Date Approved

2025

Graduate Degree Type

Project

Degree Name

Biology (M.S.)

Degree Program

Biology

First Advisor

Jennifer Moore

Second Advisor

Carol Griffin

Academic Year

2024/2025

Abstract

High-elevation ecosystems in Colorado’s Wilderness areas are ecologically sensitive and particularly vulnerable to campfire impacts, which can damage vegetation, alter soil chemistry, and degrade wilderness character. This study presents a preliminary proof of concept evaluating the spatial implications of banning campfires at or above 11,000 feet—used here as a proxy for treeline—in twelve U.S. Forest Service-managed Wilderness areas. Using 30-meter resolution Digital Elevation Models from the USGS National Map and Earth Explorer, a raster-based analysis in ArcGIS Pro identified and quantified acreage above 11,000 feet. Across the twelve Wilderness areas, 268,601 acres were found to lie above treeline, representing an average of 46% of each area’s total acreage. Currently, only five Wildernesses—Eagles Nest, Holy Cross, Hunter-Fryingpan, Mt. Massive, and Ptarmigan Peak—have fire regulations that explicitly prohibit campfires above this elevation, covering 213,379 acres. Implementing a uniform treeline fire ban across all twelve Wildernesses would bring an additional 55,222 high-elevation acres under protection, expanding coverage to the full extent of alpine terrain in these areas. Notably, Wildernesses such as Vasquez Peak and James Peak contain over 65% of their total acreage above treeline but lack elevation-specific fire restrictions. While this analysis is limited in geographic scope and based on a generalized elevation threshold, it demonstrates a replicable spatial framework for assessing elevation-based fire regulations and highlights opportunities to strengthen protections for ecologically vulnerable high-elevation landscapes in support of long-term wilderness stewardship.

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