Alpine Tundra Biome
Alpine Tundra Biome
The Wild Classroom
The Alpine Tundra is not a biome that traverses large expanses of terrain like other biomes. This biome is not restricted to certain latitudes. It is not determined by temperature or rainfall gradations either. Instead, this biome can be found at any latitude on earth. Its only dependent on elevation.
Life-Zones from elevation
In the late 1800's a man by the name of C. Hart Merriam was surveying the land from the bottom of the Grand Canyon to the top of the mountain peaks. He noticed that distinct plant communities were found as one increased elevation. He noticed that lower elevations were prairies, then dry steppes, Ponderosa Pine, montane forests, subalpine forests and finally the alpine tundra.
He mapped distinct life-zones with elevation. Today we still use Merriam's lifezone classifications.
Please visit the website for the rest of the article and more information.
Copyright Explore Diversity and The Wild Classroom
Votes:36
Comments: 0