Florissant Valley Today
Open stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and quaking aspen now dominate the slopes of the Florissant valley. The ecosystem has changed since the days of the dense redwood forests. There are more open grasslands and the cold temperate forest is less diverse, with fewer broad-leaved plants. Where there once was a lake and forested valley bottom, a flower-filled meadow now blooms in the summer. Plants and animals found here today thrive in a cold, dry climate.
Plants and Animals of the Florissant Valley
The grasslands and open forests of today's Montane ecosystem support a variety of wildlife. Abert's squirrels, with their distinctive tasseled ears, depend upon ponderosa pines for food and shelter. Northern flickers chip new nests into the pines each year, leaving their old homes for other birds to occupy. From the sky, golden eagles scan the meadows for their ground squirrel prey.
The meadow wildflowers attract pollinators like hummingbirds. Fairy trumpet is designed for these birds' long tongue and attraction to red. Wapiti hide in the woods but graze the meadow grasses. They keep a keen watch for stalking mountain lions. Modern ecological niches parallel those of the Eocene, but a top predator has yet to be found in the fossil record.
[Marker Key]
1 Ponderosa Pine Pinus ponderosa
2
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3 Fairy Trumpet Ipomopsis aggregata
4 Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus
5 Wapiti (Elk) Cervus elaphus
6 Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
7 Brush-footed Butterfly Poladryas arachne
8 One-sided Penstemon Penstemon virgatus
9 Mountain Muhly Muhlenbergia montana
10 Quaking Aspen Populus tremuloides
11 Douglas Fir Psuedotsuga menziesii
12 Abert's Squirrel Sciurus aberti
13 Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
14 Richardson's Ground Squirrel Spermophilus richardsonii
15 Longhorn Beetle Monochamus sp.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Environment • Parks & Recreational Areas.
Location. 38° 54.807′ N, 105° 17.187′ W. Marker is near Florissant, Colorado, in Teller County. Marker is under the large Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument pavilion covering exposed petrified Redwood stumps, west of the Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 15807 County Road 1, Florissant CO 80816, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. (Submitted on October 22, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Florissant's Natural Features & Ecosystems. (Submitted on October 22, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 22, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 22, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 110 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 22, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
