Editing Rocky Mountains (section)

==Ecology and climate==
{{main|Ecology of the Rocky Mountains}}

There are a wide range of environmental factors in the Rocky Mountains. The Rockies range in latitude between the Liard River in British Columbia (at 59° N) and the Rio Grande in New Mexico (at 35° N). Prairie occurs at or below {{convert|1800|ft|m|order=flip}}, while the highest peak in the range is [[Mount Elbert]] at {{convert|14440|ft|m|order=flip}}. Precipitation ranges from {{convert|10|in|mm|order=flip}} per year in the southern valleys<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Southern Rocky Mountains|encyclopedia=Forest Encyclopedia Network|url=http://www.forestencyclopedia.net/p/p377|access-date=August 22, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007152813/http://www.forestencyclopedia.net/p/p377|archive-date=October 7, 2011}}</ref> to {{convert|60|in|mm|order=flip}} per year locally in the northern peaks.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Northern Rocky Mountains |encyclopedia=Forest Encyclopedia Network |url=http://www.forestencyclopedia.net/p/p378 |access-date=August 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110721043620/http://www.forestencyclopedia.net/p/p378 |archive-date=July 21, 2011 }}</ref> Average January temperatures can range from {{convert|20|F|C|order=flip}} in Prince George, British Columbia, to {{convert|43|F|C|order=flip}} in [[Trinidad, Colorado]].<ref name=Sheridan/> Therefore, there is no single monolithic ecosystem for the entire Rocky Mountain Range.
[[File:Coloradodunes.jpg|thumb|right|[[Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve|Great Sand Dunes]] of Colorado]]
<!--[[File:Alpine tundra Copper Mountain Colorado.jpg|thumb|left|Tundra in the mountains of Colorado]]-->
Instead, ecologists divide the Rockies into a number of [[life zones|biotic zones]]. Each zone is defined by whether it can support trees and the presence of one or more [[indicator species]]. Two zones that do not support trees are the Plains and the [[Alpine tundra]]. The [[Great Plains]] lie to the east of the Rockies and is characterized by prairie grasses (below roughly {{convert|1800|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=or|order=flip}}). Alpine tundra occurs in regions above the tree-line for the Rocky Mountains, which varies from {{convert|12000|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}} in New Mexico to {{convert|2500|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}} at the northern end of the Rockies (near the Yukon).<ref name=Sheridan>{{cite web|url=http://sheridan.geog.kent.edu/geog17064/17064-14.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901204453/http://sheridan.geog.kent.edu/geog17064/17064-14.pdf |archive-date=September 1, 2006 |title=US & Canada: Rocky Mountains (Chapter 14) |work=Geography of the United States and Canada course notes |last=Sheridan |first=Scott |publisher=Kent State University |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:Bighorn lamb Alberta.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bighorn sheep]] (such as this lamb in [[Alberta]]) have declined dramatically since European-American settlement of the mountains]]
The [[U.S. Geological Survey]] defines ten forested zones in the Rockies. Zones in more southern, warmer, or drier areas are defined by the presence of [[pinyon pine]]s/[[juniper]]s, [[ponderosa pine]]s, or [[oak]]s mixed with [[pine]]s. In more northern, colder, or wetter areas, zones are defined by [[Douglas fir]]s, [[Cascade range|Cascadian]] species (such as [[western hemlock]]), [[lodgepole pine]]s/[[quaking aspen]]s, or [[fir]]s mixed with [[spruce]]. Near tree-line, zones can consist of white pines (such as [[Pinus albicaulis|whitebark pine]] or [[bristlecone pine]]); or a mixture of white pine, fir, and spruce that appear as shrub-like [[krummholz]]. Finally, rivers and canyons can create a unique forest zone in more arid parts of the mountain range.<ref name=USGS/>

The Rocky Mountains are an important habitat for a great deal of well-known wildlife, such as [[wolf|wolves]], [[Rocky Mountain elk|elk]], [[western moose|moose]], [[mule deer|mule]] and [[white-tailed deer]], [[pronghorn]], [[mountain goat]]s, [[bighorn sheep]], [[American badger|badgers]], [[American black bear|black bears]], [[grizzly bear]]s, [[coyote]]s, [[Canada lynx|lynx]]es, [[North American cougar|cougar]]s, and [[wolverine]]s.<ref name=USGS/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Rocky-Mountains|title=Rocky Mountains {{!}} mountains, North America|work=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=August 12, 2017|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812144910/https://www.britannica.com/place/Rocky-Mountains|archive-date=August 12, 2017}}</ref> North America's largest herds of elk are in the [[Alberta–British Columbia foothills forests]].

The status of most species in the Rocky Mountains is unknown, due to incomplete information. European-American settlement of the mountains has adversely impacted native species. Examples of some species that have declined include [[western toad]]s, [[greenback cutthroat trout]], [[white sturgeon]], [[white-tailed ptarmigan]], [[trumpeter swan]], and bighorn sheep.

In the U.S. portion of the mountain range, [[apex predator]]s such as grizzly bears and wolf packs had been [[Local extinction|extirpated]] from their original ranges, but have partially recovered due to conservation measures and [[Wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone|reintroduction]]. Other recovering species include the [[bald eagle]] and the [[peregrine falcon]].<ref name="USGS" />