The Colorado Rockies forests is a temperate coniferous forest ecoregion of the United States.

Colorado Rockies forests
Spruce forest in the Colorado Rockies
Ecology
Realm	Nearctic
Biome	Temperate coniferous forest
Borders	Colorado Plateau shrublands, Northern short grasslands, Western short grasslands and Wyoming Basin shrub steppe
Bird species	210[1]
Mammal species	103[1]
Geography
Country	United States
States	Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico
Conservation
Habitat loss	1.2653%[1]
Protected	65.39%[1]

Setting

This ecoregion is located in the highest ranges of the Rocky Mountains, in central and western Colorado, northern New Mexico and southeastern Wyoming, and experiences a dry continental climate.[2][3]

Flora

The dominant vegetation type of this ecoregion is coniferous forest. In contrast with Rocky Mountain ecoregions to the north, lodgepole pine is rather rare, replaced by Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides). Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca) and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmanni) can also be found in the mountain forests. Bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata) is the dominant plant at the tree line/krummholz zone. Aside from coniferous forests, the ecoregion contains meadows, foothill grasslands, riparian woodlands and alpine tundra.

Fauna

Mammals include elk (Cervus canadensis), mule deer (Odocoileus hemonius), black bear (Ursus americanus), wolverine (Gulo gulo), North American cougar (Puma concolor), Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), and American marten (Martes americana). Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) may exist in this region but there has not been a confirmed sighting of a grizzly in Colorado since 1979.[4]

Threats and preservation

While this ecoregion is listed as "relatively stable/intact", it is threatened by logging, mining, oil and gas development, recreational-residential construction, domestic livestock grazing and introduction of exotic species. Protected areas include Rocky Mountain National Park and Indian Peaks Wilderness in north-central Colorado, South San Juan Wilderness in south-central Colorado, Carson National Forest in north-central New Mexico and Medicine Bow – Routt National Forest in southeastern Wyoming.

See also

• List of ecoregions in the United States (WWF)
• Southern Rocky Mountains
• Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine forest
• Rocky Mountains subalpine zone

References

External links

• National Geographic.org: Colorado Rockies forests ecoregion^{[permanent dead link]}