The alpine tundra is an extension of land that has vegetation that is characteristic of very cold climates. The tundra occupies approximately 20% of the earth's surface, although there are two different types: the arctic and the alpine, the second being observed at the top of the mountains.
The term "tundra" has its origin in Russia, although depending on the dialect it has several meanings, such as arctic hill, hostile land or frozen plain. In English the first reference to the word tundra was made in 1841 to describe the northernmost part of Siberia.
Photo taken 2390 meters above the alpine tundra in Switzerland.
Source: Chris.urs-o, via Wikimedia Commons.
characteristics
There are two types of tundra: arctic and alpine. Both have very different characteristics.
In the case of the alpine tundra, rainfall is higher, as is the average temperature, although it is still a very cold geographical area. The presence of trees is not observed and the animals only inhabit these regions during the summer season.
The terrain on which the tundras are found is usually flat or with very few hills. The low biodiversity present in the alpine tundra gives it great importance, since monitoring zones can be established without interruptions.
They can be used for the practice of recreational activities, they are areas where a relevant mineral wealth can be found.
Location
The alpine tundra, as its name suggests, can be found high in the mountains, but far from the polar areas. The most emblematic example would be those of the Swiss Alps. Precisely the term "alpine" that is used to name this type of tundra is a reference to this mountain range.
Its location can be determined according to four elements: the region in which it is located, the latitude, its location on the mountain and its geographical distribution.
They are found at any latitude as long as they have a high altitude. Among the regions where they are most common are the Himalayas, the Alps, the Tibetan plateau, the American mountain range (both in the northern and southern areas), the Pyrenees region and some mountains in Africa.
The surrounding landscape is usually rocky areas, cliffs and even flat areas with slight slopes. The summit of the mountains is usually its natural location.
Finally, it is the present altitude that determines its distribution throughout the planet. There must be a high altitude and latitude, with low temperatures. Also the presence of water determines the distribution of these ecosystems, since they lack liquid.
Weather
Alpine tundras are characterized by being in regions that have average temperatures similar to the polar ones. The present temperatures depend a lot on the latitude in which the ecosystems are located.
There is little variation in temperature in the alpine tundras, as in Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, or in the Ruwenzori mountain of Uganda.
Of course, these areas are usually exposed to gusts of wind with high speeds. This causes a somewhat destructive environment for the vegetation present, as the wind also tends to transport ice crystals due to the low temperatures.
In the alpine areas the possibility of rain increases as the altitude is higher. Although if the temperature is very low, these precipitations occur in the form of snow. The windiest areas of the alpine tundras have higher levels of precipitation.
Finally, these areas have low air pressure, which results in low amounts of oxygen. This causes that some types of animals cannot survive in these ecosystems.
Fauna
The alpine tundra is located in many different areas along the earth's surface. In each region the characteristics may vary in terms of altitude, distribution, latitude, etc. All this prevents the fauna from being common to all of them, so no race can be associated with this type of ecosystem.
Despite not being very populated, some animals can live in the alpine tundras despite the little vegetation and low temperatures, as is the case with some birds, some invertebrate animals or mammals.
Birds, for example, are common in alpine tundra regions when they do not feed on shellfish. In addition, the amount of insects in this ecosystem favors the migration of birds during the summer season.
In the case of invertebrates, they are the animals with the best characteristics to live in alpine tundra areas. An example can be springtails.
There are also some mammals that cross these ecosystems to get food, such as the mountain goat, sheep, chinchilla or marmot.
Flora
The vegetation present in this type of ecosystem also depends on several factors present in the alpine tundras. The vegetation can be divided according to the existing altitude, as well as depending on the soil and the zones.
Depending on the altitude, the vegetation is present from the tree line to the mountain peaks that are only covered by snow. Once past the tree line, the vegetation is not uniform and the plants are rather small. While in the valleys some larger species can develop due to greater protection.
In other areas the height is not as decisive as the ground. In regions like Montana, in the Appalachian Mountains, the mountains have grass because of the shallow depth of their land. This prevents trees from growing in these areas.
Finally, the area where the alpine tundras are located also influences the vegetation present. Those that are located near the equator have a flora with characteristics of tropical savanna and forest.
In East Africa, on Mount Kenya, the vegetation varies in different places because the height is different in each place. It begins with temperate forests, with a large presence of bamboo, and then shrubs appear as the temperature increases. When exceeding 12 thousand feet in height, snow appears.
References
- Alpine Tundra Biome: Location, Climate, Vegetation and Animals. Recovered from conserve-energy-future.com
- Kang, D., & Sagi, S. Alpine Tundra Inforgraphic. Recovered from infograph.venngage.com
- McKinney, C. (2019). The Biotic Factors for Alpine Tundra. Recovered from sciencing.com
- Roza, G. (2009). Biomes Of The World: Tundra Life In A Frozen Landscape. New York: Rosen Central.
- Warhol, T. (2007). Tundra. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark.