Alpine Gardens
Location
Alpine mist high up in the Alpine Gardens Research Natural Area.
Ecological and Physical Description
High country in the Alpine Gardens Research Natural Area.
This RNA is an outstanding example of an alpine tundra community. The Presidential Range of the White Mountains in New Hampshire has the largest total area of alpine tundra environment in the eastern United States. The RNA supports the richest assemblage of arctic-alpine plants in the region, most of which are rare in the coterminous United States. Scattered areas of krummholz, which are composed of dwarfed and matted black spruce (Picea mariana) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea), are also present. The area contains a former candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act, the Boott’s rattlesnake-root (Prenanthes boottii (DC) Gray). The New Hampshire Natural Heritage Inventory has determined that the site also contains 7 state endangered plants, 24 state threatened plants, 7 state rare plants, 3 state endangered animals and 2 state rare animals.
Average annual precipitation is 84.29 inches (214 cm), which is evenly distributed throughout the year.
The weather observatory on the summit of Mt. Washington is ¼ mile (0.4 km) west of the RNA, at an elevation of 6262 feet (1909 m).
The RNA is an old erosion surface composed of lower Devonian mica schists and gneisses of the Littleton formation. On the slope above this plain is an area consisting of large angular boulders up to 3 feet (0.9 m) in diameter. Vegetation is located within interstices of these rocks. No soils are classified; only “rock outcrop.”
None
Flora and Fauna
Common Plant Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Category | At Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaccinium uliginosum L. | Bog-bilberry | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. | mountain cranberry | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Ledum groenlandicum | Labrador tea | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Salix uva-ursi | bearberry willow | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Osmorhiza claytonii | Bland sweet cicely | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Athyrium thelypteroides | silvery glade-fern | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Aster acuminatus | aster | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Impatiens pallida | yellow jewelweed | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Dryopteris intermedia | fancy wood-fern | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Caulophyllum thalictroides | blue cohosh | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Hydrophyllum virginianum | eastern waterleaf | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Allium tricoccum | wild leek | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Oxalis acetosella | northern wood-sorrel | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Laportea canadensis | nettle | Common Herbaceous Species |
Common Animal Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Category | At Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peromyscus maniculatus | Deer mouse | Common Mammal Species | ||
| Microtus pennsylvanicus | meadow vole | Common Mammal Species | ||
| Microtus chrotorrhinus | rock vole | Common Mammal Species | ||
| Clethrionomys gapperi | southern red-backed vole | Common Mammal Species | ||
| Picoides sp. | Black-backed three-toed woodpecker | Common Bird Species | ||
| Dendroica magnolia | magnolia warbler | Common Bird Species | ||
| Sphyrapicus varius | yellow-bellied sapsucker | Common Bird Species | ||
| Climacteris picumnus | brown tree creeper | Common Bird Species | ||
| Regulus satrapa | golden-crowned kinglet | Common Bird Species | ||
| Dendroica coronata | yellow-rumped warbler | Common Bird Species | ||
| Junco sp. | slate-colored junco | Common Bird Species | ||
| Vireo olivaceus | red-eyed vireo | Common Bird Species | ||
| Zonotrichia albicollis | white throated sparrow | Common Bird Species | ||
| Anthus spinoletta | water pipit | Common Bird Species |
Publications
- Scott Bailey, Charles T. Driscoll, James W. Hornbeck. 1995. Acid-base chemistry and aluminum transport in an acidic watershed and pond in New Hampshire
- Scott Bailey, James W. Hornbeck, Charles T. Driscoll, Henri E. Gaudette. 1996. Calcium inputs and transport in a base-poor forest ecosystem as interpreted by Sr isotopes
- Gregory B. Lawrence, Mark B. David, Walter Shortle. 1995. A new mechanism for calcium loss in forest-floor soils
- Linda Pardo, H.F. Hemond, J.P. Montoya, J. Pett-Ridge. 2007. Natural abundance 15N in soil and litter across a nitrate-output gradient in New Hampshire