CNAP Natural Areas by Feature
Native Communities; Geological; Paleontological; Rare Plants and Animals
Community Types in Natural Areas
The table below lists the 45 community types tracked by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program which are found on Colorado Natural Areas.
Community type
Dominant species
Natural Area
Alkaline spring wetland
Eleocharis quinqueflora-triglochin spp.
High Creek Fen
Cold desert shrublands
Atriplex confertifolia/oryzopsis hymenoides
Dudley Bluffs
Atriplex confertifolia/pseudoroegneria spicata
Dudley Bluffs Lookout Mountain
Coyote willow/mesic graminoid
Salix exigua/mesic graminoid
Unaweep Seep
Emergent wetland
Eleocharis palustris
Mishak Lakes Unaweep Seep
Eleocharis rostellata
Escalante Canyon
Extreme rich fen
Kobresia simpliciuscula-scirpus pumilus
Extreme rich fens
Kobresia myosuroides-thalictrum alpinum
Foothills riparian shrubland
Forestiera pubescens
San Miguel River at Tabeguache
Shepherdia argentea
Fremont cottonwood riparian forests
Populus deltoides ssp. wislizenii/salix exigua
Gardner's mat saltbush shrublands
Atriplex gardneri/leymus salinus
Badger Wash
Geyer's willow-rocky mountain willow/mesic forb
Salix geyeriana-salix monticola/mesic forb
Dome Rock
Great plains marshes
Scirpus tabernaemontani-scirpus acutus
Hanging gardens
Aquilegia micrantha-mimulus eastwoodiae
Mesic oak thickets
Quercus gambelii-cercocarpus montanus/muhlenbergia montana
Aiken Canyon
Mesic western Slope pinyon-juniper woodlands
Juniperus osteosperma/leymus salinus
Pyramid Rock Rabbit Valley
Pinus edulis/cercocarpus ledifolius
Irish Canyon
Pinus edulis/cercocarpus montanus
Needle Rock Yanks Gulch
Mixed foothill shrublands
Cercocarpus montanus/stipa comata
Aiken Canyon Owl Canyon Pinon Grove
Mixed mountain shrublands
Cercocarpus ledifolius/pseudoroegneria spicata
Irish Canyon Limestone Ridge
Quercus gambelii-cercocarpus montanus/carex geyeri
Deer Gulch
Montane grasslands
Danthonia parryi
Saddle Mountain
Stipa comata-bouteloua gracilis
Owl Canyon Pinon Grove
Narrowleaf cottonwood riparian forests
Acer negundo-populus angustifolia/celtis reticulata
Narrowleaf cottonwood/skunkbrush
Populus angustifolia/rhus trilobata
Northern sandhill prairies
Artemisia filifolia/andropogon hallii
Tamarack Ranch
Sagebrush bottomland shrublands
Artrt/elci2 phase symphoricarpos oreophilus
Yanks Gulch
Saline bottomland shrublands
Sarcobatus vermiculatus/suaeda torreyana
riparian shrubland
Alnus incana/mesic forb
Pinyon woodland
Pinus edulis/stipa scribneri
Upper montane woodlands
Pinus aristata/ribes montigenum
Utah juniper woodland
Juniperus osteosperma/stipa comata
West Slope pinyon woodland
Pinus edulis/coleogyne ramosissima
Rough Canyon
Western Slope douglas fir forests
Pseudotsuga menziesii/symphoricarpos oreophilus
Western Slope grasslands
Pascopyrum smithii
Pseudoroegneria spicata
South Cathedral Bluffs
Pseudoroegneria spicata phase arenaria hookeri
Limestone Ridge
Pseudoroegneria spicata-oryzopsis hymenoides
Western Slope sagebrush shrublands
Artemisia nova/pseudoroegneria spicata
Artemisia nova/stipa comata
North Park
Western Slope salt meadows
Spartina gracilis
Xeric sagebrush shrublands
Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis/pseudoroegneria spicata
Lookout Mountain
Xeric tallgrass prairies
Andropogon gerardii-schizachyrium scoparium
Ken Caryl Ranch South Boulder Creek
Xeric western Slope pinyon-juniper woodlands
Pinus edulis/pseudoroegneria spicata
Dudley Bluffs Irish Canyon Limestone Ridge Lower Greaswood Lookout Mountain
Geologic Features of Natural Areas
Colorado Designated Natural Areas Having Outstanding Geologic Resources:
Site
County
Period/Epoch (million years ago)
Feature
Slumgullion Earthflow
Hinsdale
Recent 300-700 years
Major earthflows over 4 miles in length
East Sand Dunes
Jackson
Pleistocene .01-1.6
Active cold-climate dunes rare in North America
Moffat
Excellent example of pirated stream valley
Gunnison Gravels
Mesa
Pleistocene 1-1.5
Gravel deposits that are key to tracing the history of the Gunnison and Colorado rivers
Needle Rock
Delta
Oligocene - about 28
Volcanic neck over 800' high
Wheeler
Mineral/Sagu.
Strikingly eroded lava and ash flows
Pyramid Rock
Eocene/Paleocene 50-60
Wasatch formation landmark
Roxborough
Douglas
Cretaceous to Precambrian 60-600
Massive erosional remnants of sedimentary formations.
Exposures of E. Unita Mtn. geology
Blue Mtn. Fault
Larimer
Permian 250-280
Clear example of drape/drag faulting
Gateway Palisade
2000' Wingate sandstone monolith
Cross Mtn. Canyon
Mississippian 320-360
Exhumed horst with 200' vertical limestone cliffs
Teller
Precambrian 600+
Massive exfoliating granite outcrops
Paleontologic Features of Natural Areas
Colorado Designated Natural Areas Having Outstanding Paleontologic Resources:
Raven Ridge
Rio Blanco
Eocene 40-60
Rich in insect fossils
Kremmling
Grand
Cretaceous 70-140
Unusual and diverse marine invertebrate fossils including giant ammonites
Rabbit Valley
Jurassic/Cretaceous 130-160
Several large dinosaur fossils
Fruita
Jurassic 150-200
Complete and well-preserved mammal and dinosaur fossils
Garden Park
Fremont
Rich diversity of vertebrate fossils
Indian Springs TFL
Ordovician 440-500
Twenty-five different types of trace fossils from crabs to fish and trilobites
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Rare plant species in Colorado Natural Areas
There are 75 rare plant species currently protected in Designated Colorado Natural Areas. Six of these are federally listed species, 4 are federal candidate species, 13 species are listed sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service, and 33 are listed sensitive by the BLM. There are two natural areas that are type localities (the species was first collected there) for a species (Lesquerella parviflora and Penstemon debilis), and two that contain the largest or most significant populations of the species in the state of Colorado (Phacelia formosula and Astragalus microcymbus).
Scientific Name
Common Name
CNHP Global Rank
CNHP State Rank
Federal List
BLM/FS Sensitive
Aletes lithophilus
rock-loving neoparrya
G3
S3
FS/BLM
Apios americana
American groundnut
G5
S1
Argillochloa dasyclada
Utah fescue
Aristida basiramea
forktip three-awn
Asclepias uncialis
dwarf milkweed
S1S2
Asplenium adiantum-nigrum
black spleenwort
Astragalus debequaeus
Debeque milkvetch
G2
S2
Astragalus detritalis
debris milkvetch
BLM
Astragalus linifolius
Grand Junction milkvetch
G3Q
Astragalus lutosus
dragon milkvetch
G4
S3S4
Astragalus microcymbus
skiff milkvetch
G1
Astragalus musiniensis
Ferron milkvetch
Astragalus ripleyi
Ripley milkvetch
FS
Bolophyta ligulata
ligulate feverfew
Botrychium campestre
prairie moonwort
Botrychium echo
reflected moonwort
Carex livida
livid sedge
Carex scirpoidea
Canadian single-spike sedge
Carex viridula
green sedge
Cirsium ownbeyi
Ownbey thistle
Cleome multicaulis
slender spiderflower
G2G3
S2S3
Draba grayana
Gray's Peak whitlow grass
Drosera rotundifolia
roundleaf sundew
Epipactis gigantea
giant helleborine
Eriogonum brandegei
Brandegee wild buckwheat
G1G2
Eriogonum contortum
grand buckwheat
Eriogonum ephedroides
ephedra buckwheat
Eriogonum pelinophilum
clay-loving wild buckwheat
E
Eriogonum tumulosum
woodside buckwheat
Eriophorum gracile
slender cottongrass
Gentianella tortuosa
Utah gentian
Gilia stenothyrsa
narrow-stem gilia
Heuchera richardsonii
Richardson alum-root
Lesquerella congesta
Dudley Bluffs bladderpod
T
Lesquerella parviflora
Piceance bladderpod
Lilium philadelphicum
wood lily
Lomatium eastwoodiae
Eastwood desert-parsley
G3G4
Mimulus eastwoodiae
Eastwood monkey-flower
Nutallia argillosa
Arapien stickleaf
Nutallia chrysantha
golden blazing-star
Oreocarya caespitosa
tufted cryptanth
Oreocarya elata
tall cryptanth
Oreocarya longiflora
long-flower cat's-eye
Oreocarya rollinsii
Rollins cryptanth
Packera pauciflora
few-flowered ragwort
G4G5
Pellaea atropurpurea
purple cliff-brake
Penstemon acaulis var. yampaensis
Yampa beardtongue
Penstemon debilis
Parachute penstemon
C
Penstemon grahamii
Graham beardtongue
Penstemon retrorsus
adobe beardtongue
Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis
White River penstemon
G4T1
Phacelia formosula
North Park phacelia
Phacelia incana
hoary phacelia
Phacelia submutica
Debeque phacelia
G4T2
Physaria bellii
Bell's twinpod
Physaria obcordata
Piceance twinpod
Primula egaliksensis
Greenland primrose
Ribes americanum
American currant
Salix candida
hoary or silver willow
Salix myrtillifolia
low blueberry willow
Salix serissima
autumn willow
Sclerocactus glaucus
Uinta Basin hookless cactus
Sisyrinchium pallidum
pale blue-eyed grass
Solidago ptarmicoides
prairie goldenrod
Sphaeromeria argentea
Nuttall's false sagebrush
Sphaeromeria capitata
rock-tansy
Spiranthes diluvialis
Ute ladies' tresses
Thalictrum heliophilum
sun-loving meadowrue
Townsendia strigosa
strigose easter-daisy
Trichophorum pumilum
little bulrush
Trifolium andinum
mountain clover
Unamia alba
priaire goldenrod
Utricularia ochrolueca
northern bladderwort
Rare Fauna of Natural Areas
The following list shows rare vertebrate and invertebrate species found and protected in one or more of Colorado's Natural Areas, or, since most such species are mobile, within one mile of the areas. It is also very probable that additional species would be located in the areas if full surveys were to be completed. This is particularly true for birds. Therefore, some species with a very high probability of occurrence are included here, and distinguished as "very likely."
Federal/State Status
Amphibians
Boreal Toad
Bufo boreas
FC/SE
Canyon Treefrog
Hyla arenicolor
SC
Great Basin Spadefoot
Spea intermontana
Northern Leopard Frog
Rana pipiens
Tiger Salamander
Ambystoma tigrinum
(long-term research site for Ambystoma)
Wood Frog
Rana sylvatica
Birds
*
American Peregrine Falcon
S3B
Black Swift
Bobolink
Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse
Grace's Warbler
Gray Vireo
S2B
Greater Sandhill Crane
Least Tern
S1B
FE/SE
Lesser Prairie Chicken
ST
Lewis's Woodpecker
S4
Northern Sage Grouse
Ovenbird
Piping Plover
FT/ST
Plains Sharp-tailed Grouse
(historical record)
SE
Prairie Falcon
S4B
Sage Sparrow
Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo
SR
White-faced Ibis
Very Likely:
Black-necked Stilt
Boreal Owl
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
Burrowing Owl
Ferruginous Hawk
Greater Prairie Chicken
Gunnison Sage Grouse
McCown's Longspur
Mountain Plover
FC/SC
Northern Goshawk
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Veery
White-tailed Ptarmigan
White-winged Crossbill
Willow Flycatcher
Wilson's Phalarope
Fish
Colorado River Cutthroat Trout
Oncorhynchus clarki pleuriticus
Greenback Cutthroat Trout
Oncorhynchus clarki stomias
Plains Topminnow
Fundulus sciadicus
--
Northern Redbelly Dace
Phoxinus eos
Mammals
Cliff Chipmunk
Tamias dorsalis
Dwarf Shrew
Sorex nanus
Ord's Kangaroo Rat
Dipodomys ordii priscus
Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse
Zapus hudsonius preblei
Pygmy Shrew
Sorex hoyi montanus
Silky Pocket Mouse
Perognathus flavus sanluisi
White-tailed Prairie Dog
Cynomys leucurus
Brazilian Free-tailed Bat
Tadarida brasiliensis
Swift Fox
Vulpes velox
Reptiles
Common Kingsnake
Lampropeltis getula
Desert Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus magister
Longnose Leopard Lizard
Gambelia wislizenii
Texas Horned-Lizard
Phrynosoma cornutum
Variable Skink
Eumeces multivirgatus gaigeae
Western Yellowbelly Racer
Coluber constrictor mormon
Lined Snake
Tropidoclonion lineatum
Invertebrates
Uncompaghre fritillary
Boloria imptoba acrocnema
FE
Hops feeding azure
Celastrina humulus
Gallium sphinx moth
Hyles Gallii
S3?
* Birds are limited to breeding species, not migrants or occasionals. Scientific names for birds are omitted since common names are standardized