Biological resources along the Front Range are as varied as the
topography, ranging from high mountain forests to plains grasslands. Plains riparian
(streamside) habitats are of particular interest in the context of the Front Range
Infrastructure Resources Project because they are often a focal point for conflicting
societal demands. The cottonwoods and willows comprising these communities are
structurally complex compared to the surrounding landscape and support diverse assemblages
of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. However, riparian areas are also primary sites
for water development, agriculture, grazing, sand and gravel mining, and recreation, each
of which may limit other uses. Biological studies related to the Front Range
Infrastructure Resources Project are focused on three aspects of riparian ecology:
restoration of native woody riparian species; control of undesirable exotic plants such as
saltcedar; and understanding the habitat requirements of the Preble’s meadow jumping
mouse, a riparian species recently listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
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