Montane Ecosystem

Moraine Park 2
Moraine Park

NPS Photo / Jim Ecklund

 

The Montane ecosystem has the richest diversity of plant and animal life. Meandering rivers and open meadows are surrounded by hilly slopes. Wildflowers blanket the meadows throughout the summer growing season.

 
Ponderosa Pine bark
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.

 
Aspen Trees in a meadow
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.

 

The following landmarks in the park are part of the montane ecosystem.

 
Moraine Park
Moraine Park

East side of Rocky Mountain National Park

Horseshoe Park
Horseshoe Park

East side of Rocky Mountain National Park

Kawuneeche Valley
Kawuneeche Valley

West side of Rocky Mountain National Park

Upper Beaver Meadows
Upper Beaver Meadows

East side of Rocky Mountain National Park

 

Follow the links below to learn about life in the Montane.

 
Mountain Iris bloom in early summer when the meadows are wet.
Mountain Iris

Flowers bloom in early summer when the meadows are wet.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ponderosa Pine cones are intricate compared to the mighty tree's size.
Ponderosa Pine cones

Ponderosa Pine cones are intricate compared to the mighty tree's size.

Insects like these tent caterpillars are plentiful in the montane.
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

Last updated: May 2, 2018

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

1000 US Hwy 36
Estes Park, CO 80517

Phone:

970 586-1206
The Information Office is open year-round: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. daily in summer; 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Mondays - Fridays and 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Saturdays - Sundays in winter. Recorded Trail Ridge Road status: (970) 586-1222.

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