Alpine Zone of the Presidential Range

Lawrence C. Bliss

• Publisher: Bonhopai Books
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781779793362
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military & Maritime History
• Index: History

In Alpine Zone of the Presidential Range, ecologist Lawrence C. Bliss presents a definitive study of one of North America's most remarkable mountain ecosystems. Focusing on New Hampshire's rugged Presidential Range, Bliss explores the delicate balance of life that exists above the tree line — a realm shaped by relentless wind, cold, and isolation. Drawing on years of field research, this landmark work documents the unique plant communities, soil conditions, and climatic forces that define the alpine environment, offering insights into both its fragility and resilience.

Bliss writes with the precision of a scientist and the wonder of a naturalist. He reveals how species adapt to extremes of temperature, how vegetation patterns reflect glacial history, and how the ecosystem functions as a living laboratory of evolution and endurance. The book remains a model of ecological investigation, pioneering in its integration of botany, climatology, and geography at a time when the concept of environmental interdependence was only beginning to take shape.

 Richly illustrated with charts, maps, and photographs, Alpine Zone of the Presidential Range stands as both a scientific classic and an ode to the austere beauty of New England's high peaks. For students of ecology, conservationists, and lovers of the White Mountains, Bliss's work remains as vital today as when it first appeared — a reminder of the fragile grandeur found just above the forest's edge. 

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Preface
• Geology
• Climate
• Animals
• Forests
• Timberline
• Plants Common to the Alpine Zone
• Alpine Plant Communities
• Descriptions of Some of the More Common Plants Found in the Alpine Zone of the Presidential Range
• General References on the Presidential Range