107:
31:
362:
85:
may occur any day of the year. Although winter low temperatures may be warmer than those in nearby lower valleys, typically staying above −10 °F (−23 °C), prodigious snows blanket the region well into spring. Some drifts may linger into summer. Convectional precipitation, typically
189:
in the southern Rocky
Mountains. Typical intervals between fires range from 50 to 300 years. White pines are tolerant of extreme environmental conditions and can be important postfire successional species. In high, windblown areas, trees often grow into grotesque shapes.
399:. Wilderness science in a time of change conference. Vol. 3. Missoula, Montana: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. pp. 84–92. Proceedings RMRS-P-15-VOL-3.
201:: whitebark pine mortality in some areas exceeds 90%. Entire forest vistas, like that at Avalanche Ridge near Yellowstone National Park's east gate, are expanses of dead, gray whitebarks.
393:
Keane, Robert E. (1999). "The importance of wilderness to whitebark pine research and management". In McCool, Stephen F.; Cole, David N.; Borrie, William T.; O'Loughlin, Jennifer (eds.).
472:
77:
The climate of the Rocky
Mountains subalpine zone is never warm, with summer highs reaching 75 °F (24 °C) on only the warmest days near the
177:
On exposed, dry slopes at high elevations, subalpine white pine forests replace spruce-fir forests. Common species of the white pine forests include
477:
467:
462:
433:
378:
372:
267:
65:, the subalpine zone occupies elevations approximately from 9,000 to 12,000 feet (2,700 to 3,700 m); while in northern
336:
272:
111:
98:. Although uncommon, hurricane-force winds may develop and cause massive destruction such as the Routt Divide Blowdown.
204:
Due to harsh winters and a relative dearth of food sources, the subalpine harbors limited native animal species. While
366:
303:
197:
in upper subalpine forests of the northern Rocky
Mountains. However, the whitebark pine has been in decline due to
166:
and other hardy species. Previously burned areas may contain varying amounts, or even almost pure stands, of
198:
106:
30:
142:. In other areas, Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir mix with or give way to various pines, such as
229:
295:
429:
17:
317:
233:
194:
186:
151:
127:
35:
221:
119:
54:
178:
167:
159:
147:
139:
135:
456:
236:
are commonly seen and heard in Rocky
Mountain subalpine regions, with others such as
217:
130:
and generally the exclusion of trees found more commonly at lower elevations such as
123:
58:
87:
78:
69:, the subalpine zone extends from 1,350 to 2,300 metres (4,400 to 7,500 ft).
340:
182:
171:
170:. Ground cover in a previously burned forest area often includes two species of
155:
143:
62:
447:
394:
262:
257:
50:
46:
241:
225:
81:, and commonly failing to reach 60 °F (16 °C) near tree line;
163:
91:
66:
228:
are among the few important native mammals. A few birds, such as the
209:
245:
131:
105:
82:
29:
213:
205:
95:
237:
426:
A Sierra Club
Naturalist's Guide: The Southern Rockies
410:
Petit, Charles (January 30, 2007). "Science
Section".
335:
Snook, J.S.; Meyers, M.P.; Poulos, G.S.; Wesley, D.A.
185:
in the central and north-central Rocky
Mountains, and
448:
Plant
Checklist for the Rocky Mountain National Park
122:, the region is characterized by a concentration of
473:Plant communities of the Western United States
90:, often forms rapidly and frequently includes
428:(1st ed.). San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.
8:
396:Wilderness as a place for scientific inquiry
284:
290:
288:
7:
25:
181:in the northern Rocky Mountains,
110:A subalpine fir near treeline in
365: This article incorporates
360:
379:United States Geological Survey
114:, twisted into an unusual shape
478:Forests of the Rocky Mountains
468:Ecology of the Rocky Mountains
463:Climate of the Rocky Mountains
268:Ecology of the Rocky Mountains
43:Rocky Mountains subalpine zone
1:
18:Rocky Mountain subalpine zone
424:Benedict, Audrey D. (1991).
300:Rocky Mountain National Park
273:Sierra Nevada subalpine zone
27:Biotic zone in North America
322:Alberta Online Encyclopedia
494:
304:U.S. National Park Service
318:"The Subalpine Subregion"
34:Spruce-fir forest in the
383: (verbatim source).
193:The whitebark pine is a
337:"Routt Divide Blowdown"
199:White Pine Blister Rust
367:public domain material
118:In the North American
115:
38:
296:"Subalpine ecosystem"
212:visit the subalpine,
154:, other firs such as
112:Glacier National Park
109:
33:
230:mountain chickadee
116:
49:immediately below
39:
16:(Redirected from
485:
416:
415:
407:
401:
400:
390:
384:
382:
371:T.J. Stohlgren.
364:
363:
358:
352:
351:
349:
348:
339:. Archived from
332:
326:
325:
314:
308:
307:
292:
195:keystone species
187:bristlecone pine
152:bristlecone pine
128:Engelmann spruce
36:Canadian Rockies
21:
493:
492:
488:
487:
486:
484:
483:
482:
453:
452:
444:
439:
420:
419:
409:
408:
404:
392:
391:
387:
374:Rocky Mountains
370:
361:
359:
355:
346:
344:
334:
333:
329:
316:
315:
311:
306:. Feb 22, 2007.
294:
293:
286:
281:
254:
222:American marten
120:Rocky Mountains
104:
102:Flora and fauna
75:
61:. In northern
55:Rocky Mountains
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
491:
489:
481:
480:
475:
470:
465:
455:
454:
451:
450:
443:
442:External links
440:
438:
437:
421:
418:
417:
412:New York Times
402:
385:
353:
327:
309:
283:
282:
280:
277:
276:
275:
270:
265:
260:
253:
250:
248:less obvious.
179:whitebark pine
168:lodgepole pine
162:, and various
148:whitebark pine
140:lodgepole pine
136:ponderosa pine
103:
100:
74:
71:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
490:
479:
476:
474:
471:
469:
466:
464:
461:
460:
458:
449:
446:
445:
441:
435:
434:0-87156-647-8
431:
427:
423:
422:
413:
406:
403:
398:
397:
389:
386:
380:
376:
375:
368:
357:
354:
343:on 2011-07-14
342:
338:
331:
328:
323:
319:
313:
310:
305:
301:
297:
291:
289:
285:
278:
274:
271:
269:
266:
264:
261:
259:
256:
255:
251:
249:
247:
243:
239:
235:
234:Steller's jay
231:
227:
223:
219:
218:snowshoe hare
215:
211:
207:
202:
200:
196:
191:
188:
184:
180:
175:
173:
169:
165:
161:
157:
153:
149:
145:
141:
137:
133:
129:
125:
124:subalpine fir
121:
113:
108:
101:
99:
97:
93:
89:
88:thunderstorms
84:
80:
72:
70:
68:
64:
60:
59:North America
56:
52:
48:
44:
37:
32:
19:
425:
411:
405:
395:
388:
373:
356:
345:. Retrieved
341:the original
330:
321:
312:
299:
244:and certain
224:and various
203:
192:
176:
117:
79:montane zone
76:
42:
40:
183:limber pine
172:huckleberry
156:Douglas-fir
144:limber pine
47:biotic zone
457:Categories
347:2010-09-25
279:References
242:nuthatches
160:silver fir
63:New Mexico
263:Life zone
258:Ecoregion
226:squirrels
51:tree line
252:See also
208:and the
164:junipers
246:finches
92:graupel
73:Climate
67:Alberta
53:in the
45:is the
432:
220:, the
216:, the
210:cougar
369:from
206:bears
132:aspen
83:Frost
430:ISBN
238:owls
232:and
214:lynx
158:and
150:and
138:and
126:and
96:hail
41:The
174:.
94:or
57:of
459::
377:.
320:.
302:.
298:.
287:^
240:,
146:,
134:,
436:.
414:.
381:.
350:.
324:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
