Mountains
Whole climates stacked on a single slope.
High slopes where climate changes with altitude, from forested valleys to icy peaks.
Overview
Climbing a mountain is like travelling toward the poles: it gets colder and the air gets thinner with every step up. As a result, vegetation forms bands — forests at the base, then shrubs, alpine meadows and finally rock and ice. Mountains are isolated “islands” in the sky, so many species live on only one range.
Climate
Colder and windier with altitude; weather can change very quickly.
Where it is found
Every continent — including the Himalayas, Andes, Alps, Rockies and the mountains of China.
Vegetation
Bands of forest, bamboo, shrubs and alpine meadows, giving way to rock and ice near the summit.
Living conditions
- Altitude: Temperature and air pressure fall as you climb.
- Exposure: Strong sun, wind and frost shape what can grow.
- Water towers: Snow and glaciers feed rivers for the lowlands.
Key facts
- Altitude: About −6.5 °C for every 1,000 m (Average temperature drop with height)
- Highest point: 8,849 m (Mount Everest)
- Seasonality: Snow cover and growing seasons depend on altitude
How the ecosystem works
- Vegetation zones: Different communities live at different altitudes.
- Sky islands: Isolated peaks evolve species found nowhere else.
- Seasonal movement: Animals move up and down the slopes with the seasons.
Food web
- Producers
- Bamboo, Giant sequoia, Alpine meadows
- Herbivores
- Giant panda, Red panda, Wild sheep & goats
- Predators
- Snow leopard, Gray wolf
- Decomposers
- Fungi, Soil microbes
Biodiversity
Mountains pack many habitats into a small area, so they are often rich in species — and in species that live on a single range or slope.
Threats
- Warming — Species move uphill as it warms, until there is nowhere higher to go.
- Habitat loss — Logging, roads and farming climb higher every year.
- Shrinking glaciers — Melting ice changes water supplies far downstream.
Conservation
Mountains are the water towers of the world and refuges for unique wildlife. Protecting them protects rivers, forests and the species that cannot move anywhere else.
- Protecting high-altitude reserves.
- Keeping corridors open so species can move uphill.
- Working with mountain communities.