Florissant Valley Today

Open stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and quaking aspen now dominate the slopes of the Florissant valley, whose ecosystem has changed since the days of dense redwood forests. There are more open grasslands, the cold temperate forest is less diverse, and fewer broad-leaved plants grow here. Where a lake and forested valley bottom once lay, a flower-filled meadow now blooms in summer. Plants and animals living here today thrive in a cold, dry climate. The grasslands and open forests of today’s montane ecosystem support wildlife including Abert’s squirrels, which depend on ponderosa pines for food and shelter; northern flickers, which chip new nests into the pines each year and leave old cavities for other birds; golden eagles, which hunt ground squirrels in the meadows; hummingbirds, which pollinate wildflowers such as fairy trumpet; wapiti, which hide in the woods and graze meadow grasses; and mountain lions, which stalk them. Modern ecological niches parallel those of the Eocene, but a top predator has yet to be found in the fossil record.

Florissant, Colorado · United States