Elevation gradients and community ecotones are recognized as sensitive sentinels of climate change (Adams & Kolb 2004, 2005). The elevation gradient of the Beaver Creek Watershed supports vegetation types ranging from Ponderosa pine, to juniper woodland and semi-desert shrub and grasslands, creating numerous ecotones. Here researchers can compare community response to climate change, conduct transplant experiments, and measure effects of forest treatments over a pronounced elevation gradient. Previous vegetation treatments in sub-watersheds (Baker and Ffolliot 1998) have created conditions ranging from grass,shrub, and tree stands established after experimental clear-cuts to old untreated stands -- providing gradients in biomass, leaf area, and species composition. Finally, there are gradients in human land use (Figure 3), from non-motorized uses in federally designated wilderness areas, to motorized and non-motorized recreational use in the upper watershed and more intense impacts associated with growing communities in lower elevation areas.