The Alpine Tundra
Have you been under the snow lately? The Arctic and Alpine Tundras cover 16% of the Earth's surface. The Alpine biomes are found at a higher altitude in the mountains, usually 10,000 feet or above. With temperatures ranging from -12 degrees Celsius to 10 degrees Celsius, it makes it very difficult for living organisms to thrive there. In the night, the temperatures drop down to way below 0!! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!! The weather in the Alpine is similar to the Tundra's temperatures, which are cold, and dry. The average precipitation up there is around 30 centimeters a year. Not at all a lot of rain compared to what we get here in Colorado!
Not many plants live in the Alpine Tundra, due to the extreme weather and the low levels of CO2 at high altitide (which plants need to make food). In fact, there are less than 200 species of plants in the Alpine Tundra, and those plants are mostly made up of ones that cling closely to the ground. This is because there are very strong winds there, and the winds would blow down anything that is not close to the ground. There are some plants though, such as the Purple Fringe and the Bristlecone Pine that are very good at adapting to the harsh weather. That is one reason why those two plants are some of the most common up there. There are also festucas. They are hard clumps of grass that are a lot like any other shrub or grass.
The Alpine Tundra is in many different places, but the most common sites that they are in are the Rocky Mounatins, the Himalayan Mountains, and the Andes Mounatins. Even with it's little amount of plants and organisms, the Alpine Tundra can give a little bit of resources to humans and to animals. 1.)The Alpine Tundra can provide water from the snow, which would also be good for growing grass. (there is a fair amount of grass up there, because it is low to the ground and easy to grow) The water is good for the animals to drink, to stay hydrated. And speaking about grass, that is the 2nd resource that the Alpine Tundra has. The grass is good for goat grazing, and feeding, and it is the main source of food for the plant eating animals. Not many people spend much time in the Alpine Tundra, and no people live there, but some people like to go and ski, and hike.
Not many plants live in the Alpine Tundra, due to the extreme weather and the low levels of CO2 at high altitide (which plants need to make food). In fact, there are less than 200 species of plants in the Alpine Tundra, and those plants are mostly made up of ones that cling closely to the ground. This is because there are very strong winds there, and the winds would blow down anything that is not close to the ground. There are some plants though, such as the Purple Fringe and the Bristlecone Pine that are very good at adapting to the harsh weather. That is one reason why those two plants are some of the most common up there. There are also festucas. They are hard clumps of grass that are a lot like any other shrub or grass.
The Alpine Tundra is in many different places, but the most common sites that they are in are the Rocky Mounatins, the Himalayan Mountains, and the Andes Mounatins. Even with it's little amount of plants and organisms, the Alpine Tundra can give a little bit of resources to humans and to animals. 1.)The Alpine Tundra can provide water from the snow, which would also be good for growing grass. (there is a fair amount of grass up there, because it is low to the ground and easy to grow) The water is good for the animals to drink, to stay hydrated. And speaking about grass, that is the 2nd resource that the Alpine Tundra has. The grass is good for goat grazing, and feeding, and it is the main source of food for the plant eating animals. Not many people spend much time in the Alpine Tundra, and no people live there, but some people like to go and ski, and hike.
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