Stop 2
Subalpine Forest

As you walk through the subalpine forest you'll notice the air becoming cooler and damp. Here on Niwot Ridge, the windy conditions sculpts and shapes the crowns of trees into "flag trees". On the damp forest floor, wind thrown trees provide a habitat for flowering plants. Kiowa Peak lies off to the right in the photo. Explore the subalpine forest some more before heading off to the next stop.

Figure 2.1 Wind-shaped crown of flag tree in the subalpine forest. (Photo credit: Michael Ritter)

 

Field Journal Entry

Make a sketch of the tree forms at this site in your journal.

Northwest is to the right of the photograph above and southeast to the left. What is the prevailing wind direction at this site? How can you tell?

Record the elevation and temperature for this site in your field journal

Environmental Data
Site Elevation

Temperature

Wind Speed

Insolation

3, 200 m 8.0 C N/A N/A

On to Stop 3 Ecotone: Forest - Tundra Transition

Or jump to:

| Table of Contents | Stop 1 Lodgepole Pine | Stop 2: Subalpine | Stop 3: Ecotone | Stop 4: Tundra |
| Stop 5: D1 | Stop 6: Isabelle Glacier | Stop 7: Pawnee Cirque | Stop 8: Green Lakes Valley | Wrap - up |

Created by Michael Ritter ( mritter@uwsp.edu ) Last revised July14, 1997