The alpine biome occupies the high-elevation zone of mountains worldwide, beginning just below the permanent snow line and running down to the tree line. Despite lying at temperate and even tropical latitudes, its short, cold summers and long freezing winters produce conditions that parallel arctic tundra, and only a few hundred cold-hardy, low-growing plant species survive its thin air, intense sunlight and battering winds.
Facts
Climate
Annual Precipitation (mm)Representative average for alpine tundra generally; local precipitation varies substantially by mountain range and elevation. Typical Low Temperature (C) Typical High Temperature (C) Connections
Demonstrates
Marmots and other alpine mammals hibernate through the long, harsh winter above the tree line.
Source Alpine Biome (Blue Planet Biomes)
Home To
Source Andean Condor (Wikipedia)
Source Cerastium tomentosum (Wikipedia)
Source Chamois (Wikipedia)
Source Chinchilla (Wikipedia)
Source Pinus longaeva (Wikipedia)
Source Guanaco (Wikipedia)
Source Kea (Nestor notabilis) (Wikipedia)
Source Markhor (Wikipedia)
Source New Zealand rock wren (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Cryptogramma crispa
Source Snow Leopard (Wikipedia)
Source Selaginella - Wikipedia
Source Vicuña (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Tundra Biome (Global Bioenergy)
Global BioenergyAlpine Tundra Climate section
Winters are less severe than in the Arctic, with lows rarely dipping below -18 C (0 F).
Alpine Tundra Precipitation section
Alpine tundra tends to receive more precipitation than the Arctic tundra, averaging 12 inches (30 cm) yearly.
2. Alpine Biome (Blue Planet Biomes)
Blue Planet BiomesAlpine Biome page
In the summer average temperatures range from 10 to 15 C.
In Category: Biomes, blueplanetbiomes.org/alpine.php, opening lines
Cold, snowy, windy. When you hear those words they make you think of mountains.
Demonstrates: Hibernation, blueplanetbiomes.org/alpine.php, animal adaptations section
Alpine animals adapt to the cold by hibernating, migrating to lower, warmer areas, or insulating their bodies with layers of fat.
View the Source Guanaco (Wikipedia)
Vicuña (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHome To: Vicuña, Distribution sectionQuote, Home To: Vicuña, Distribution section
Vicuñas live at altitudes of 3,200 to 4,800 m (10,500-15,700 ft)
Wikipedia: Cryptogramma crispa
Wikipedia- Home To: Parsley Fern, Wikipedia intro states: "Cryptogramma crispa, the parsley fern, is an Arctic?alpine species of fern native to Europe and parts of Asia. It produces separate sterile and fertile fronds"
- Home To: Parsley Fern, Wikipedia intro: "Cryptogramma crispa, the parsley fern, is an Arctic?alpine species of fern native to Europe and parts of Asia. It produces separate sterile and fertile fronds"
View the Source Chamois (Wikipedia)
- Home To: Chamois, Wikipedia intro states: "The chamois (; French: [?amwa] ; Rupicapra rupicapra), or Alpine chamois, is a species of goat-antelope native to mountainous parts of Europe and Western Asia, from"
- Home To: Chamois, Wikipedia intro: "The chamois (; French: [?amwa] ; Rupicapra rupicapra), or Alpine chamois, is a species of goat-antelope native to mountainous parts of Europe and Western Asia,..."
View the SourceSnow Leopard (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Snow Leopard, Wikipedia intro: "the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau to southern Siberia, Mongolia and western China. It inhabits alpine and subalpine zones at elevations of 3,000?4,500 m (9,..."View the Source Selaginella - Wikipedia
Home To: Spikemoss, Wikipedia intro: "rs mostly in the tropical regions of the world, with a handful of species to be found in the arctic-alpine zones of both hemispheres. Fossils assignable to the..."View the Source Kea (Nestor notabilis) (Wikipedia)
Home To: Kea (Nestor notabilis), Wikipedia intro: "tabilis) is a species of large parrot in the family Strigopidae that is endemic to the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About 48..."View the Source Cerastium tomentosum (Wikipedia)
Home To: Cerastium tomentosum, Wikipedia intro: "pecies of its genus by "tomentose" or felty foliage. It is a low, spreading perennial native to the alpine regions of central and southern Italy. The stems and..."View the Source New Zealand rock wren (Wikipedia)
Home To: New Zealand rock wren, Wikipedia intro: "tinguish it from the unrelated rock wren of North America. The rock wren is currently restricted to alpine and subalpine areas of the South Island. It is a poor..."View the Source Chinchilla (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Chinchilla, Wikipedia 'Chinchilla': live in colonies at high elevations up to 4,270 m in the AndesView the Source Markhor (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Markhor, Wikipedia 'Markhor': native to mountain regions including the Karakoram and HimalayasView the Source Andean Condor (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Andean Condor, Wikipedia 'Andean condor': found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coastsView the Source Pinus longaeva (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, Wikipedia 'Pinus longaeva': found in the higher mountains of California, Nevada, and UtahView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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