COTTONWOOD COMMUNITY
Today, these leafy, multi-layered, creek-side habitats still attract nesting
birds, roosting butterflies, chattering squirrels and droning bees. Beneath
the canopy, White-tailed Deer, Striped Skunks, Red Foxes and Raccoons blend
into the shadows.
Compared to the parched, exposed, surrounding plains, this meandering woodland
offers a bountiful supply of food, water and shelter resources.
The ribbon of land adjacent to the creek, moistened by its proximity to
passing runoff, provides Colorado with its most prominent wetland community
--
In shoreline silts, the seeds of these trees find ideal conditions for
germination. Fast growers, they soon arch a canopy of limbs over the creek
and neighboring land, creating vertical habitats unknown elsewhere on the
plains. Their branches and lush leaf growth slow prairie winds and soften
the sun's intense rays. In filtered shade, Choke Cherries, Snowberry and
fungi grow.
The mixture of plants, shelter, space and available water attract concentrated
wildlife use. White-tail and Mule Deer browse in the understory, alert to
the presence of Coyotes and occasional Mountain Lions. Striped Skunks and
Raccoons blend into the shadows. Butterflies, moths and insects disappear
into the backdrop of bark, and over 40 species of birds nest in the branches
above.