The Alpine life zone's elevation is from about 11,500 feet above sea level and higher. It is so cold and windy that it is above tree line (above where trees no longer grow). Even with its harsh, cold, windy weather and steep rocky slopes, plants and animals find a way to live there, click on extreme weather to learn more.
The major landform here is the Continental pide (a series of tall mountains that zigzags north-south through central part of Colorado).The Continental pide of the Rocky Mountains splits the way water flows in the United States. Everything east of the tall chain of mountains flows to the east and everything west flows west. It has many peaks with elevations higher than 14,000 ft above sea level, with the highest being Mt. Elbert at 14,433 ft above sea level.
|