Mountain Biome
The mountain biome is not usually described
in other references because a variety of other biomes exist within it
(such as grasslands at the base of a mountain, coniferous forest at the
center of the mountain, and the tundra found at the top of the mountain).
But because some animals are only found on a specific mountain range it
is important to recognize the mountains as a biome.
Mountains cover about 20% of the Earth's surface and are found on all continents and in all oceans. The movement of the earth's crust by folding, breaking into large blocks, lifting upwards to form a dome, or cracking due to volcanic activity forms mountain ranges. Although mountain ranges can be formed by the methods described above all share certain characteristics. These include changes in soil, vegetation, climate and elevation all within a matter of a few feet. For example the temperature could drop within about 10 minutes, a thunderstorm may come over a hill without warning, or a forest might open into a large meadow.