Fragile Alpine Ecosystems

  • Title

    Fragile Alpine Ecosystems

  • Authors

    Charles J. Zimmerman

  • Description

    Relatively few organisms are sufficiently adapted to the harsh conditions of Alpine environments. This is clearly evidenced by lower overall species diversity at high-elevations compared with the lowland. Fewer species means food-webs are necessarily simpler and less-redundant with a smaller cast of creatures to fill all the necessary niches. This trait makes the removal of any one link more damaging to the functioning of entire ecosystems.

    Mountain Pika (which Pokemon fans may recognize as in the inspiration for Pikachu) are one rare example of a mammal which can surve Alpine conditions year-round, and do so without needing to hibernate. Pika must feed constantly to maintain energy and metabolism, and during the 9-10 months of the year when fresh food is unavailable they rely on stored food which the creatures gather into tiny "hay piles".

    This specimen of Alpine Thistle (Saussurea brunneopilosa) records an observation of this plant being eaten by Pika in the mountains of China and represents an important ecological link in this fragile system. Unfortunately, while extraordinarily resistant to the effects of cold, these adorable animals are very sensitive to temperature increases, and have been shown to be in population decline in regions of the United States where the climate has become hotter. As the primary prey for other animals and the primary predator of alpine plants, Pika are considered a keystone species whose disturbance will have an outsized impact on their ecosystem which dwarfs their small and adorable stature.

    References:

    Bagchi, S., Namgai, T., Ritchiea, M.E. (2006). Small mammalian herbivores as mediators of plant community dynamics in the high-altitude arid rangelands of Trans-Himalaya. Biological Conservation 127(4): 438-442. Availible at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2005.09.003

    Center for Biological Diversity (n.d.). Natural History: American Pika. Available at: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/American_pika/natural_history.html (Accessed: 25 Sep 2019).