|
The foothills has several different types of habitats (open ponderosa pine woodlands, pinyon and juniper woodlands, and montane shrublands). Sometimes, it can be difficult to figure out what habitat or life zone you are in. As you go up in elevation, the plants and trees of two different habitats or life zones may blend together.
On the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, the lower part of the foothills rises out of the grasslands. The hillsides are covered with large meadows of grass, small plants, and scattered juniper trees and open ponderosa pine woodlands.
As you go up in elevation on the western side of the state from the sage shrublands, more pinyon and juniper trees grow. Eventually, enough trees grow to form the dense pinyon and juniper woodlands. Even higher in elevation, oak brush starts growing in the pinyon and juniper woodlands.
If you keep going up on both sides you will run into montane shrublands. Thick patches of oak brush take over the hillsides. But, you might find small areas with pinyon trees, juniper trees, ponderosa pines, and aspen trees. As you get yet higher in elevation, dense pine and aspen forests start taking over and you see less oak brush. Here, it has changed into the montane forests life zone.
The pinyon trees, ponderosa pines, and oak brush play an important part in supporting the animals. Every couple of years, the pinyon trees make nuts that are extremely nutritious and provide lots of food for the many animals. The ponderosa pines make lots of pine cones with many seeds inside them. The oak brush makes nutritious acorns for animals to eat.
|