Alpine - High Mountain Biome By: Kalie Mehaffy and Kristen Cunningham

Where is it found?  Rift Mountains  Sierra  Cascade  Alps  Himalayas  Andes  Rockies  Pyrenees Mountains  Rift Mountains  Sierra  Cascade  Alps  Himalayas  Andes  Rockies  Pyrenees Mountains Rift Mountains Sierra Cascade Alps Himalayas Andes Rockies Pyrenees Mountains

Major Producers and Consumers dwarf shrubs grassesmosseslichen lemmingsinsectsmusk ox owlsfoxes wolves

Major Natural Resources  The major natural resources in the Alpine - High Mountain biome are trees

Environmental Concerns Ski development is a threat to the Alpine biomes and general mountain habitat. It discourages the nesting of animals and the construction of buildings causes pollution and the usage of natural resources from the mountain environment. Airborne pollution also has a negative effect by sterilizing mountain lakes. Global warming is a substantial threat because it melts the snow at the top of the mountains, and the warmed air causes species that live in the cold to move up on the mountain and thus lose living space.

Endangered Species The Chinchilla - it is pronounced vulnerable. It is hunted for its extraordinarily soft fur and thus its population is waning in the wild. Another negative factor is the removing of the algarobilla shrub upon which the Chinchilla eats. It has been successfully breed as a house pet. The Ibex - lives on the Alpine terrain, has a unique hoof structure that gives it a particular skill at climbing. In the 1800's, the Ibex was hunted almost to extinction because it supposedly had magical properties. It has been brought back slightly, although its numbers are at 3000 in the Alps.

Endangered Species Algarobilla shrub - this shrub is part of the reason that chinchillas are endangered. They ate it, and humans harvested it and burned it, leaving almost none left.

References alpinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ASearch&search= alpine+biomebiome