The effects of wildfire on native tree species in the Middle Rio Grande bosques of New Mexico

Brad Johnson; David Merritt

The effects of wildfire on native tree species in the Middle Rio Grande bosques of New Mexico

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Brad Johnson, David Merritt

Year:

2009

Type:

Miscellaneous Publication

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University. 43 p.

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Abstract

The cottonwood bosques along the Middle Fork of the Rio Grande (MRG) form a ribbon of surviving habitat in this once vast ecosystem. Historically, the channel had a multi-threaded and braided configuration that created a rich mosaic of habitats, including mixed-aged cottonwood forests, meadows, and willow-dominated riparian wetlands and backwaters (Crawford et al. 1993). While the characteristic cottonwood gallery forest still exists throughout the remaining corridor, these systems have been highly modified and many stands of cottonwood survive only as relics of a past ecological regime.

Keywords

cottonwood bosques, wildfire, Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico

Citation

Johnson, Brad; Merritt, David. 2009. The effects of wildfire on native tree species in the Middle Rio Grande bosques of New Mexico. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University. 43 p.