Alpine Tundra

1. Alpine Tundra By: Cara, Katie, and Rusty

2. General Characteristics • Extremely cold climate • Low biotic diversity • Simple vegetation structure • Limitation of drainage • Short season of growth and reproduction • Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material • Large population oscillations. Animals: • Mammals: pikas, marmots, mountain goats, sheep, elk • Birds: grouselike birds • Insects: springtails, beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies The plants are very similar to those of the arctic ones and include: • tussock grasses, dwarf trees, small-leafed shrubs, and heaths

3. Producers • Snow Leopards are found in cold climates where they hunt since they are carnivores. They are an endangered species. In the summer they stay in trees all day and lookout for food. In the winter is their best time to camouflage. They never have trouble finding any food. They are very fierce when it comes to protecting their cubs. A female Snow leopard defends the family with her life. • Llamas like altitude. This is why they pick places like the Andes Mountains where the sun is high and the weather is just right. When llamas are wet they get sick. Llamas that are lonely sometimes do nothing and eat more increasingly when they have nothing to do. A lonely llama is not a good one. Llamas have strong backs that can carry heavy loads. They are a very nice form of travel. • Chinchillas are part of the rodent family. They have mouse like features, whiskers, pointy ears, and small clawed hands. They like to live and build nests in trees. They scamper quickly while working to do there chinchilla jobs and can be found as house pets in some places. Chinchillas can jump 6 feet and eat berries, nuts, and small insects like worms. They live longer than any other rodent. • Yaks are very vulnerable creatures. They are harsh and cruel. Yaks have long thick hair and love the cold weather. They live in heard of ten to thirty other yaks. Yaks eat grasses, straws, lichens and other shrub-like plants. Yaks are used for a sport. It is called Yak Racing. They have riders and have to swim through water. • Mountain Goats are of least concern to endangered species protectors. They are strong an well built animals. They easily climb tall mountains and narrow paths. These goats eat grass, herbs, shrubs, lichen, straw, and twigs. There horns are pointed so when two male goats are fighting for a female they buck horns and let the greater goat win! • Alpaca have been domestic and sacred animals for years. They are worshiped for the long history of what they did to help man kind. All alpaca are known for spitting on those who they don't like. If you make an alpaca mad then they will spit at you. This is how you know an alpaca hates you.

4. Where the Alpine Tundra is found

5. Climate • Bleak and Treeless place • Always cold throughout year • Sun Shines almost 24 hours a day • Never gets warmer than 45 or 50 degrees • Ice never goes away • Creates bogs • Shallow lakes that don't drain • During long winter months, the sun barely rises • Winter temperatures don't normally go above 20 degrees F • And Average -20 and -30 F • The average temperature for the warmest month is below 50 F

6. Climate 2 • Temp. Range- 10-15 degrees Celsius

7. Facts • Sunshine • Very Windy • We chose Sagarmatha National Park in the Himalayas • Asia • Food Web: