Montane Ecosystem

NPS Photo

Ranging from approximately 5,600 feet - 9,500 feet in elevation, the montane ecosystem includes meadows along with Ponderosa pine, Lodgepole pine and douglas Fir forested areas. These areas of Rocky Mountain National Park provide habitat that support a wide variety of vegetation and wildlife year-round.

In the winter, snow blankets the ground and wildlife like elk graze on grasses that grow in open meadow areas near pine forests. As snow melts and spring transitions to summer, a wide array of colorful wildflowers can be found growing among green and yellow grasses. Rivers and streams meander through the meadows, creating riparian habitat for migrating songbirds.

 

Ponderosa Pine bark turns red as the tree ages.

NPS

Dry, south-facing slopes of the Montane often have open stands of large ponderosa pines. Spacing of ponderosa pines is somewhat related to available soil moisture. Grasses, other herbs and shrubs may grow between the widely spaced trees on dry slopes. As the pines become old, their bark changes from gray-brown to cinnamon-red, and the bark releases a pleasant fragrance when warmed by the sun. The long needles of ponderosa pines are attached to the stems in groups of two's and three's.

 

North-facing slopes of the Montane escape some of the sun's drying action, so their soils contain more available water. As a result, the trees grow closer together and competition for sunlight produces a tall, slender growth form. The trees may be a mixture of Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine and an occasional Engelmann spruce. A few shade-tolerant plants grow on the floor of the forest.

 

Old aspen trees in Upper Beaver Meadows

NPS

Montane soils with high moisture content may support groves of quaking aspen, whose leaves turn golden-yellow in the autumn and whose whitish bark is easy to recognize. Along streams or the shores of lakes, other water-loving small trees may be found. These include various willows, mountain alder, and water birch with dark-colored bark. In a few places, blue spruce may grow near streams and sometimes hybridize with Engelmann spruce. Flat Montane valleys may frequently have water-logged soil and be unable to support growth of evergreen forests.

 

Did you know the following areas in Rocky are located in the montane lifezone?

 

Moraine Park

Located on Bear Lake Road, Moraine Park in summer

Horseshoe Park

Located on the east side of RMNP near Fall River Entrance, Horseshoe Park is a great place for wildlife viewing!

Kawuneeche Valley

Located on the west side of Rocky, the Kawuneeche Valley has meadows and riparian wetlands that support a wide range of wildlife

Upper Beaver Meadows

Located on the east side of RMNP, the turn to Upper Beaver Meadows is approximately 1 mile from Beaver Meadows Entrance.

 

Want to learn more? Click on links below to learn about different plants and wildlife that live in the Montane ecosystem.

 

Mountain Iris

Found in moist montane meadows, Mountain Iris bloom in early summer

Mule Deer

Mule Deer are usually found in small groups in the trees.

Plains prickly pear

Plains prickly pear cactus bloom even up here in the Rocky Mountains.

Western Tanagers

Western Tanagers breed in the park each summer and migrate south in the winter.

Ponderosa Pine Trees

Found mostly in the montane ecosystem of Rocky, mature Ponderosa pines are often large with open rounded or flat-topped crowns.

Tent Caterpillars

Insects like these tent caterpillars are plentiful in the montane.

 

Trees
Douglas Fir	Ponderosa Pine	Lodgepole Pine	Quaking Aspen
Shrubs
Antelope Bitterbrush	Common Juniper	Kinnikinnick	Wax currant
Big Sage	Holly Grape	Rocky Mountain Juniper
Herbaceous Plants
Blue Grama	Gumweed	Mountain Ball Cactus	Sedge
Blue Columbine	June Grass	Mountain Muhly	Spike Flower
Daisy	Locoweed	Needle and Thread Grass	Sulphur Flower
Dwarf Mistletoe	Mariposa Lily	Pasque Flower	Western Wallflower
Geranium	Miner's Candle	Penstemon	Whiskbroom Parsley
Reptiles
Western Garter Snake
Birds
American Crow	Great Horned Owl	Pygmy Nuthatch	Tree Swallow
American Robin	Mountain Chickadee	Raven	Western Bluebird
Black-Billed Magpie	Mountain Bluebird	Red Crossbill	Western Tanager
Cassin's Finch	Northern Flicker	Solitary Vireo	Western Wood Pee Wee
Common Nighthawk	Northern Goshawk	Stellar's Jay	Woodpecker (Downy and Hairy)
Golden Eagle	Pine Siskin	Townsend's Solitaire	Yellow-Rump Warbler
Mammals
Abert's Squirrel	Chipmunk	Meadow Vole	Otter
Badger	Coyote	Montane Shrew	Porcupine
Bighorn Sheep	Deer Mouse	Moose	Skunk
Black Bear	Elk	Mountain Lion	Yellow-Bellied Marmot
Bobcat	Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel	Mule Deer
Bushy-Tailed Wood Rat	Long-Tailed Weasel	Nuttall's Cottontail