Montane Aspen Forest Ecosystem

By: Sandra & Caprice
Abiotic Characteristics
  • Average Temperatures- 24-32 F in the winter and 70-78 F in the summer. Warmer than the Alpine Zone. 
  • Average Precipitation Amounts- Annual 17.97 in.
  • Elevation Range- Aspen forests grow best at 9,000 ft.
         They grow between 8,000 ft to 10,000 ft
Herbivores
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Mule Deer
  • Montane forests and plains
  • Woody vegetation is major part of diet
  • They eat a wide variety of vegetation types
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Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel
  • Montane forests
  • Diet-Seeds, nuts, fruits, green vegetation, and fungi.
  • They acquire a fat layer to survive hibernation.
 Omnivore
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Black Bears
  • Montane region.
  • Berries, insects, plants, and animals.
  • They hibernate in the winter.
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Red Fox
  • Montane forests
  • Rodents, insects, worms, eggs, birds, and fruits.
  • Live in dens
Carnivores
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Mountain Lion
  • Montane foothills
  • Deer, elk, bighorn sheep, hares, and rodents
  • Mating all year long.

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Gray Wolf
  • Montane mountains
  • Elk, deer, moose, beaver, and rabbits.
  • They can adapt to a lot of different habitats. They used to live in Colorado but none have been seen for many years.
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Predator Birds


Great Horned Owl
  • Forest, open woodlands
  • Mammals, reptiles, birds
  • They blend in.
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Cooper’s Hawk
  • Montane forest
  • Diet is other birds
  • They have adapted to living in cities.
Video Link: Aspen Trees
The Major Producers in our Ecosystem

Douglas Fir - 
  • Coniferous
  • Tree
  • Upper wet montane zone
  • They have small thin needles to collect energy through sunlight all year round.

Aspen Trees
  • Deciduous
  • Tree
  • Dry, Mountains
  • They can make new trees with both seeds and their root system.

Lodgepole Pine
  • Coniferous
  • Tree
  • Dry areas of montane
  • They have small thin needles to collect energy through sunlight all year round.

Columbine
  • Deciduous
  • Flower
  • Hot, dry slopes and moist, shady forests
  • Short life, but makes many seeds.

Indian Paintbrush
  • Deciduous
  • Flower
  • Montane meadows
  • Short life, but makes many seeds.

Red or Rocky Mountain Maple
  • Deciduous 
  • Shrub
  • Moist forests
  • Have a winged seed.

Human Impacts and Threats in our Ecosystem
Human impacts in our ecosystem? - The Montane Aspen forest can be a direct result of human interaction. According to the book, Grassland to Glacier, “... aspen forests are the result of human or natural disturbance. "
  • Wildlife habitat disturbed by humans moving in -  Ex. In Aspen we moved in on the bear’s habitat and because we aren’t controlling our trash, we are causing bear deaths.
  • Change in natural fire occurrence - Ex. In the montane aspen ecosystem natural fires help keep the system healthy but humans don’t want their houses to burn down so they interfere with the natural fires.  
  • Invasive plants - Ex. Humans might want green grass surrounding their house, this grass can spread and it is not a native plant to the montane aspen forest. It could causes problems for native plants.

What are threats to the ecosystem?- Use of aspen trees for wood products can be a threat if there is overuse.
Products that are used from our Ecosystem and Water in our Ecosystem
What products have been used from the ecosystem? - Aspen trees can be used for wood products such as wood paneling, fiber and excelsior.
Is water use or water diversion an issue?- There are some issues with water use. There are water diversion products that affect the Aspen trees.  Aspen trees help keep the soil in place and help control erosion.










Other Birds
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Gray Jay
  • Montane Forests
  • Fruits, seeds, and insects
  • They hide food in the trees to keep for winter.
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Flammulated Owl
  • Mountain Pine
  • Insects
  • They migrate

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Mountain Chickadee
  • Dry forests
  • Insects, berries, and seeds
  • They hang upside down to eat more insects.


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Mountain Bluebird                                                                                                               
  • Montane forest, sagebrush fields            
  • Insects
  • Hunts insects with hovering flight
         and quick dives
Conclusion
Thank you for reading our web page! We hope you liked it. We hope you learned something new.

Works Cited
1. Huggins, Janis Lindsey. Snowmass Village, Wild at Heart: A Field Guide to Plants, Birds & Mammals, Snowmass/Aspen & the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Snowmass Village, CO: Published by the Town of Snowmass Village, 2004. Print.

2. Mutel, Cornelia Fleischer., and John C. Emerick. From Grassland to Glacier: The Natural History of Colorado. Boulder: Johnson, 1984. Print.

3. "Colorado Life Zones General Information." Colorado Life Zones General Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.