Decline of the Kawuneeche Valley ecosystem threatens biodiversity

Tincture of time and funding are needed to repair a fragile ecosystem

Story by Hank Lacey

On the western edge of Rocky Mountain National Park lies the Kawuneeche Valley, nestled between the Never Summer mountains and the Front Range. Formed by the Colorado River Glacier and historically a home for a diverse spectacle of life, the basin was once a vibrant, wetland-rich ecosystem.

Today, the Kawuneeche — which means the valley of the coyote in the Arapaho language — is experiencing a significant loss of biodiversity.

The National Park Service, working in tandem with a coalition of conservation partners, has set out to reverse that trend. To do so is a complex process that involves three major pieces: beavers, moose, and willow.

And restoration must account, too, for the human presence at RMNP, the extirpation of the ecosystem’s most important predator, and the ongoing and accelerating impacts of climate change...

Read full story here:

https://estesvalleyvoice.com/2024/12/07/decline-of-the-kawuneeche-valley-ecosystem-threatens-biodiversity/