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NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



timber. The north and east parts sup- 

 port mixed Engehnann spruce and alpine 

 fir timber. About 10% burned over 

 and many burned areas support aspen. 



There are a few deer and elk and many 

 bear and also a few bighorn sheep. 



Silver Creek Watershed for town of 

 Rico is closed to grazing. Area 6 sq. 

 mi. Timber growth consists of aspen, 

 Engelmann spruce and alpine fir. 



Pike National Forest (Colorado) 



Practically all parts of the Forest, 

 including some areas above timberline 

 are accessible by good auto roads, and 

 during summer fair accommodations may 

 be had at nearly all towns and resorts. 

 The land is 78% timbered, 2% aspen, 

 1% brush lands (oak), 2% grassland, 

 5% burns not restocking and 12% bar- 

 ren and grassland above timber-line. 

 Elevations below 9000 ft., characterized 

 by open stands of western yellow pine 

 and Douglas fir. Limber pine occurs 

 on the ridge crests and exposed sites. 

 From 9000 ft. to timber-line, Engel- 

 mann spruce is the principal species, 

 with a mi.xture of Douglas fir and limber 

 pine at the lower elevations, and on the 

 exposed ridges, bristle-cone pine (Pinus 

 aristata). The spruce forms stands with 

 an unusually light mixture of alpine 

 fir. In the north half of the Forest, 

 lodgepole pine occurs, the southern 

 limits of lodgepole east of the Continen- 

 tal Divide being near the South Platte 

 River. 



Successful elk plants were made in 

 1916 in the vicinity of Idaho Springs 

 and Pikes Peak. 



Sample plots 4 acres in extent estab- 

 lished 1920 for study of thinning in a 

 40-j'ear Douglas fir sapling stand 

 through commercial sales of Christmas 

 trees, to shorten the rotation for tie and 

 saw-timber production. Accessible (a) 

 from Denver or Sedalia; 8 mi. from 

 Sedalia over Decker Springs road. 

 Auto service and fair accommodations at 

 Sedalia. 

 Grazing— Planting — Erosion Sample 

 /^jPIots, involves 30 acres of fenced land 



from which grazing is excluded with 

 similar area adjacent and unfenced 

 and subject to usual grazing by cattle 

 and horses. Planted and unplanted 

 areas both within and without enclosure. 

 Vegetation quadrats for the study of 

 effects of erosion are established on each 

 plot. Forest type is essentially yellow 

 pine. Vegetation characterized by 

 mountain mahogony, deer bush and 

 grama grass. Reached from Denver 

 via C. & S. Ry. to South Platte. Thence 

 two mi. SW. via old abandoned wood 

 road. Local residents familiar. 



Planted areas of several thousand 

 acres in vicinity of Pikes Peak, Cascade 

 and Monum.ent, some dating from 1909, 

 illustrate possibilities of artificial re- 

 forestation. Forest Service Nurserv for 

 production of tree stock at Monument. 

 Leave any local train between Denver 

 and Colorado Springs; or auto from 

 Colorado Springs. 



The Denver Mountain Parks State 

 Game Refuge, 500,000 acres, ranging in 

 elevation from 6000 to 14,000 ft. Vege- 

 tative types very diverse. Accessible 

 from Denver (a). 



Pikes Peak State Game Refuge, 

 129,000 acres, covers a range of from 

 6250 to 14,000 ft. Deer, elk, bighorn 

 sheep, beaver, coyote, bear, cougar, 

 ptarmigan, and grouse are found. 

 Accessible from Colo. Springs and Mani- 

 tou by rail and (a). Towns on all 

 sides. Rangers at Colo. Springs and 

 Cascade. 



Watershed, City of Colorado Springs 

 and Town of Manitou. This area 

 includes some 60,000 acres, closed to 

 grazing, and mostly within the game 

 preserve described above. One of the 

 most readily accessible spots of the 

 United States in which to gain an in- 

 timate knowledge of practically all 

 forms of plant and animal life character- 

 istic of the region. Within the area are 

 the Fremont Forest Experiment Station 

 of the U. S. Forest Service, and the 

 Alpine Laboratory of the Carnegie 

 Institution. 

 The City of Denver Watershed, con- 



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