Learn about Survival in Alpine Habitats
What is an Alpine Habitat?
High up in the mountains, there’s a place where trees can’t grow because it’s too cold, windy, and rocky. This is called an alpine habitat!
Even though the conditions are tough, some amazing plants and animals have found special ways to survive there. They’ve adapted to the cold, strong winds, blazing hot sun, snow, frost and rough ground, making the alpine zone a unique and exciting place to explore!
Tough Plants: How Alpine Plants Survive in the Mountains
In an alpine habitat, the weather can be freezing cold, super windy, and very dry. The ground is often made of rock and poor soil, and temperatures can jump from boiling hot to icy cold in a single day. But guess what? Some amazing plants have found ways to survive and thrive in these extreme conditions!
Super Powers of Alpine Plants!- Adaptation for Survival
Alpine plants have developed some cool tricks to help them survive in the mountains! Check out these ways that they have adapted to their environment:
Furry or woolly leaves – These help trap heat, stop water from escaping, and protect the plant from wind and strong sunlight. This protects them against strong wind and blazing sun.
Small and compact- Most alpine plants stay small and close to the ground to protect themselves from strong winds, snow, and frost.
Long roots- long roots allow plants to survive in rocky soil
Large Flowers- Despite their size, these plants often produce relatively large flowers—a crucial adaptation to attract pollinators.
Smart flower timing – Many alpine plants grow their flower buds the summer before if it is warm enough, but whether they bloom depends on how warm the next summer is.
They live a long time – Most alpine plants are perennials, which means they live for many years instead of just one season. This helps them store energy and survive tough times!
Cold-friendly photosynthesis – These plants can make food at much lower temperatures than plants that grow in warmer places.
Built-in antifreeze! – Some alpine plants make special chemicals that stop their cells from freezing, even when temperatures drop below zero!
An Eyebright at the top of Mt Tauhara
Photo by Rachel Thompson
The Mystery of Aotearoa’s White Alpine Flowers
Have you ever wondered why most alpine flowers in Aotearoa are white?
Flowers need pollinators – Many plants rely on insects to carry pollen from flower to flower, helping them make seeds. In other parts of the world, certain flower colors attract specific pollinators. For example, long-tongued bees love blue flowers.
New Zealand has different pollinators – Unlike other countries, New Zealand doesn’t have any native long-tongued bees. Instead, most pollination is done by flies, moths, and short-tongued bees, which aren’t as picky about flower colour. Making colourful flowers takes a lot of energy, and in the tough alpine environment, plants need to save their strength, so they generally have white flowers, which are just as good at attracting native pollinators. The next most common colour for alpine flowers in Aotearoa is yellow. Many alpine flowers are bowl-shaped and white, making them easy for insects to spot and land on. This helps the plants get as many visitors as possible, even in places where there aren’t many pollinators around!
That’s why New Zealand’s alpine flowers are so special—they’ve adapted to their unique environment in clever ways!