A Preliminary Assessment of the Geomorphic Role of Pocket Gophers in the Alpine Zone of the Colorado Front Range

A reconnaissance study suggests that on alpine slopes in the Colorado Front Range which have both a soil and winter snowcover, pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides) may be the dominant geomorphic agent. Well vegetated sites occupied by gophers appear to experience soil disturbance amounts an order of magnitude greater than nearby nivation hollows in colluvium, and three orders of magnitude greater than estimates for the general tundra surface. Preliminary evidence suggests a strong correlation between degenerated gopher tunnel systems and the appearance of small scale terracettes which are widespread in the region.