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Nonnative species are an important threat to rangeland health and productivity.� In New Mexican highland range, three native and three nonnative species of thistle are distributed across a patchy and disturbed landscape with only one native,�Cirsium pallidum, and one nonnative species,�Cirsium vulgare, being present in significant numbers.� We measured thistle abundance and distribution using road surveys and targeted search efforts.� We then correlated thistle distribution to burn severity data from the 2011 Las Conchas Wildfire and 2013 Thompson Ridge Wildfire as well as areas undergoing restoration for each species of significant. Preliminary data show that�C. vulgare�occurred more frequently at burned sites with 7 clusters found in burned areas and no clusters found in unburned area and our native thistle of interest,�C. pallidum, occurred more frequently at unburned sites with no native thistle clusters found in high severity burned areas.� Furthermore, it appears that areas of dense forest that are being thinned to mitigate fire danger may present the same nonnative thistle response as areas impacted by high severity burns with 8 clusters of�C. vulgare�found in areas being thinned.� These results will help land managers in the future plan for thistle occurrence in areas of high disturbance such as those impacted by restoration efforts or fire