Sustainable High Altitude Gardening Series One: Class One: Colorado Ecology

Agenda Student Questionnaire Colorado Life Zones –Closer look: Pinion Pine-Juniper Woodlands Seeds –Plant seeds

The Shape of the Land

Colorado Life Zones Prairie Alpine Foothills Subalpine Montane Riparian

Foothills 5,500 – 8,000 ft. Plains 3,500 – 5,500 ft. Montane 8,000 – 10,000 ft. Sub alpine 10,000 – 11,500 ft. Riparian Alpine 11,500 +ft. Colorado Life Zones

Influences on the Life Zones Elevation Climate Soils (Dirt) Threats Animals Plants Food Web

PRAIRIE / GRASSLANDS

Foothills 5,500 – 8,000 ft. Plains 3,500 – 5,500 ft. Montane 8,000 – 10,000 ft. Sub alpine 10,000 – 11,500 ft. Riparian Alpine 11,500 +ft. Plains Life Zone

What Is It Like On The Prairie? Temperature Rainfall Soils Geography Less than mountains, more than desert Cold in winter, hot in summer East side of the mountains Very fertile, plants grow easily with deep roots

Canopy Height Plains Montane Alpine Foothills Riparian

What kinds of plants grow on the Prairie? ?

Buffalo Grass Blue Grama Needle & Thread Grass Can you think of the kinds of ADAPTATIONS that help these plants grow in the hot and dry climate of the prairie?

Yucca

Foothills Life Zone

Foothills 5,500 – 8,000 ft. Prairie / grasslands 3,500 – 5,500 ft. Montane 8,000 – 10,000 ft. Sub alpine 10,000 – 11,500 ft. Riparian Alpine 11,500 +ft. Foothills Life Zone

What Is It Like In The Foothills? ClimateWeather is always changing! Rain falls during Spring and Fall, and some snow falls in Winter. Temperature Geography Soils Soils are sandy and have lots of broken up rock left there from glaciers Summer temperatures can be HOT, up to 100 degrees, and winters can be cold, down to 20 degrees. BRRR! Located just upslope from the plains. They are smaller than mountains, but taller than most hills!

How Tall Are The Trees In The Foothills? Plains Montane Alpine Foothills Riparian

What kinds of plants grow in the Foothills? ?

Sagebrush Gambel Oak or Scrub Oak Ball Cactus Junegrass Prickly Pear Cactus

Ponderosa Pine

Montane Life Zone

Foothills 5,500 – 8,000 ft. Plains 3,500 – 5,500 ft. Montane 8,000 – 10,000 ft. Sub alpine 10,000 – 11,500 ft. Riparian Alpine 11,500 +ft. Montane Life Zone

What Is It Like In The Montane? Climate Temperature Geography Soils Snow falls in late fall and winter, thunderstorms in summer, more rain than foothills. Warmer than alpine. Stays near freezing (24-32 F) in the winter, warm in the summer (70-78 F) Located between foothills and subalpine. This zone supports many types of plant and animal habitats. Deep soils in flat meadows help grasses and shrubs grow. Trees grow better in less wet, more rocky soils on the slopes of the valleys.

How Tall Are The Trees In The Montane? Plains Montane Alpine Foothills Riparian

What kinds of plants grow in the Montane? ?

Douglas Fir Found in wet upper montane zone Flat needles, cones have “mouse tails” Rough Bark Strong, Hard Wood – Good for Construction Bears like to scrape the bark and eat sap

Lodgepole Pine

Aspen Trees Trees lose their leaves in the fall Very Fertile Soils Beneath Aspen Leaves “quake” or “tremble” in the wind Most trees in an area are from one root. Grows well after fire

Indian Paintbrush Columbine State flower of Colorado!

Subalpine Life Zone

Foothills 5,500 – 8,000 ft. Plains 3,500 – 5,500 ft. Montane 8,000 – 10,000 ft. Subalpine 10,000 – 11,500 ft. Riparian Alpine 11,500 +ft. Subalpine Life Zone

What Is It Like In The Subalpine? Climate Temperature Geography Soils Winter is LONG and summer is SHORT. Snow begins in early fall and stays until early summer in the shade of the forest. Stays below freezing (18-24 F) in the winter, a little cooler than the Montane Zone in the summer (62-78 F) Located between montane and alpine. This zone is mostly forested with some meadows. Deep soils in flat meadows help grasses and shrubs grow. Trees grow better in less wet, more rocky soils on the slopes of the valleys.

What kinds of plants grow in the Subalpine? ?

Lodgepole Pine Limber Pine Engelmann Spruce Subalpine Fir There are 4 different trees in the Subalpine What adaptation do all these trees have in common?

Alpine Life Zone

Foothills 5,500 – 8,000 ft. Plains 3,500 – 5,500 ft. Montane 8,000 – 10,000 ft. Subalpine 10,000 – 11,500 ft. Riparian Alpine 11,500 +ft. Alpine Life Zone

What Is It Like In The Alpine? Climate Temperature Geography Soils Coldest Life Zone with VERY strong winds inches of snow falls per year. Snow gets moved around by the winds. Around freezing every night of the year. Highest life zone. Located above subalpine and above treeline. Very shallow soils. Soils are mostly made up of rocks and plant roots.

What kinds of plants grow in the Alpine? ?

Plants of the Alpine zone are small in size and hug the ground. This is so they are protected from the cold temperatures, snow and strong winds!

What kinds of animals live in the Alpine? ?

Picas are farmers! Yellow-bellied Marmot

Ptarmagins change colors like the snowshoe rabbits. Who are these ptarmagins hiding from?

Alpine Food Web

Riparian Life Zone

Foothills 5,500 – 8,000 ft. Plains 3,500 – 5,500 ft. Montane 8,000 – 10,000 ft. Subalpine 10,000 – 11,500 ft. Riparian Alpine 11,500 +ft. Riparian Life Zone

What Is It Like In The Riparian? Climate Temperature Geography Soils Usually cooler than the surrounding landscape. Similar to the surrounding landscape. Located around running waters, usually in low areas on the landscape. Mostly composed of sand and gravel that is created by tumbling rocks in the water. Near the banks, the soil is usually wet and will support plants that like wet soils.

What kinds of plants grow in the Riparian? ?

Cattails Sedges

Cottonwood Alder Willow

Colorado Life Zones Prairie Alpine Foothills Subalpine Montane Riparian

Colorado Life Zones Western slope Front Range

Pinion Pine-Juniper Woodlands Western slope foothills-montane 7,000 ft Extremely dry Temperature and precipitation determine the density of trees (limiting factors) This ecosystem covers more area than any other in the USA.

Trees of the Pinion Pine-Juniper Woodlands Pinion pine One-seed juniper (lower elevations) Rocky mountain juniper (upper elevations)Rocky mountain juniper

Shrubs of the Pinion Pine-Juniper Woodlands Apache plume Bitterbrush Candelabra cactus Mountain mahogany Mormon tea Gambel oak Rabbitbrush Big sagebrush Four-winged saltbush Serviceberry Shadscale Skunkbrush Snowberry

Herbaceous Plants of the Pinion Pine-Juniper Woodlands Golden aster Cheatgrass Sand dropseed New Mexican feathergrass Four o’clock Galletagrass Blue grama Side-oats grama Gumweed Junegrass Copper mallow Tansy mustard Muttongrass Needle-and-thread Prickly pear Indian ricegrass Russian thistle Fringed sage Squirreltail Prairie sunflower Red three-awn Wild zinnia

Seeds Switch gears…..VEGETABLES Seed share Recycled containers Frost free – June 1 stFrost free – June 1 st

Seed Information Colorado State Extension articles How to Build Houseplant Shelves How to Make a PVC Plant Stand How to Make a Seed Planter When to Plant Seeds Indoors