Shelledy Elementary

Subalpine Life Zone

Colorado Life Zones: Seasons, Plants, & Animals

Step 1: Choose One of the Life Zones or Choices Below

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Colorado Life Zones General Information Interactive Elevation & Life Zone Diagram Colorado Maps: Life Zones and More Semidesert Shrublands (West CO) Shortgrass Plains Life Zone (East CO) Foothills Woodlands & Shrublands Montane Forests Life Zone Subalpine Life Zone Alpine Life Zone Riparian Life Zones

Subalpine Life Zone: Seasons, Plants, & Animals

Step 2: Choose a Topic from the Subalpine Life Zone & Scroll Down

Subalpine Life Zone General Information
General Information

Subalpine Life Zone Through the Seasons
Through the Seasons

Subalpine Life Zone Extreme Weather
Extreme Weather

Subalpine Life Zone Awesome Adaptations
Awesome Adaptations

Subalpine Life Zone Plants and Trees
Plants and Trees

Subalpine Life Zone Mammals
Mammals

Subalpine Life Zone Birds
Birds

Subalpine Life Zone Reptiles and Amphibians
Reptiles & Amphibians

Subalpine Life Zone General Information

After leaving the montane life zone, you enter the subalpine life. The elevation is from about 10,000 to 11,500 ft above sea level. Aspen trees from the montane forests disappear and you get in scattered forests of large pine trees.The upper edge of subalpine is tree line, (above where trees no longer grow).As you get close to the tree line, the different pine trees get shorter and shorter. These dwarf pine trees are called krummholz. They are the same species as the ones lower in the subalpine, only their growth has been slowed by the extreme weather and elevation. The subalpine can have quick and extreme weather changes. Also, some people get altitude sickness hiking in the subalpine. click on altitude sickness and sunburns to learn more.

The subalpine is filled with dense pine forests.

It also has many open grassy meadows.

Subalpine in the summer

Subalpine Meadow

Winter rules most the year

Subalpine and Tree Line

Snow and cold weather rule most of the year.

Tree line separates the subalpine & alpine.

Colorado's Life Zones Map

http://ndis.nrel.colostate.edu/images/lifezones.jpg

Colorado Map: Mountain Ranges and Major Rivers

http://ndis.nrel.colostate.edu/images/ranges1.jpg