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Climate change is affecting New Mexico resulting in large forest fires, hotter temperatures, and less water. Due to higher winter temperatures, the arctic alpine life zone is getting a smaller snow pack. The smaller snow pack affects lower elevations because there is less melting snow later into the summer. This reduced snow melt results in less water feeding the rivers and keeping the reservoirs full.  The arctic alpine life zone will also shrink due to the reduced snow pack and warmer weather, allowing the treeline to be higher making it possible for other plants and animals to live there crowding out the current residents.

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The golden eagle is one of the largest, fastest, most agile birds in all of North America. They prey on smaller animals like rabbits, mice, and prairie dogs. Although when protecting their chicks, they can hold their own against bigger animals, even bears! Interestingly, the golden eagle is one of only three birds in North America that have completely feathered feet.

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The white tailed ptarmigan is one of the few residents in the arctic alpine life zone. In winter, they have white feathers and then in the spring they slowly turn back to brown in order to match the landscape. The adults mostly are vegetarian, eating seeds and leaves, but the chicks eat insects when they are young.

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In the summer, the arctic alpine life zone can reach 40 to 60 degrees fahrenheit but, in the winter it gets much colder, well below freezing.

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The alpine larkspur has purple flowers that normally grow on a stem a few inches above a mat of leaves below. This plant is not at risk from human land usage because it is normally located in remote areas.

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The forgot-me-not is a beautiful bright flower that grows around 10,000 feet above sea level. It prefers moist grassy meadows, but the growing season is often short due to the cold climate.

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Plants in the alpine tundra are gennerally low growing matted plants that are only a few inches high becouse the growing season is so short. Some arctic alpine plants are tufted hairgrass, alpine forgot-me-not, sedges, spike woodbrush, and lichens.

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Accumulated moisture from snow and rain in the arctic alpine life zone can reach 40 inches of total precipitation per year.

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Male big horn sheep are the biggest wild sheep in all of North America. Some males can weigh up to 300 pounds! In the winter, they have a thick coat of hair with two layers that becomes a lighter color to blend in with the snow. During the summer. they shed their winter hair and it turns a brown or dark brown color. Big horn sheep eyes are rectangles so they have a wide field of view making it easier for them to see predators.

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Pikas are small rodents with round bodies and no tail weighing less than a pound. Because it is so cold up where they live there is little food in the winter. Therefore, pikas cut grass in the summer with their 6 front teeth and lay it out on rocks to dry for eating in the winter. When there is danger, normally from birds of prey or small carnivores like foxes, they give a high pitched squeaky call to warn others of danger.

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There are only a few animals that live this high because it is so cold in the winter. Marmots and pikas live in the rocks and there are a few animals that graze in the summer such as bighorn sheep.

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The elevation of this life zone in New Mexico ranges from 11,000 to 13,000 feet above sea level.

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The arctic tundra consists of two main habitats: lichen covered rocks and high alpine meadows with a few grasses, low lying shrubs, and lichen.The arctic alpine life zone often has snow covering it for most of the year.

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Large birds of prey use these high peaks as great hunting grounds, riding wind currents up and finding marmots and pikas in the rocks below. During the summer, bighorn sheep graze in the large meadows. Humans graze their sheep and hike in the large open meadows above treeline.