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High Northern Rockies

Ecoregion in Rocky Mountains in WA, ID, MT

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The wet, glaciated, mountainous High Alpine Zone begins at the upper limit of the closed canopied montane forest and includes non-commercial high altitude forests, subalpine parkland, and alpine meadows. Rockland, talus, glacial cirques, and mixed high elevation climax vegetation are characteristic and help to differentiate it from lower ecoregions. The High Northern Rockies ecoregion is the highest ecoregion in the Northern Rockies (15) and elevations are usually sufficient to trap large amounts of Pacific moisture. Tree line varies according to wind exposure, frost and snow occurrence, droughtiness, and soil depth to the underlying rock substrate. Alpine vegetation grows on mountains above timberline whereas subalpine fir, whitebark pine, mountain hemlock, and alpine larch forests grow at slightly lower elevations. Krummholz vegetation occurs between the forest and alpine zones in windswept areas. Soils can contain volcanic ash and are usually thin and rocky. The High Northern Rockies ecoregion is similar to the High Elevation Rockland Alpine Zone (17h) and the Crestal AlpineSubalpine Zone (41b) that occur in different level III ecoregions.

— EPA

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Ecoregion