10 Interesting Facts about the Alpine Tundra

One of these following facts about the Alpine Tundra will give you much information about what kind of biome it is. The Alpine Tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high altitude. The high altitude causes an adverse climate, which is too cold and windy to support tree growth. Alpine tundra transitions to sub-alpine forests below the tree line; stunted forests occurring at the forest-tundra ecotone are known as “Krummholz”. With increasing elevation it ends at the snow line where snow and ice persist through summer. To get to know more about this biome, here are some other facts about the alpine tundra you might want to know.

Facts about the Alpine Tundra 1: Flora

Alpine tundra occurs in mountains worldwide. The flora of the alpine tundra is characterized by dwarf shrubs close to the ground. The cold climate of the alpine tundra is caused by the low air pressure, and is similar to polar climate.

Facts about the Alpine Tundra 2: Himalaya

Alpine tundra occurs at high enough altitude at any latitude. Portions of Montane grassland and shrublands ecoregions worldwide include alpine tundra. Large regions of alpine tundra occur in the Himalayas in Asia.

Facts about the Alpine Tundra 3: Alpine Tundra

Alpine tundra occupies high-mountain summits, slopes, and ridges above timberline. Aspect plays a role as well: the treeline often occurs at higher elevations on warmer equator-facing slopes.

Facts about the Alpine Tundra 4: Animal Populations

Animal populations fluctuate throughout the seasons in the tundra biome. Some animals opt to hibernate during the winter and others migrate to warmer temperatures.

Facts about the Alpine Tundra 5: Tundra Biome

There are very few trees that grow in the tundra biome. Under the snow and ice, there is a thick layer of soil that remains frozen which does not allow deep rooted plants such as trees to grow.

Facts about the Alpine Tundra 6: Fauna

Because alpine tundra is located in various widely-separated regions of the Earth, there is no animal species common to all areas of alpine tundra. Some animals of alpine tundra environments include the Kea parrot, marmot, mountain goats, chinchilla, woodland caribou, and pika. 

Facts about the Alpine Tundra 7: Perennial Herbs

Perennial herbs (including grasses, sedges, and low woody or semi-woody shrubs) dominate the alpine landscape; they have much more root and rhizome biomass than that of shoots, leaves, and flowers. 

Facts about the Alpine Tundra 8: Alpine Regions

Relative to lower elevation areas in the same region, alpine regions have a high rate of endemism and a high diversity of plant species. This taxonomic diversity diversity can be attributed to geographical isolation, climate changes, glaciation, microhabitat differentiation and different histories of migration or evolution or both.

Facts about the Alpine Tundra 9: Types of Tundra

There are two types of tundra: arctic tundra and alpine tundra. The arctic tundra is located within the Arctic Circle while the alpine tundra is the area high in the mountains above trees.

Facts about the Alpine Tundra 10: Adaptation for Survival of Drying

The adaptations for survival of drying winds and cold may make tundra vegetation seem very hardy, but in some respects the tundra is very fragile. Repeated footsteps often destroy tundra plants, leaving exposed soil to blow away, and recovery may take hundreds of years.

Hope you would find those alpine tundra facts really interesting, useful and helpful for your additional reading.