Ecological systems of Montana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There are 62 named ecological systems of Montana described in the Montana Field Guides.[1][2]
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving, physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight.[3] It is all the organisms in a given area, along with the nonliving (abiotic) factors with which they interact; a biological community and its physical environment.[3]
As stated in an article from Montana State University in its Institute on Ecosystems: "An ecosystem can be small, such as the area under a pine tree or a single hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, or it can be large, such as the Rocky Mountains, the rainforest or the Antarctic Ocean."[4]
The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks called the state's main ecosystems montane forest, intermountain grassland, plains grassland and shrub grassland.[4] The Montana Agricultural Experiment Station categorized Montana's ecosystems based on the different rangelands and recognized 22 different ecosystems; the Montana Natural Heritage Program recognizes 62 for the entire state.[4]
Forest and woodland
- Northern Rocky Mountain Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest[5]
- Rocky Mountain Subalpine Mesic Spruce-Fir Forest and Woodland[6]
- Northwestern Great Plains - Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna[7]
- Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest[8]
- Rocky Mountain Foothill Limber Pine - Juniper Woodland[9]
- Northern Rocky Mountain Foothill Conifer Wooded Steppe[10]
- Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest[11]
- Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-Fir Forest and Woodland[12]
- Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna[13]
- Rocky Mountain Poor Site Lodgepole Pine Forest[14]
- Rocky Mountain Subalpine Dry-Mesic Spruce-Fir Forest and Woodland[15]
- Northern Rocky Mountain Subalpine Woodland and Parkland[16]
- Rocky Mountain Aspen Forest and Woodland[17]
- Western Great Plains Wooded Draw and Ravine[18]
- Inter-Mountain Basins Mountain Mahogany Woodland and Shrubland[19]
- Inter-Mountain Basins Aspen Mixed Conifer Forest-Woodland[20]
Alpine
Shrubland, steppe and savanna
- Northwestern Great Plains Shrubland[26]
- Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill Shrubland[27]
- Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland[28]
- Northern Rocky Mountain Subalpine Deciduous Shrubland[29]
- Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe[30]
- Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe[31]
- Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland[32]
- Wyoming Basins Dwarf Sagebrush Shrubland and Steppe[33]
- Inter-Mountain Basins Mat Saltbush Shrubland[34]
- Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub[35]
Grassland
Sparse and barren
Open-water and riparian
- Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Montane Fen[47]
- Western Great Plains Closed Depressional Wetland[48]
- Western Great Plains Open Freshwater Depression Wetland[49]
- Great Plains Prairie Pothole[50]
- Western Great Plains Saline Depression Wetland[51]
- Northern Rocky Mountain Wooded Vernal Pool[52]
- Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat[53]
- Northwestern Great Plains Floodplain[54]
- Northwestern Great Plains Riparian[55]
- Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland[56]
- Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill Riparian Woodland and Shrubland[57]
- Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Montane Riparian Shrubland[58]
- Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Montane Riparian Woodland[59]
- Northern Rocky Mountain Conifer Swamp[60]
- North American Arid West[61]
- Geysers and Hot Springs[62]
- Open Water[63]
- Rocky Mountain Alpine-Montane Wet Meadow[64]
