Alpine Tundra

Where mountaintops rise like islands above a sea of trees lies the world of the alpine tundra. John Muir called it "a land of desolation covered with beautiful light." Yet this light shines on a tapestry of living detail. Tundra lands, too cold for trees, support over 300 kinds of plants, as well as animals from bighorn to butterflies.

Alpine Tundra Arctic tundra occurs around the north Reserve because of the beauty and . . . a world by itself pole. Alpine tundra crowns mountain research value of its alpine wild lands. in the sky. areas above treeline. Alpine tundra is a sensitive indicator of such climatic changes as global warming Enos Mills Rocky Mountain National Park is and acid rain. Over one-third of the recognized worldwide as a Biosphere park is tundra.

A Fragile World After Trail Ridge Road opened in 1932, Some areas along Trail Ridge Road are the tundra was not fully protected. signed as Tundra Protection Areas. No People walking on the tundra caused walking off trail is allowed in these areas. much damage. Park scientists initiated In other areas walking on the tundra is an impact study in 1959, fencing off permitted. Walk with care! Step lightly, certain areas. Some areas show little or do not scuff the surface. Step on rocks no sign of recovery, even today, and may whenever possible. Spread out instead take centuries to heal. High winds and of walking in a single line. long winters slow new growth.

Snow in July Summer on the tundra is brief, about 40 Average annual precipitation at the frost-free days per year. Temperatures Contintental Divide is 40 inches, of stay below freezing for over five months. which 65% falls as snow. In summer Winter winds exceed 150 mph. Summer frequent brief afternoon thunderstorms days seldom reach 70 F. Snow might fall with lightning, hail, and high winds any day of the year. occur. Watch the clouds; storms can develop within minutes.

Alpine Adaptations Strong winds, shallow soil, a short Only a few animals live all year on the growing season, thin air, intense tundra. Pika cut and dry stacks of sunlight, temperature extremes, and plants in summer for their winter larder. limited water challenge life on the Ptarmigans, the only birds that winter tundra. Plants cope by hugging the on the tundra, grow feathers on their ground. Waxy or hairy leaves help hold feet and comb-like teeth on their toes water. Red pigments act as sunscreen. that work like snowshoes. Marmots Roots are extensive; tundra plants have hibernate. Other animals migrate or up to 90% of their bulk below commute: ravens, hawks, coyotes, and ground level. elk.

March, 2009 Park information is available at 970-586-1206 or on-line at www.nps.gov/romo EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA™

(Silene (Silene

lichens—

FELLFIELDS

is a common cushion cushion common a is

Moss campion Moss

hemisphere.

areas throughout the northern northern the throughout areas

alpine plants grow in other tundra tundra other in grow plants alpine

Rocky Mountain National Park's Park's National Mountain Rocky

plant in the park. Nearly half of Nearly park. the in plant

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plant. plant.

plants may replace the cushion cushion the replace may plants

this fertile bed. In time invading invading time In bed. fertile this

plant, other plants may sprout in in sprout may plants other plant,

and soil collect within a cushion cushion a within collect soil and

to avoid wind. As dead leaves leaves dead As wind. avoid to

"cushions," hugging the ground ground the hugging "cushions,"

grow in the shape of rounded of rounded shape the in grow

the rocks pioneer leafy plants plants leafy pioneer rocks the

can grow on the rocks. Among Among rocks. the on grow can

extremes of cold and drought— and of cold extremes

crust-like plants that tolerate tolerate that plants crust-like

and soil are scarce, but but scarce, are soil and

winds blow the snow away. Water Water away. snow the blow winds

exposed slopes where winter winter where slopes exposed

These "fields of rock," lie on on lie ofrock," "fields These

often bloom bloom often

tunneling through through tunneling

snow buttercup buttercup snow

SNOWBED COMMUNITIES SNOWBED

garden."

plant communities: the "gopher "gopher the communities: plant

plow makes a seedbed for pioneer pioneer for seedbed a makes plow

roots and shoots. The soil they they soil The shoots. and roots

the snow. The gophers eat plant plant eat gophers The snow. the

pocket gophers pocket

for snake-like casts of soil left by by left of soil casts snake-like for

while the plant is in the snow. Look Look snow. the in is plant the while

(Ranunculus adoneus) (Ranunculus

of the yellow yellow ofthe

the growing season. Blossoms Blossoms season. growing the

yields a bonus of water during during of water bonus a yields

it but insulates them in winter and and winter in them insulates but it

growing season for plants beneath beneath plants for season growing

snow shortens the already brief already the shortens snow

deep snow collects. Late-melting Late-melting collects. snow deep

A distinct community forms where where forms community distinct A

), grows grows ),

alpine sunflower alpine

AND MEADOWS AND

TURFS ALPINE

Rydbergia grandiflora Rydbergia

once. Then the whole plant dies. plant whole the Then once.

summers before blooming only only blooming before summers

stores solar energy for seven to 10 10 to seven for energy solar stores

only in the Rocky Mountains. It It Mountains. Rocky the in only

(

the tundra, the the tundra, the

early July. The largest flower on on flower largest The July. early

whose colors peak in late June or or June late in peak colors whose

colorful diversity of wildflowers of wildflowers diversity colorful

and pikas. Rich soils support a a support soils Rich pikas. and

animals such as elk, marmots, marmots, elk, as such animals

and grasses that support many many support that grasses and

covered with dense turfs of sedges of sedges turfs dense with covered

National Park's alpine tundra is is tundra alpine Park's National

Much of Rocky Mountain Mountain of Rocky Much

). The The ).

3505 m 3505

KRUMMHOLZ

more than a thousand winters. thousand a than more

short, twisted trees have lived lived have trees twisted short,

"crooked wood"). Many of these of these Many wood"). "crooked

called krummholz (German for for (German krummholz called

wind-shaped spruce and fir trees trees fir and spruce wind-shaped

transition is marked by low, low, by marked is transition

near 11,500 feet ( feet 11,500 near

National Park this happens happens this Park National

season. At Rocky Mountain Mountain Rocky At season.

and wind, and the short growing growing short the and wind, and

cannot survive extremes of cold of cold extremes survive cannot

Alpine tundra begins where trees trees where begins tundra Alpine

rocks shelter the plants from wind. wind. from plants the shelter rocks

conditions for certain plants by providing slightly warmer temperatures, especially where where especially temperatures, warmer slightly providing by plants certain for conditions

(microclimates) result in very different ecosystems. Microclimates provide growing growing provide Microclimates ecosystems. different very in result (microclimates)

a marsh, a rocky desert, or perhaps all three. On the tundra slight differences in climate climate in differences slight tundra the On three. all perhaps or desert, rocky a marsh, a

It may look barren--but look again! While standing in one spot you could touch a meadow, meadow, a touch could you spot one in standing While again! look barren--but look may It THE ALPINE TUNDRA ECOSYSTEM TUNDRA ALPINE THE