviak and Adam Skadsen, and soil scientist Alan Walters, I collected vegetation data for randomly selected wetlands in Colorado. The areas near Leadville and Nathrop, Colorado were beautiful. Camping on Turquoise Lake was lovely, minus the nightly storms that raged across the Continental Divide. I visited my first fen, and realized that while assessing the nation’s waters is important, I’m not so sure trampling over delicate and precious ecosystems is good for them. Another first for me: seeing pikas (Ochotona princeps) at one of the sites we sampled. Though the squeaking makes them sound like dog toys, they are exceptionally cute.
This summer was incredible. I am very fortunate to have received these opportunities to travel this great state and see some awesome places, plants, and animals while learning and working with remarkable people. I would like to thank everyone at CNHP, especially those who I worked closely with in the field and at the office, for providing me with the experience, knowledge, and wisdom to do good in the world.
Happy Trails!
(read Part 1 of Amber’s report, in case you missed it)
CNHP Botany Team leader Jill Handwerk joined Pam and me in the field a for a few days to see the endangered Colorado butterfly plant (Gaura neomexicana ssp. coloradensis). We also hiked around a few parks and ranches, making counts of the roundtip twinpod (Physaria vitulifera), and wondering how rare plants can survive in habitat that has been so changed by human presence.
 |
| Gaura neomexicana ssp. coloradensis. Photo by Jill Handwerk |
 |
| Physaria vitulifera, with a pen for scale. Photo by Pam Smith |
 |
| Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) in flower, an indication of healthy grasslands. Photo by Pam Smith |
Wetland Work
Later in the season, I participated in a field session of the National Wetland Condition Assessment that CNHP is working on for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Together with field botanists Lindsey Washkoviak and Adam Skadsen, and soil scientist Alan Walters, I collected vegetation data for randomly selected wetlands in Colorado. The areas near Leadville and Nathrop, Colorado were beautiful. Camping on Turquoise Lake was lovely, minus the nightly storms that raged across the Continental Divide. I visited my first fen, and realized that while assessing the nation’s waters is important, I’m not so sure trampling over delicate and precious ecosystems is good for them. Another first for me: seeing pikas (Ochotona princeps) at one of the sites we sampled. Though the squeaking makes them sound like dog toys, they are exceptionally cute.
 |
| American Pika (Ochotona princeps) looking alarmed at having been called a 'dog toy.' Photo by Amber Provinzano |
 |
| Columbines among the talus. Photo by Amber Provinzano |
 |
| Lake Turquoise at sunrise – Colorado’s two highest peaks, Mt. Elbert (14,440 ft) on the left and Mt. Massive (14,428 ft) on the right. Photo by Amber Provinzano |
This summer was incredible. I am very fortunate to have received these opportunities to travel this great state and see some awesome places, plants, and animals while learning and working with remarkable people. I would like to thank everyone at CNHP, especially those who I worked closely with in the field and at the office, for providing me with the experience, knowledge, and wisdom to do good in the world.
Happy Trails!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
What I did on my Summer Field Season - Part 1
by Amber Provinzano
The summer is over and I am out of the field and back in the classroom for my final semester as an undergraduate student. I’m continuing to work for CNHP in the same data processor position I had last year. Though the time in the field is over, the experience, lessons and memories are far from forgotten. As I’ve said before and can say again after more experience, the field season is a great component of working in natural resources and I am happy with my decision to pursue a degree in wildlife biology.
My 2011 field season experience kicked off at Willhite Ranch in southeastern Colorado with Renée Rondeau, as previously reported.
Mesa Verde and Schmoll’s Milkvetch
The summer is over and I am out of the field and back in the classroom for my final semester as an undergraduate student. I’m continuing to work for CNHP in the same data processor position I had last year. Though the time in the field is over, the experience, lessons and memories are far from forgotten. As I’ve said before and can say again after more experience, the field season is a great component of working in natural resources and I am happy with my decision to pursue a degree in wildlife biology.
My 2011 field season experience kicked off at Willhite Ranch in southeastern Colorado with Renée Rondeau, as previously reported.
Mesa Verde and Schmoll’s Milkvetch
In June, along with CNHP’s director, Dave Anderson, and CNHP field botanist Bernadette Kuhn, I ventured to Mesa Verde National Park for 10 days to assist with setting up and revisiting permanent plots used in monitoring the rare Schmoll’s Milkvetch (Astragalus schmolliae), recently made a Candidate Species for listing under the Endangered Species Act. The park’s Natural Resource staff was wonderful: they were eager to help us, providing a few supplies but more importantly extra people on the ground to get the work done.
Amber with a fruiting Astragalus schmolliae (Schmoll’s Milkvetch) and encroaching weeds in the background.
A most memorable experience was the hike to Park Mesa with veg crew member Kyle Doherty to reevaluate a demography plot for the Schmoll’s Milkvetch originally set up in 2001 by Dave Anderson. Kyle and I made our way down and back up the walls of Soda Canyon, catching glimpses of cliff dwellings, and across Park Mesa where the ancient pinyon-juniper forests meet the weed-infested fields now growing on the site of where large fires occurred in 2002.
Small dwelling, we guessed it was used to store food.
A large dwelling in the side of the canyon. Blends in, doesn't it?
The photo everyone takes of Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park.
Short-Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma douglassi)
Despite living in Colorado my entire life, I had yet to see as much of the state as I did on the 10 hour drive to Mesa Verde (we took the scenic route, at my request). And even with 9-12+ hour work days I was able to break away from work for an hour to take the Cliff Palace tour. I am very thankful to have been able to join Dave and Bernadette in this project.
Rare Plants in Jefferson County
CNHP field botanist Pam Smith recruited me to assist her in surveying Jefferson County wetlands for a few weeks in July and August. On my first day out I was lucky enough to see Colorado’s rarest orchid, Malaxis brachypoda (white adder’s-mouth). We also hiked up to see Telesonix jamesii (James’ telesonix), seeing other rare plants tracked by CNHP along the way. Pam also took me to several Jefferson County Open Space parks, and I will definitely be going back for fun. Colorado residents, especially those in and near Jefferson County, should take advantage of these gorgeous natural areas set aside by the county for our enjoyment.
Malaxis brachypoda. Photo by Scotty Smith.
Telesonix jamesii. Photo by Pam Smith.
From the left, orchid expert and CNHP volunteer Denise Wilson, Amber Provinzano, and Pam Smith at a Telesonix jamesii occurrence. Photo by Scotty Smith.
Rub-a-dub-dub, Pam in a tub. While it's a cute photo-op, who leaves a bathtub in the woods? Photo by Amber Provinzano.
My new home! (Assuming the bears don't come back. Oh wait, maybe that was their bathtub.) Photo by Pam Smith.
To be continued...
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
A Fire Burns Through the Prairie
by Renée Rondeau and Tass Kelso
On a very windy day in March, 2011 a 5,000 acre fire burned across a piece of the prairie east of Pueblo Airport, Colorado. Much of this fire traveled through a small drainage dominated by greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus), rabbitbrush (Chysothamnus nauseosus), and cholla (Cylindropuntia imbricata) shrubs with a dense understory of blue grama (Chondrosum gracile) and alkali sacaton grasses (Sporobolus airoides); secondary grasses included sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus) and three-awn (Aristida purpurea). As luck would have it, CNHP ecologist Renée Rondeau had set up two permanent vegetation monitoring plots in 1999 and measured the cover, density and frequency of these species. Measurements were repeated in subsequent years including the summer of 2010, enabling us to measure changes in the community as a result of this fire.
On August 16 and 17th, 2011, Renée Rondeau and Tass Kelso (Colorado College) collected vegetation measurements and took repeat photos of the plots. The fire had the effect of transforming what was a fairly dense shrubland into a grassland with sparse shrubs.
Rabbitbrush was hit hard with nearly 90% mortality. Cholla individuals showed about 50% mortality; the remaining live chollas were either stump-sprouting from completely charred tops or intact plants with a weakened look of minimal green coloration and stem damage that may die over the next year. Greasewood did surprisingly well; although all of the greasewood had burned to the ground, most were successfully stump-sprouting and had vigorous lush green growth. One greasewood plot had no loss of individuals, and all were stump-sprouting. The other plot lost 34% of individuals, with little to no regrowth apparent.
Grasses were also negatively impacted by the fire and lost density; numerous culms were completely burned. The grasses that did survive appeared healthy with many inflorescences. Blue grama lost at least 25% of the plants, while alkali sacaton grass lost 38%. Sanddropseed was nearly eliminated with ¾ of the population not visible. Litter was completely burned and bare ground greatly increased going from 24% cover in 2010 to 70% in 2011.
Due to all of these changes, the landscape has a very different appearance. Depending on moisture availability, we expect shrubs could start sprouting from seeds within the next few years and the shrubs start filling in the open spaces, but it may take years until it goes back to looking like a shrubland. We will let you know as we plan to watch the progression as often as we can.
Somewhere, under the rainbow (on the prairie).
On a very windy day in March, 2011 a 5,000 acre fire burned across a piece of the prairie east of Pueblo Airport, Colorado. Much of this fire traveled through a small drainage dominated by greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus), rabbitbrush (Chysothamnus nauseosus), and cholla (Cylindropuntia imbricata) shrubs with a dense understory of blue grama (Chondrosum gracile) and alkali sacaton grasses (Sporobolus airoides); secondary grasses included sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus) and three-awn (Aristida purpurea). As luck would have it, CNHP ecologist Renée Rondeau had set up two permanent vegetation monitoring plots in 1999 and measured the cover, density and frequency of these species. Measurements were repeated in subsequent years including the summer of 2010, enabling us to measure changes in the community as a result of this fire.
On August 16 and 17th, 2011, Renée Rondeau and Tass Kelso (Colorado College) collected vegetation measurements and took repeat photos of the plots. The fire had the effect of transforming what was a fairly dense shrubland into a grassland with sparse shrubs.
Change in shrub cover after the fire.
Rabbitbrush was hit hard with nearly 90% mortality. Cholla individuals showed about 50% mortality; the remaining live chollas were either stump-sprouting from completely charred tops or intact plants with a weakened look of minimal green coloration and stem damage that may die over the next year. Greasewood did surprisingly well; although all of the greasewood had burned to the ground, most were successfully stump-sprouting and had vigorous lush green growth. One greasewood plot had no loss of individuals, and all were stump-sprouting. The other plot lost 34% of individuals, with little to no regrowth apparent.
Cholla - before and after the fire.
Grasses were also negatively impacted by the fire and lost density; numerous culms were completely burned. The grasses that did survive appeared healthy with many inflorescences. Blue grama lost at least 25% of the plants, while alkali sacaton grass lost 38%. Sanddropseed was nearly eliminated with ¾ of the population not visible. Litter was completely burned and bare ground greatly increased going from 24% cover in 2010 to 70% in 2011.
There is a lot more bare ground after the fire. Renée's feet, however, are unchanged.
Due to all of these changes, the landscape has a very different appearance. Depending on moisture availability, we expect shrubs could start sprouting from seeds within the next few years and the shrubs start filling in the open spaces, but it may take years until it goes back to looking like a shrubland. We will let you know as we plan to watch the progression as often as we can.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Data on website updated for 2011
The data that we have available for download and viewing on our website has been updated for 2011. This includes updated potential conservation area reports; downloadable GIS data for element lists by 7.5 minute quad, potential conservation areas, and network conservation areas; updated tracking lists; and an updated interactive map of where CNHP is working this year.
These datasets get updated annually and they are available for free for non-commercial purposes only. For more up-to-date, detailed, specific, and/or commercial use information please contact our Environmental Review Coordinator, Michael Menefee.
These datasets get updated annually and they are available for free for non-commercial purposes only. For more up-to-date, detailed, specific, and/or commercial use information please contact our Environmental Review Coordinator, Michael Menefee.
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