{"id":2159,"date":"2022-03-01T03:00:12","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T10:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/?p=2159"},"modified":"2022-02-28T16:00:26","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T23:00:26","slug":"native-grasslands-boulder-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/native-grasslands-boulder-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Native Grasslands of Boulder County"},"content":{"rendered":"

Though grasses may look like a uniform blanket of green, native grasslands play an important role in Front Range ecosystems. Wherever grasses grow, they provide important forage for grazing animals. Their seeds also provide food for birds and small mammals, and taller grasses provide cover from predators for small animals. Native grasslands also come in several varieties that differ based on elevation, precipitation, and soil type.<\/p>\n

Shortgrass prairie once dominated the flatlands of Boulder County. Today, nearly 50% of this ecosystem has been lost to agriculture and other disturbances. Because Colorado\u2019s high plains are often subject to drought, the grass species of the shortgrass prairie are typically compact, helping them to conserve water. These grasslands once supported vast herds of grazing animals like bison, pronghorn, elk, and deer, as well as prairie dogs and even wolves and grizzly bears. You can still see this ecosystem at Coalton Trailhead in Superior, though without the wolves, bears, bison, and pronghorn.<\/p>\n

Planting Native Species<\/h2>\n

People who replace their lawns with drought tolerant, native species still use the primary species of this ecosystem: blue grama grass and buffalo grass. Besides being tolerant of drought, these grasses are also well-adapted to fire and grazing, making them some of the toughest plants around.<\/p>\n

In addition to the shortgrass prairies on the plains, the foothills often support areas of grassland between shrubs and woodlands. A quick meteorology lesson: warm air can hold more water vapor than cold air. As moist air from the Gulf moves toward the Front Range, it\u2019s forced upward and begins to cool, causing some of that water vapor to fall out as rain, which is why in summer we often get afternoon thunderstorms. Much of this precipitation falls in the foothills, which are a bit cooler than the plains. This combination of cooler temperatures and slightly increased precipitation creates ideal conditions for the Western Great Plains Foothill grasslands.<\/p>\n

Many of the grass species here are significantly taller than the species of the shortgrass prairie. Big bluestem, which dominates the tallgrass prairies of the east, but occurs in patches in the foothills, often lives up to its name, averaging four to eight feet tall! Many of the grass species here occur in large swaths in the middle of the plains where precipitation is higher but decrease to patches in Colorado\u2019s plains, where precipitation is low. The species then appear more frequently again in the wetter foothills. Although a smaller proportion of the Western Great Plains foothill grassland has been lost compared to the shortgrass prairie, residential development, overgrazing, fire suppression, and invasive species have degraded much of this ecosystem. You can check out the Western Great Plains Foothill grassland at Betasso Preserve.<\/p>\n

Perennials: Roots Go Deep<\/h2>\n

Both the shortgrass prairie and the taller grasses of the foothills provide services to humans as well as animals. Unlike domesticated food grasses you might be familiar with, like corn and wheat, most native grasses are perennial bunchgrasses, meaning they come back year after year in the same place. Their perennial nature allows them to build large root systems over their lifetime, digging deeper and wider. As their root systems get bigger, native grasses can capture more water, making them more drought tolerant than the average lawn. They also suck up carbon dioxide from the air and send it into the soil, making grasses one organism that helps mitigate the effects of climate change. Finally, their extensive root systems also trap soil in place, preventing erosion. Although they may not look like much above ground at this time of year, native grasslands do a lot for humans and animals.<\/p>\n

\"Big<\/a>
Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is a native grass. Its range stretches from the eastern tallgrass prairies to the western foothills. Last year\u2019s wet summer created excellent conditions for big bluestem; many stands grew to over six feet tall. In the late summer, the foliage of big bluestem turns a beautiful burgundy color.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Though grasses may look like a uniform blanket of green, native grasslands play an important role in Front Range ecosystems. Wherever grasses grow, they provide important forage for grazing animals. Their seeds also provide food for birds and small mammals, and taller grasses provide cover from predators for small animals. Native grasslands also come in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2160,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[64],"class_list":["post-2159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science","tag-spring-2022"],"yoast_head":"\nNative Grasslands of Boulder County - Images<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/native-grasslands-boulder-county\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Native Grasslands of Boulder County - Images\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Though grasses may look like a uniform blanket of green, native grasslands play an important role in Front Range ecosystems. 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The plant is commonly known as cheatgrass; and although it has become a familiar sight in the West, it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Land Management"","block_context":{"text":"Land Management","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/land-management\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cheatgrass treatment at Hall Ranch","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/cheatgrass-hall.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/cheatgrass-hall.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/cheatgrass-hall.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/cheatgrass-hall.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/cheatgrass-hall.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/property\/walden-ponds-revisited\/","url_meta":{"origin":2159,"position":1},"title":"Walden Ponds Revisited","author":"Staff","date":"07\/16\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Surrounded by the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat Area is a peaceful and welcoming sanctuary for nature and people alike. This County park is a place for people to slow down, explore, and observe the natural world at work. From mud flats and shallow water\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property Highlights"","block_context":{"text":"Property Highlights","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/property\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Walden Ponds","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/DSC_0046.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/DSC_0046.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/DSC_0046.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/DSC_0046.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/DSC_0046.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/DSC_0046.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3306,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/field-notes\/26-years-of-working-for-parks-open-space\/","url_meta":{"origin":2159,"position":2},"title":"26 Years of Working for Parks & Open Space","author":"Summer Alameel","date":"12\/04\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"When I was 22 years old, my sister, a friend, and I biked across the western U.S., through Canada, and ended in Iowa. While riding through Nevada, I saw a huge mine that had stripped half a mountain. That night, as we wound down, I thought about how that mountain\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Field Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Field Notes","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/field-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Therese stands holding a snake with a smile on her face","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/therese-holding-snake.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/therese-holding-snake.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/therese-holding-snake.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/therese-holding-snake.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/therese-holding-snake.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1550,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/research\/bringing-back-flowering-plants-pollinators\/","url_meta":{"origin":2159,"position":3},"title":"Research: Bringing Back Flowering Plants & Pollinators","author":"Staff","date":"05\/22\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Boulder County Parks & Open Space Department offers grants for research on county open space lands each year. All proposals are reviewed by a team of resource specialists, and awarded research projects are monitored during their activities on open space. The following is a summary of a 2018 study\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Research"","block_context":{"text":"Research","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/research\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cheatgrass","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/cheatgrass.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/cheatgrass.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/cheatgrass.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/cheatgrass.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/cheatgrass.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1988,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/park-visitors\/management-plan-carolyn-holmberg-preserve-at-rock-creek-farm\/","url_meta":{"origin":2159,"position":4},"title":"Management Plan: Carolyn Holmberg Preserve at Rock Creek Farm","author":"Staff","date":"06\/01\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Vision: Carolyn Holmberg Preserve at Rock Creek Farm is a working landscape of farming, ranching, irrigation features, and reservoirs, intertwined with critical wildlife, wetland, riparian, and grassland habitats, that preserves its distinct history and provides regional trail connectivity and recreational amenities for current and future generations. The Board of County\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Park Visitors"","block_context":{"text":"Park Visitors","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/park-visitors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Stearns Lake","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/stearns-lake.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/stearns-lake.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/stearns-lake.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/stearns-lake.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/stearns-lake.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/stearns-lake.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2184,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wildlife\/snakes-alive-are-you-rattled\/","url_meta":{"origin":2159,"position":5},"title":"Snakes Alive – Are you Rattled?","author":"Staff","date":"05\/31\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"As the weather warms up, snakes, cold-blooded animals, come out of winter dormancy and prowl in search of edible, small critters. From about mid-April to October, depending on the year\u2019s weather, you may find them along local trails, especially in grasslands, agricultural areas, or grassy meadow and rocky outcrops in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wildlife"","block_context":{"text":"Wildlife","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/wildlife\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"bull snake","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/bullsnake.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/bullsnake.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/bullsnake.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/bullsnake.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/bullsnake.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/bullsnake.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2159"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2162,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2159\/revisions\/2162"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}