Alpine Tundra

            The alpine tundra is not a biome like any other biomes that expand through terrain. The tundra is a land of no trees. This biome can be found at any latitude on earth. The biome is only depencdent on elevation. In the late 1800's, a man by the name of Cohart Merriam was surveying the land like the Grand Canyon or the top of mountain peaks. He found out that plant communities were one increased elevation. Lower elevations were prairies, then dry steppes, Ponderosa Pine, montane forests, subalpine tundra and then the alpine tundra. The alpine tundra is the tallest lifezone. The elevation would be different in the alpine tundra depending on where you are. It is not a plant area where plants would easily grow. Snowbanks decrease the plant growing result. It is often slow. Meadows, snowbeads, talus fields, and fell fields all can be found in the alpine tundra. The animals that can be found are Kea parrots, marmots, moutain goats, elks, sheep and pika. Our town is a land of no trees and so we have alpine tundras. Although, I do wish we had some trees and forests in our town. It would really be great to have because the kids would have fun hiking and playing in the woods. It was always my favorite thing to do in Anchorage and in my hometown Hydaburg. I believe the kids would have much more fun with forests being here on St. Paul Island, Alaska.

Resources: Science class