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8<br />
Wildlife... in the mountains<br />
Grizzly Bear<br />
Coyote<br />
Wolverine<br />
Pine Marten<br />
Pika<br />
Columbia Ground Squirrel<br />
Jordy Shephard<br />
Black Bear<br />
Grey Wolf<br />
Cougar<br />
Beaver<br />
Hoary Marmot<br />
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel<br />
Here in the mountains,<br />
the distance from valley<br />
to peak is over 3000 m. The<br />
rugged mountaintops and<br />
wind-swept slopes are colder<br />
and wetter than the lush<br />
warmer valley bottoms. In<br />
this spread of environments<br />
from top to bottom live very<br />
different combinations of plants<br />
and animals, all uniquely<br />
adapted to their particular “life<br />
zone”. It’s the variety of life<br />
that survives in each of these<br />
zones that gives the mountains<br />
their incredible diversity of life.<br />
In the Rocky Mountains<br />
national parks of <strong>Banff</strong>, Jasper,<br />
Kootenay, Yoho & Waterton the<br />
montane life zone (elevation<br />
1000-1500 m) occurs on the<br />
lower slopes and valley<br />
bottoms. It’s the warmest and<br />
driest part of the mountain<br />
landscape where the most<br />
plants and animals can live.<br />
The montane produces the<br />
most variety of vegetation and<br />
supports the greatest diversity<br />
of wildife.<br />
A snapshot of<br />
Grazers like elk, bighorn sheep,<br />
and deer feed on the grasses and<br />
shrubs in the montane valleys.<br />
Cougars and wolves are attracted<br />
to the abundant prey. Black bears<br />
and grizzlies use the montane in<br />
spring and fall. All of the park’s<br />
amphibians and reptiles and most of<br />
the mountains’ 300 species of birds.<br />
are found in the montane zone.<br />
Between the valley bottoms<br />
and the high mountain slopes<br />
is the middle sub-alpine life<br />
zone (elevation 1500-2200 m).<br />
Here, the climate is cooler<br />
and wetter than the montane,<br />
but not as harsh as the alpine.<br />
Snow is deeper in the winter<br />
and lasts longer in the spring.<br />
The summer growing season<br />
is shorter than in the valleys<br />
below.<br />
Moose and caribou that can cope<br />
with deep snow are the only large<br />
mammals that use the subalpine<br />
in the winter. Squirrels feed on<br />
seeds and cones in the subalpine<br />
and are prey for pine martens<br />
that are more at home in trees<br />
than on the ground. Wolverines<br />
hunt porcupines and other small<br />
mammals. Seed-eating birds like<br />
nutcrackers and jays are common,<br />
as are chickadees, kinglets and<br />
juncos.
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