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The State of Colorado's Biodiversity

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The State of Colorado's Biodiversity the State of Colorado’s Biodiversity The State of Colorado’s Biodiversity Citation: Rondeau, R., K. Decker, J. Handwerk, J. Siemers, L. Grunau, and C. Pague. 2011. Th e state of Colorado’s biodiversity. Prepared for Th e Nature Conservancy by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. Copyright ©2011 Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University All rights reserved. Cover photos clockwise from top left : west side of Pike’s Peak ©Michael Menefee; Arkansas Valley evening primrose (Oenothera harringtonii) ©Michael Menefee; Window Rock in Teller County ©Michael Menefee; swift foxes (Vulpes velox) ©Pat Gaines; Pawnee National Grassland ©Michael Menefee; Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) ©Michael Menefee; plains ironweed (Vernonia marginata) ©CNHP. Back cover: Beaver Creek ©Michael Menefee. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Th is project represents an extensive assistance from Dave Anderson, from the Colorado Rare Plant team eff ort by staff members of Karin Decker, Georgia Doyle, Technical Committee. Special the Colorado Natural Heritage Michelle Fink, Amy Lavender, thanks to Veronica Estelle and Dee Program (CNHP) and Th e Nature Katie Neuhaus, Susan Spackman Malone for reviewing the entire Conservancy (TNC) working Panjabi, and Renée Rondeau. document and providing valuable together over a fi ve-year period. Second paragraph. Th e animal edits and comments that greatly Special thanks are due to Chris section was coordinated by Jeremy enhanced the fi nal product. Pague (TNC) for having the Siemer, Renée Rondeau, and Chris foresight to envision this project, Gaughan, with assistance from Brad Th is project was primarily funded enough patience to review all Lambert, Rob Schorr, John Sovell, by Th e Nature Conservancy. the details, the faith that it would and Chris Pague. Fagan Johnson, Valuable information was also have meaning, and for fi nding Melissa Landon, and Stephanie contributed through the work the funding to complete this fi rst Neid also provided support for the funded by many of CNHP’s other iteration. Th is project also could project. Lee Grunau and Karin sponsors. not have been completed without Decker compiled and edited this the oversight and enthusiasm of fi nal report. Special thanks to the William H. Renée Rondeau (CNHP), who Donner Foundation, Inc., and to directed the collaboration of the On behalf of Th e Nature Valerie Gates, for providing critical many and varied contributors, Conservancy of Colorado: Chris support to TNC for the measures of while also serving as a “scorecard Pague, Terri Schulz, Kei Sochi, success project. ambassador” to the conservation Betsy Neely, and Tim Sullivan community at large. contributed valuable ideas, hard Photo credits: all photos are work, and critical feedback. CNHP fi le photos unless credited On behalf of the Colorado Natural otherwise. Heritage Program: Ecological Every good vision needs people systems were coordinated by who can pay attention to details Karin Decker, with assistance from in order to produce a high quality Michelle Fink and Renée Rondeau. product, and many such have Th e rare plant section was contributed to this project. We are coordinated by Jill Handwerk, with grateful for the input of reviewers 3 THE STATE OF COLORADO’S BIODIVERSITY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Colorado is a “must see” state Conservationists and planners need 3) Protection status. Th is scorecard for many, thanks to its majestic methods to identify priority areas includes 18 ecological systems, scenery, abundant recreation for conservation, information on 113 of Colorado’s at-risk vertebrate opportunities, and pleasing climate. how to characterize the relative animal species, and 103 of our We are blessed with a diversity of importance, quality, and urgency rarest plant species. ecosystems, ranging from the high of these areas (inform conservation alpine peaks of the Continental strategies), and a means to measure Th is biodiversity scorecard Divide, to the rolling prairies and conservation success on a regional provides a snapshot of the current deep canyonlands of our eastern or statewide basis over time. In conservation status of our rare and prairies and western plateaus. order to assist the Colorado offi ce of imperiled species, and our most We are also faced with many Th e Nature Conservancy with their widespread ecological systems. We management challenges, including “Measures of Success” program, took a systematic and repeatable population growth and energy and to provide biodiversity status approach to these assessments, development. information to other organizations focusing on: quality, quantity, in Colorado, the Colorado Natural threats, and level of current Many groups, including federal, Heritage Program has developed protection. Resulting scores for state, and local governments, a prototype analysis of the status these factors were then combined as well as private conservation of Colorado’s biodiversity, using a to produce an overall conservation organizations, are working together “scorecard” approach. status score. Successful on conserving and managing implementation of a comprehensive our state’s biological diversity. Following the three-part model of conservation strategy should result Although there are many eyes on “eff ective conservation” developed in maintaining or improving these biodiversity issues, there is still not by Th e Nature Conservancy, our scores over time. enough time, money, and - in some scorecard evaluated the status of cases - political will, to conserve ecological systems, at-risk animals, Th is report is not a strategy for all of Colorado’s remaining and rare plants under three achieving conservation success. native landscapes. Th us, setting broad categories: 1) Biodiversity Rather, it is a guide to help set well thought-out priorities for status – including size, quality, conservation priorities, and to conservation action is essential. and landscape integrity; 2) Th reat develop those strategies that are status – focused on both current needed to ensure the long-term and potential future impacts; and 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY viability of all of our biological Table ES-1. Overall conservation status scores for Colorado ecological resources. systems analyzed. Ecological Systems System Name Conservation Status Alpine Tundra Effectively conserved Our analysis shows that, while Aspen Moderately conserved Colorado’s dominant ecological Foothill Shrubland Weakly conserved systems are still largely intact, many Grasslands Weakly conserved of them are threatened and/or Greasewood Under conserved not well protected. Common and Juniper Weakly conserved widespread ecological systems in Lodgepole Pine Moderately conserved Colorado are generally of good to Mixed Conifer Moderately conserved high quality and part of naturally Oak & Mixed Mtn Shrub Weakly conserved functioning landscapes. For some Pinyon Juniper - CO PL Weakly conserved ecological systems, however, threats Pinyon Juniper - SRM Moderately conserved and lack of protection may change Ponderosa Pine Weakly conserved this situation rapidly. Only two Sagebrush Weakly conserved of our systems scored Eff ectively Salt Shrub Weakly conserved Conserved; 16 systems are in need Sand Sage Under conserved of some level of conservation Shortgrass Prairie Under conserved attention if they are to reach Shrub-Steppe Moderately conserved Eff ectively Conserved status(Table Spruce Fir Effectively conserved ES-1). Th is situation implies both great risks and great opportunities for conserving functioning landscapes in our state. highest percentage of at-risk taxa. number are listed as threatened or Shortgrass prairie is by far the most Forty-three percent of all native endangered under the Endangered altered of any of Colorado’s major fi sh species are at-risk, and of those, Species Act: ecological systems, has fair threat almost all are weakly or under- • Amphibians = 0 status, and is poorly protected as conserved. Amphibians fared only • Birds = 6 well. Despite the loss of nearly half slightly better, with 41% of native • Fish = 5 of Colorado’s shortgrass prairie in species at risk; half are weakly or • Mammals = 4 the past century, there remain some under-conserved. Mammals, birds, • Reptiles = 0 very large, high quality areas that and reptiles are nearly equal with • Plants = 16 present excellent opportunities for approximately 20% of the species at conservation. risk or 80% not at risk. In terms of Animals absolute numbers, plants have the Species highest number of at-risk species Colorado has approximately (103). However, 96% of our native 500 vertebrate species, of which It is important to note that the plant species are not at risk. approximately 20% are considered majority of Colorado’s plants and at-risk (Figure ES-1). Twelve animals are not at risk (Figure ES- At-risk status does not translate native vertebrate species have been 1). Of the species that are at risk, directly into federal legal extirpated from Colorado. We fi sh and amphibians – both aquatic protection. Of all the at-risk evaluated 113 vertebrate species and dependent species – have the species in our state, a much smaller found that 68 of these are “under” 5 THE STATE OF COLORADO’S BIODIVERSITY Figure ES-1. Comparison of conservation status between taxonomic groups, statewide. Percentage-wise, fish and amphibians are most in need of conservation attention. However, in terms of total numbers of species, the plant group has by far the greatest number of at-risk species. or “weakly
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