Forest and Montane Ecosystem

Created by: Maizy Hoffman

In these two ecosystems there is a very healthy environment with abiotic features, biotic features, and the basic weather conditions.

It usually cool and snows in the winter. Some abiotic factors are things like water, clouds, and mountains. A few biotic elements are things like trees, grasses, and mammals. The animals in the ecosystem have adapted to their luscious and cooler surroundings.This is true for both the montane and forest ecosystem.

Where is rocky mountain national park?

My ecosystem has a latitude: 40-20'00'' N and longitude: 105-42'32'' W, along with having an elevation of 11,729 feet.

Global warming

Who is impacted from this issue

There are several things impacted but the wildlife, large mammals specifically. They are getting hurt by global warming which leads to disease and hunting restrictions.

Why is our human impact occuring?

My human impact is global warming and this is occurring because humans are burning too many fossil fuels. Those glasses are going into the atmosphere and warming the planet. This is a serious issue that is taking place everyday, and this is continuing to happen. This continues to happen because there are not enough limits and the whole economy relies on fossil fuels, it is very hard to take it away so quickly.

Climate change is explained more in the article the cause of climate change (published by NASA) when it says, “On Earth, human activities are changing the natural greenhouse. Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). This happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2. “

How is human impact affecting the ecosystem?

On a scout website it gives lots of detail about why elk are now at higher elevations it explains, “...elk enjoy the...explosion of lush , alpine grasses and forbs...These grasses mature as snow recedes and sunlight bolsters growth … this means elk...race to higher elevation” and “Higher elevation also means cooler temperatures. Temperatures on average drop 3 to 4 degrees for every 1,000 feet of elevation. The principles of decreasing atmospheric pressure at higher elevations results in cooler air. You retreat into air conditioning while elk try to move to more hospitable, cooler digs with atmospheric pressure help.” This great article also mentions, “At higher elevations you may find snow year-round. This keeps surroundings chilled and air-cooled. Elk may even bed in snow during the summer months as opposed to the hotter, surrounding soil.”

Why are these ecosystems important?

#1

My ecosystem is important because it helps contribute to lower the amount of fossil fuels in the air. The trees take in our carbon dioxide and give off clean air. We are cutting down these trees for several reasons and that is one of the reasons why climate change is occuring to harshly. The trees are also affected during forest fires, there are some causes because of global warming that make forest fires more often,bigger, and worse. When we take away what helps our problems our problems get worse. Forests are very important to help the global warming issue.

WWF has a website on the importance of forest it explains,“ They provide ecosystem services that are critical to human welfare, Absorbing harmful greenhouse gasses that produce climate change. In tropical forests alone, a quarter of a trillion tons of carbon is stored in above and below ground biomass.”

Also in an article called Forest and Climate Change it states, “Forests help stabilize the climate. They regulate ecosystems, protect biodiversity, play an integral part in the carbon cycle, support livelihoods, and can help drive sustainable growth.”

#2

The montane ecosystem is essential to life on the planet, and really important in Rocky Mountain National Park. This ecosystem is getting impacted from global warming and are suffering from elevation issues.
Between harsher precipitation and rising in elevation from rising sea level there are lots of elements and reasons why the montante ecosystem is important. First of all, the montane ecosystem has many other elements of different ecosystems within itself. There are factors of grassland, tundra, and of course forest.

Each of these ecosystems are affected by different causes and because the montane is made up of so many elements there are even more reasons why it is important. While some animals suffer from the temperature change others are getting harmed because of the precipitation effects. The ecosystem is important because so many parts rely on it. When certain large things are changed it impacts all of the areas.

In an article from the USGS it states,“Mountain ecosystems in the western U.S. and the Northern Rockies in particular are highly sensitive to climate change. In fact, the higher elevations of the Northern Rockies have experienced three times the global average temperature increase over the past century.”

On the wildlife note, a text from Saving Mountaintop Species From Waring mentions a detail about the animals struggling when it says, “he cold-adapted American pika can die from overheating in the summer and he Sierra Nevada mountain yellow-legged frog, for example, depends on runoff from snowpack year-round to support its three-to four-year life stage as a tadpole, and earlier spring snowmelt runoff caused by global warming may leave this hardy, once-abundant creature high and dry in the summertime.”

#3

The montane ecosystem is important because it is at higher elevation. Since water levels are rising animals who can not tolerate the water have to move. By instinct they move up and away. The mountains in the montane ecosystem give these animals a home. With out these places to go to what would those animals do. Or even worse, what would happen if the mountains are not a safe place either.

In an article from the National Wildlife Federation it points out,”Sea-level rise will inundate beaches and marshes and cause erosion on both coasts, diminishing habitat for birds, invertebrates, fish, and other coastal wildlife.”

Graph of rising sea levels.

Graphs of rising mountain wildlife population

Bear

Eagle

Wolf

What you can do!

Some actions you can take for global warming

• Be more careful about fossil fuel usage by:
• Carpooling/riding your bike/walking
• Taking shorter/cooler showers
• Using LED lights and turning them off when they are not being used

Thank you