Subalpine Forest

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Subalpine Forest

• By Dillon Card

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Basic Facts

• Elevation 9,000 ft. 12,000 ft.
• Mean Temperature 32.5F (low -10F, high 75F)
• Annual Precipitation 30-35 inches per year

• Disturbances-
• Subalpine fires are uncommon but generally occur
  every 15-30 years.
• Strong winds (wind throw/shear)
• Frigid winter temps and heavy snowfall
• Logging and clear-cutting (contributes to
  outbreaks of spruce beetles)
• Drought

• Primary Animals-
• Mountain Chickadee, Stellers Jay, owls
• Lynx, Snowshoe Hare, American Marten, cougars,
  elk
• Bark Beatles, Sliver Bordered Fritilbury, larvae

http//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78
/SubalpineFir_7458.jpg
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Mountain ChickadeeOrder PasseriformesFamily
Paridae

• Physical Description
• Black cap joining a black stripe behind the eye.
  There are distinctive white eyebrows and their
  backs/sides are gray. They have short black bills
  and a black bib.
• Habitats
• Mountain/ subalpine regions of Western USA from
  Yukon to California and Rocky Mountain States.

• Behaviors
• They breed monogamously and produce 1-2 broods
  per year with a incubation of 14 days. The young
  stay in the nest for 21 days and are fed by both
  parents.
• Diet
• Conifer seeds and other plant seeds. They search
  for food in the bark and break seeds open with
  their beaks.

http//billlangton.com/photos/chickadee.jpg
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American MartenOrder CarnivoraFamily
Mustelidae

• Physical Description
• Has a brown strip of hair on its back (pelage)
  and a chest patch which is lighter in color. Fur
  is orangish brown and has a long, dark, bushy
  tail. They have long slender bodies with pointed
  snouts and have large footpads which allow them
  to walk on hard snow.
• Habitats
• mature coniferous/mixed forests in Alaska,
  Canada, Northern New England and the Rocky
  Mountains.

• Behaviors
• Active from late afternoon till early morning
  and is usually solitary outside of mating season.
  Males claim territory of 1-3 square miles and can
  be aggressive. Mating occurs during summer.
• Diet
• Omnivorous catch/eat small mammals (ex.
  American Red Squirrel)
• and catch other creatures like frogs, fish, and
  insects. Also eats fruit and other vegetation
  when its available.

http//bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/Fall200320pr
oject/marten3.jpg
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Engelmann SpruceOrder PinalesFamily Pinaceae

• Physical Description
• Medium to large sized evergreen tree (25-40
  meters). The bark is thin and scaly and flakes
  off. They dark, bluish green, square needles
  with sharp points which grow on all sides of the
  twig. The needles are usually 1 inch in length.
  The cones are reddish-orange brown and are
  compacted scales.