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Front Range (front + range)
Kinds of Front Range Selected AbstractsALPINE AREAS IN THE COLORADO FRONT RANGE AS MONITORS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ECOSYSTEM RESPONSE,GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW, Issue 2 2002MARK W. WILLIAMS ABSTRACT. The presence of a seasonal snowpack in alpine environments can amplify climate signals. A conceptual model is developed for the response of alpine ecosystems in temperate, midlatitude areas to changes in energy, chemicals, and water, based on a case study from Green Lakes Valley,Niwot Ridge, a headwater catchment in the Colorado Front Range. A linear regression shows the increase in annual precipitation of about 300 millimeters from 1951 to 1996 to be significant. Most of the precipitation increase has occurred since 1967. The annual deposition of inorganic nitrogen in wetfall at the Niwot Ridge National Atmospheric Deposition Program site roughly doubled between 1985,1988 and 1989,1992. Storage and release of strong acid anions, such as those from the seasonal snowpack in an ionic pulse, have resulted in episodic acidification of surface waters. These biochemical changes alter the quantity and quality of organic matter in high-elevation catchments of the Rocky Mountains. Affecting the bottom of the food chain, the increase in nitrogen deposition may be partly responsible for the current decline of bighorn sheep in the Rocky Mountains. [source] A conceptual model for the longitudinal distribution of wood in mountain streamsEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 3 2009Ellen Wohl Abstract Wood load, channel parameters and valley parameters were surveyed in 50 contiguous stream segments each 25 m in length along 12 streams in the Colorado Front Range. Length and diameter of each piece of wood were measured, and the orientation of each piece was tallied as a ramp, buried, bridge or unattached. These data were then used to evaluate longitudinal patterns of wood distribution in forested headwater streams of the Colorado Front Range, and potential channel-, valley- and watershed-scale controls on these patterns. We hypothesized that (i) wood load decreases downstream, (ii) wood is non-randomly distributed at channel lengths of tens to hundreds of meters as a result of the presence of wood jams and (iii) the proportion of wood clustered into jams increases with drainage area as a result of downstream increases in relative capacity of a stream to transport wood introduced from the adjacent riparian zone and valley bottom. Results indicate a progressive downstream decrease in wood load within channels, and correlations between wood load and drainage area, elevation, channel width, bed gradient and total stream power. Results support the first and second hypotheses, but are inconclusive with respect to the third hypothesis. Wood is non-randomly distributed at lengths of tens to hundreds of meters, but the proportion of pieces in jams reaches a maximum at intermediate downstream distances within the study area. We use these results to propose a conceptual model illustrating downstream trends in wood within streams of the Colorado Front Range. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Modeling past and future alpine permafrost distribution in the Colorado Front RangeEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 12 2005Jason R. Janke Abstract Rock glaciers, a feature associated with at least discontinuous permafrost, provide important topoclimatic information. Active and inactive rock glaciers can be used to model current permafrost distribution. Relict rock glacier locations provide paleoclimatic information to infer past conditions. Future warmer climates could cause permafrost zones to shrink and initiate slope instability hazards such as debris flows or rockslides, thus modeling change remains imperative. This research examines potential past and future permafrost distribution in the Colorado Front Range by calibrating an existing permafrost model using a standard adiabatic rate for mountains (0·5 °C per 100 m) for a 4 °C range of cooler and warmer temperatures. According to the model, permafrost currently covers about 12 per cent (326·1 km2) of the entire study area (2721·5 km2). In a 4 °C cooler climate 73·7 per cent (2004·4 km2) of the study area could be covered by permafrost, whereas in a 4°C warmer climate almost no permafrost would be found. Permafrost would be reduced severely by 93·9 per cent (a loss of 306·2 km2) in a 2·0 °C warmer climate; however, permafrost will likely respond slowly to change. Relict rock glacier distribution indicates that mean annual air temperature (MAAT) was once at least some 3·0 to 4·0 °C cooler during the Pleistocene, with permafrost extending some 600,700 m lower than today. The model is effective at identifying temperature sensitive areas for future monitoring; however, other feedback mechanisms such as precipitation are neglected. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Soil CO2 flux and photoautotrophic community composition in high-elevation, ,barren' soilENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Kristen R. Freeman Summary Soil-dominated ecosystems, with little or no plant cover (i.e. deserts, polar regions, high-elevation areas and zones of glacial retreat), are often described as ,barren', despite their potential to host photoautotrophic microbial communities. In high-elevation, subnival zone soil (i.e. elevations higher than the zone of continuous vegetation), the structure and function of these photoautotrophic microbial communities remains essentially unknown. We measured soil CO2 flux at three sites (above 3600 m) and used molecular techniques to determine the composition and distribution of soil photoautotrophs in the Colorado Front Range. Soil CO2 flux data from 2002 and 2007 indicate that light-driven CO2 uptake occurred on most dates. A diverse community of Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi and eukaryotic algae was present in the top 2 cm of the soil, whereas these clades were nearly absent in deeper soils (2,4 cm). Cyanobacterial communities were composed of lineages most closely related to Microcoleus vaginatus and Phormidium murrayi, eukaryotic photoautotrophs were dominated by green algae, and three novel clades of Chloroflexi were also abundant in the surface soil. During the light hours of the 2007 snow-free measurement period, CO2 uptake was conservatively estimated to be 23.7 g C m,2 season,1. Our study reveals that photoautotrophic microbial communities play an important role in the biogeochemical cycling of subnival zone soil. [source] Presence and distribution of wastewater-derived pharmaceuticals in soil irrigated with reclaimed waterENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2006Chad A. Kinney Abstract Three sites in the Front Range of Colorado, USA, were monitored from May through September 2003 to assess the presence and distribution of pharmaceuticals in soil irrigated with reclaimed water derived from urban wastewater. Soil cores were collected monthly, and 19 pharmaceuticals, all of which were detected during the present study, were measured in 5-cm increments of the 30-cm cores. Samples of reclaimed water were analyzed three times during the study to assess the input of pharmaceuticals. Samples collected before the onset of irrigation in 2003 contained numerous pharmaceuticals, likely resulting from the previous year's irrigation. Several of the selected pharmaceuticals increased in total soil concentration at one or more of the sites. The four most commonly detected pharmaceuticals were erythromycin, carbamazepine, fluoxetine, and diphenhydramine. Typical concentrations of the individual pharmaceuticals observed were low (0.02,15 ,g/kg dry soil). The existence of subsurface maximum concentrations and detectable concentrations at the lowest sampled soil depth might indicate interactions of soil components with pharmaceuticals during leaching through the vadose zone. Nevertheless, the present study demonstrates that reclaimed-water irrigation results in soil pharmaceutical concentrations that vary through the irrigation season and that some compounds persist for months after irrigation. [source] Temporal coherence of two alpine lake basins of the Colorado Front Range, U.S.A.FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2000J. I. L. L. S. Baron 1. Knowledge of synchrony in trends is important to determining regional responses of lakes to disturbances such as atmospheric deposition and climate change. We explored the temporal coherence of physical and chemical characteristics of two series of mostly alpine lakes in nearby basins of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Using year-to-year variation over a 10-year period, we asked whether lakes more similar in exposure to the atmosphere be-haved more similarly than those with greater influence of catchment or in-lake processes. 2. The Green Lakes Valley and Loch Vale Watershed are steeply incised basins with strong altitudinal gradients. There are glaciers at the heads of each catchment. The eight lakes studied are small, shallow and typically ice-covered for more than half the year. Snowmelt is the dominant hydrological event each year, flushing about 70% of the annual discharge from each lake between April and mid-July. The lakes do not thermally stratify during the period of open water. Data from these lakes included surface water temper-ature, sulphate, nitrate, calcium, silica, bicarbonate alkalinity and conductivity. 3. Coherence was estimated by Pearson's correlation coefficient between lake pairs for each of the different variables. Despite close geographical proximity, there was not a strong direct signal from climatic or atmospheric conditions across all lakes in the study. Individual lake characteristics overwhelmed regional responses. Temporal coherence was higher for lakes within each basin than between basins and was highest for nearest neighbours. 4. Among the Green Lakes, conductivity, alkalinity and temperature were temporally coherent, suggesting that these lakes were sensitive to climate fluctuations. Water tem-perature is indicative of air temperature, and conductivity and alkalinity concentrations are indicative of dilution from the amount of precipitation flushed through by snowmelt. 5. In Loch Vale, calcium, conductivity, nitrate, sulphate and alkalinity were temporally coherent, while silica and temperature were not. This suggests that external influences are attenuated by internal catchment and lake processes in Loch Vale lakes. Calcium and sulphate are primarily weathering products, but sulphate derives both from deposition and from mineral weathering. Different proportions of snowmelt versus groundwater in different years could influence summer lake concentrations. Nitrate is elevated in lake waters from atmospheric deposition, but the internal dynamics of nitrate and silica may be controlled by lake food webs. Temperature is attenuated by inconsistently different climates across altitude and glacial meltwaters. 6. It appears that, while the lakes in the two basins are topographically close, geologically and morphologically similar, and often connected by streams, only some attributes are temporally coherent. Catchment and in-lake processes influenced temporal patterns, especially for temperature, alkalinity and silica. Montane lakes with high altitudinal gradients may be particularly prone to local controls compared to systems where coherence is more obvious. [source] Photogrammetric Analysis of Front Range Rock Glacier Flow RatesGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2005Jason Ronald Janke Abstract Flow rates for rock glaciers in the European Alps have been monitored using photogrammetric techniques; however, a program has not been initiated for similar Front Range, USA, rock glaciers. Horizontal rock glacier displacements were measured by tracking large surficial rocks on temporal orthophotos from 1978, 1990, and 1999. Vertical change was measured by creating digital elevation models (DEMs) from digital stereopairs, then subtracting elevations to detect change. Long-term horizontal velocities ranged from 14 to 20 cm/yr on average, although uncertainty ranged from 4 to 5 cm/yr. On average, vertical elevation changes were negligible with most rock glaciers exhibiting a slight growth or thinning (1,2 cm/yr). Over shorter time scales (c. 10-year periods), horizontal velocities have only increased by about 2 cm/yr. Because horizontal and vertical change is minimal, Front Range rock glaciers appear to be adjusted with current climate, unlike some rock glaciers in the European Alps that have shown increasing subsidence rates or significant increasing or decreasing horizontal velocities. [source] ALPINE AREAS IN THE COLORADO FRONT RANGE AS MONITORS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ECOSYSTEM RESPONSE,GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW, Issue 2 2002MARK W. WILLIAMS ABSTRACT. The presence of a seasonal snowpack in alpine environments can amplify climate signals. A conceptual model is developed for the response of alpine ecosystems in temperate, midlatitude areas to changes in energy, chemicals, and water, based on a case study from Green Lakes Valley,Niwot Ridge, a headwater catchment in the Colorado Front Range. A linear regression shows the increase in annual precipitation of about 300 millimeters from 1951 to 1996 to be significant. Most of the precipitation increase has occurred since 1967. The annual deposition of inorganic nitrogen in wetfall at the Niwot Ridge National Atmospheric Deposition Program site roughly doubled between 1985,1988 and 1989,1992. Storage and release of strong acid anions, such as those from the seasonal snowpack in an ionic pulse, have resulted in episodic acidification of surface waters. These biochemical changes alter the quantity and quality of organic matter in high-elevation catchments of the Rocky Mountains. Affecting the bottom of the food chain, the increase in nitrogen deposition may be partly responsible for the current decline of bighorn sheep in the Rocky Mountains. [source] Assessing burn severity and comparing soil water repellency, Hayman Fire, ColoradoHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 1 2006Sarah A. Lewis Abstract An important element of evaluating a large wildfire is to assess its effects on the soil in order to predict the potential watershed response. After the 55 000 ha Hayman Fire on the Colorado Front Range, 24 soil and vegetation variables were measured to determine the key variables that could be used for a rapid field assessment of burn severity. The percentage of exposed mineral soil and litter cover proved to be the best predictors of burn severity in this environment. Two burn severity classifications, one from a statistical classification tree and the other a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) burn severity map, were compared with measured ,ground truth' burn severity at 183 plots and were 56% and 69% accurate, respectively. This study also compared water repellency measurements made with the water drop penetration time (WDPT) test and a mini-disk infiltrometer (MDI) test. At the soil surface, the moderate and highly burned sites had the strongest water repellency, yet were not significantly different from each other. Areas burned at moderate severity had 1·5 times more plots that were strongly water repellent at the surface than the areas burned at high severity. However, the high severity plots most likely had a deeper water repellent layer that was not detected with our surface tests. The WDPT and MDI values had an overall correlation of r = ,0·64(p < 0·0001) and appeared to be compatible methods for assessing soil water repellency in the field. Both tests represent point measurements of a soil characteristic that has large spatial variability; hence, results from both tests reflect that variability, accounting for much of the remaining variance. The MDI is easier to use, takes about 1 min to assess a strongly water repellent soil and provides two indicators of water repellency: the time to start of infiltration and a relative infiltration rate. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Ecological effects of changes in fire regimes in Pinus ponderosa ecosystems in the Colorado Front RangeJOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 6 2006Rosemary L. Sherriff Abstract Question: What is the relative importance of low- and high-severity fires in shaping forest structure across the range of Pinus ponderosa in northern Colorado? Location: Colorado Front Range, USA. Methods: To assess severities of historic fires, 24 sites were sampled across an elevation range of 1800 to 2800 m for fire scars, tree establishment dates, tree mortality, and changes in tree-ring growth. Results: Below 1950 m, the high number of fire scars, scarcity of large post-fire cohorts, and lack of synchronous tree mortality or growth releases, indicate that historic fires were of low severity. In contrast, above 2200 m, fire severity was greater but frequency of widespread fires was substantially less. At 18 sites above 1950 m, 34 to 80% of the live trees date from establishment associated with the last moderate- to high-severity fire. In these 18 sites, only 2 to 52% of the living trees pre-date these fires suggesting that fire severities prior to any effects of fire suppression were sufficient to kill many trees. Conclusions: These findings for the P. ponderosa zone above ca. 2200 m (i.e. most of the zone) contradict the widespread perception that fire exclusion, at least at the stand scale of tens to hundreds of hectares, has resulted in unnaturally high stand densities or in an atypical abundance of shade-tolerant species. At relatively mesic sites (e.g. higher elevation, north-facing), the historic fire regime consisted of a variable-severity regime, but forest structure was shaped primarily by severe fires rather than by surface fires. [source] Geochemistry and source waters of rock glacier outflow, Colorado Front RangePERMAFROST AND PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES, Issue 1 2006M. W. Williams Abstract We characterize the seasonal variation in the geochemical and isotopic content of the outflow of the Green Lake 5 rock glacier (RG5), located in the Green Lakes Valley of the Colorado Front Range, USA. Between June and August, the geochemical content of rock glacier outflow does not appear to differ substantially from that of other surface waters in the Green Lakes Valley. Thus, for this alpine ecosystem at this time of year there does not appear to be large differences in water quality among rock glacier outflow, glacier and blockslope discharge, and discharge from small alpine catchments. However, in September concentrations of Mg2+ in the outflow of the rock glacier increased to more than 900,µeq,L,1 compared to values of less than 40,µeq,L,1 at all the other sites, concentrations of Ca2+ were greater than 4,000,µeq,L,1 compared to maximum values of less than 200,µeq,L,1 at all other sites, and concentrations of SO reached 7,000,µeq,L,1, compared to maximum concentrations below 120,µeq,L,1 at the other sites. Inverse geochemical modelling suggests that dissolution of pyrite, epidote, chlorite and minor calcite as well as the precipitation of silica and goethite best explain these elevated concentrations of solutes in the outflow of the rock glacier. Three component hydrograph separation using end,member mixing analysis shows that melted snow comprised an average of 30% of RG5 outflow, soil water 32%, and base flow 38%. Snow was the dominant source water in June, soil water was the dominant water source in July, and base flow was the dominant source in September. Enrichment of ,18O from ,10, in the outflow of the rock glacier compared to ,20, in snow and enrichment of deuterium excess from +,17.5, in rock glacier outflow compared to +,11, in snow, suggests that melt of internal ice that had undergone multiple melt/freeze episodes was the dominant source of base flow. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||