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Mountain Biomes
By Cindy Grigg
Caption: A typical alpine region above the
tree line in the Alps mountains, Europe.
What is a mountain? A mountain is a
high point of land. It is often rocky and has
steep or sloping sides. Mountains cover about
one-fifth of Earth's surface. A mountain may
stand alone. But most mountains are close to
other mountains. A group of mountains
together are called a mountain range. Two or
more mountain ranges together make a
mountain system.
What's the difference between a mountain and a hill? Of course, a
mountain is bigger. Many scientists say that the difference between
a mountain and a hill is that a mountain has at least two zones of
climate and plant and animal life. These are called biomes.
Mountains have different biomes at different elevations. In most
parts of the world, a mountain must rise at least 2,000 feet (610
meters) to have two biomes. Many mountains are much taller. They
have more biomes.
Remember that a biome is a community of plants and animals
that live together in a region. They depend on each other. Deserts,
grasslands, and rainforests are some examples of biomes.
The number of biomes varies among mountain ranges. Four
basic zones are the foothills, the montane, the subalpine, and the
alpine zones. Very tall mountains may have a higher zone where
almost nothing lives or grows. That is because mountain biomes get
colder as the elevation rises. The climate in very tall mountain
ranges may vary from tropical at the bottom to arctic at the top!
Rainfall also varies among mountain ranges. Usually, more rain
falls on one side than on the other. Warm, moist air rising up a
mountainside cools as it rises. It forms clouds. The clouds make
rain or snow. By the time the clouds reach the mountain top, the
moisture has fallen. One side of the mountain has received the rain
or snow. The area on the other side of the mountain gets very little
rain. This is called the rain shadow effect. Because of the rain
shadow effect, different sides of a mountain may have different
biomes at the same elevations!
Different plants grow in different mountain ranges and systems.
The location in the world of the mountain and its climate affect the
plant species growing there. Elevation affects animals that live there,
too.
The lower life zones are usually forests. The species of trees
growing there change as elevation increases. The trees become
shorter and smaller with increasing elevation. The "tree line" is the
point beyond which trees cannot grow.
Above the tree line is the alpine zone. Grasses, very low shrubs,
and some hardy flowers grow there.
The Rocky Mountain range is the largest mountain system in the
North America. The Rockies stretch a distance of about 3,300 miles.
They extend from Alaska through Canada into New Mexico.
Several different mountain ranges make up this system. The highest
peak in the system is Mount Elbert in Colorado. It is 14,401 feet or
nearly three miles above sea level.
The foothills zone of the Rockies has a wide variety of trees
growing there. Sagebrush, deciduous trees, pines, spruce, and other
evergreens are found in the foothills. Animal life includes
chipmunks, frogs, and turtles. Larger animals living there include
coyotes, buffalo, and moose. There are also many birds.
The montane zone has pines, spruce, other evergreens, and
grasses. Animal life in this zone includes elk and deer. There are
also small mammals like rabbits and squirrels. Predators found there
are bears, wolves, and owls. Most of these same animals live in the
subalpine zone, too. In the summer, elk, deer, and other animals
visit the alpine zone above. They migrate between the two zones
seasonally. Pines, cedars, and spruce grow in the subalpine zone.
Above the tree line in the alpine zone, short plants grow. Grasses,
sedges, clovers, low shrubs, flowers, and mushrooms are found there.
Animal life in the alpine zone includes snowshoe hares, mountain
goats, and bighorn sheep. Nothing grows in the highest elevations.
Species of animals differ among mountains and among elevations,
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too.
Mountains are found on all continents. The animals and plants
that live there have adapted to the climate. Each one has found what
it needs to live in that biome.
Mountain Biomes
Questions
1. Mountains make up how much of the Earth's surface?
A. three-fourths
B. one-third
C. one-half
D. one-fifth
2. What is a mountain system?
A. two or more mountain ranges together
B. a group of mountains together
C. a community of plants and animals that live together in a
region
3. What is the main difference between a hill and a mountain?
4. What is a biome?
A. two or more mountain ranges together
B. a controlled environment where people, plants, or animals
live in unusual conditions
C. a community of plants and animals that live together in a
region
D. a group of mountains together
5. As you go up a mountain, what happens to the climate?
A. It gets warmer.
B. It gets colder.
C. The climate doesn't change.
6. What type of plants commonly grows in the lower biomes of a
mountain?
A. trees
B. nothing
C. grasses
D. flowers and mushrooms
7. The point beyond which trees cannot grow on a mountain is
called ______.
A. the tree line
B. the frost line
C. no man's land
D. the temperate zone
8. What type of plants commonly grows in the highest biomes of
a very tall mountain?
A. trees
B. flowers and mushrooms
C. grasses
D. nothing
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Have you ever climbed or hiked up a mountain? Explain what you
saw there. If you have not, would you like to? Explain why or why
not.
What are some of the things mentioned that has an effect on the
plants and animals that live in mountain biomes? Make a list of things
and then describe how each thing affects plant or animal life.