Dense populations of Blanketflower, Gaillardia aristata, develop for a few years following fires in mixed-conifer forests in the northern Front Range of Colorado. Populations of a rare, endemic flowermoth, Schinia masoni, which is totally dependent on Blanketflower as a larval food source, may be in “indicator species” for the natural condition of these forests, and help forest managers develop strategies for reducing fire risk and maintaining forest biodiversity and ecological processes.
Dense populations of Blanketflower, Gaillardia aristata, develop for a few years following fires in mixed-conifer forests in the northern Front Range of Colorado. Populations of a rare, endemic flowermoth, Schinia masoni, which is totally dependent on Blanketflower as a larval food source, may be in “indicator species” for the natural condition of these forests, and help forest managers develop strategies for reducing fire risk and maintaining forest biodiversity and ecological processes.