Mountains



You can see how the forests grow up the sides of the mountain then suddenly stop. This place is known as the tree line. The forest cannot grow beyond this line because the weather is too harsh. Smaller plants called alpines and some kinds of grass are adapted to these conditions and are eaten by herbivores like the marmot, hare, deer goat and ptarmigan.
A few butterflies, like the Apollo butterfly, feed on the nectar of the alpines.
The lynx is a carnivore of the high mountains. The small river bird called the dipper is also a carnivore. In this case it feeds on insects in the streams. The golden eagle and raven have broad wings to catch rising currents of air and soar over the mountains looking for food. They catch small animals but are also scavengers.

What are weather conditions like on a mountain?
Winter conditions last longer on the mountain than in the valley. The snow lies longer and the frosts are more severe. The winds are stronger and in winter they may carry ice crystals which can cut into any plants they strike. In the summer the weather may be sunny but it is cool. Although the weather may be wet the soil is quick draining in places and soon becomes dry.

How are plants adapted to conditions on a mountain?
The high winds would blow over any tall plant or snap their shoots. Plants are adapted to this by only growing close to the ground. Some plants, like heather, only grow up to 3cm high, while the mountain azalea has a longer shoot but grows horizontally and creeps across the ground. The least willow keeps its stem and branches underground all the time, but grows leaves and flowers from them which push upwards into the air above the soil. Many plants have a long tap root to hold them in place in the loose soil and to search out water as it drains away quickly.

How do plants breed in such harsh conditions?
Although plants produce flowers, the chances of pollination by insects are not good, due to the poor weather. It is generally too cold, wet and windy for insects to fly between the flowers although they may do so if the weather is warm and dry and the air is still. Many plants breed by making copies of themselves. Plants which have bulbs may do this by sprouting new bulbs from an old one. Some plants, like the alpine meadow grass, grow tiny plants among its flowers and when they are large enough they fall off into the soil.

Are the same animals found on every mountain?
You may find eagles and vultures on many mountains but some animals are only found on certain mountains. On the mountains of North America live big horn sheep, grizzly bear and the puma, or mountain lion.
On the Andes mountains in South America live the spectacled bear and the guanaco, which is a wild form of the llama. In the fast flowing mountain rivers live many kinds of torrent duck.
On the Alps in Europe are found another sheep called the mouflon. The marmot, which also lives there, spends half the year in hibernation.
On the Himalayas in Asia are found the yak, snow leopard, Tibetan wild ass and the bar-headed goose.

Do any small mammals live on mountains?
Small mouse-like mammals called voles are found on mountains. They make tunnels through the grass and other plants. Some make tunnels under rocks. One kind of vole has a flat head, which helps the vole push its way between stones.

Are there any cold blooded animals that live on mountains?
Reptiles and amphibians are two groups of vertebrates which are cold-blooded. A few reptiles, such as lizards and snakes, live on mountains, while a few amphibians, such as toads, live there too. These animals have dark-coloured bodies so that they can warm up quickly. Dark colours absorb more heat energy from the Sun than light colours. All invertebrates, such as insects and spiders, are cold blooded. Most of them spend their lives under stones where the air is warmer.

Can anything live on the highest mountain tops all through the year?
No. The weather is too severe. They may be able to survive for a few hours when the weather is clear and sunny but at other times the high winds and low temperatures are lethal.

Has any living thing been seen at the top of the highest mountain?
Some mountaineers on the summit of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, have claimed to see an alpine chough. This is a black bird like a crow. It has a long, curved, yellow beak. Like all living things the alpine chough could not survive there for long. Alpine choughs do live on high mountains and many have made nests on mountainsides at over 6000 metres above sea level.