Alpine Plants…Making it in a Challenging Environment
by Jim Bishop
Thursday, September 16, 2021
7:00pm–8:00pm
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Alpine Plants...Life Above the Trees.
Seemingly delicate, but tough and beautifully-adapted plants grow above the life zones of trees…not an easy environment, always cool, sometimes bitterly cold. Plant leaves might be fairly warm while roots are near freezing. Ultraviolet radiation is intense and unrelenting. The cold air carries little moisture.
How do alpine plants survive where trees cannot, and handle the severe environmental stresses? We’ll consider these questions and others, and we’ll look at the varied microclimatic conditions that shape the habitats for alpine plants, along with physiological adaptations that suit them to this demanding world.
Jim has long been fascinated by the alpine zone, first as a hiker who knew nearly nothing about it, in the Sierras, Cascades, Rockies, Great Basin, and Alaska. More recently he and his botanist wife Catie have spent many weeks in the alpine environment. They participate in the international GLORIA alpine-survey project, allowing them to spend parts of 18 summers in alpine zones throughout the Sierras, White Mountains, Panamint Mountains. and Snake Range. It is a great learning experience, involving contact with experienced alpine botanists and ecologists. Jim’s studies in plant physiology and Catie’s studies in botany at CSU Chico provided a foundation for building knowledge of alpine plant ecology.