Tags: Monadnock Trails, Monadnock Mountain, New Hampshire Hiking, New Hampshire Maps, Mount Monadnock, Jaffrey, NH, Hiking New Hampshire
Flora and Fauna
Upper Left: Hardwood forest, Upper Right: Overlooking Spruce
Lower Center: Above Tree-line Zone by Summit
Monadnock's Flora and Fauna
Vegetation
Monadnock can be split into 3 main vegetation zones; a mixed hardwood forest in the lower elevations, a spruce forest covering most of the slopes and a bush-ledge zone in the highest elevations. At the lower elevations there is a mixed hardwood forest, for example; For example heading up from route 124
hiking along the Old Toll Rd. on the southern slopes the forest is typical
of central New England consisting of Oak (most common tree in U. S.), Beech
(smooth bark trees) and Birch (silver or white bark trees) with Pine woods
(trees with long evergreen needles), with sporadic Maples trees and patches
of spruce (trees with short sharp evergreen needles). In the summer the
forest floor is covered with ferns and undergrowth. The forest on the north
side of the mountain has a more northern appearance with less Oak but more
Maple Trees which have the brightest fall color, along with birch and
beech. Shady stands of pine and hemlock forests (hemlock trees have 1/2
inch flat evergreen needles) with sporadic Balsam Trees (fragrant trees with
1 inch flat evergreen needles) becomes a solid Spruce forest shortly up the
mountain such as along the Pumpelly Trail. At the Halfway House
site or about 2000 feet elevation the forest gives way to a solid spruce
forest with a forest floor of that can be mossy or without ground
vegetation. The spruce trees can form dense shady stands. Heading up the
White Arrow Trail until just beyond the Amphitheater Trail or above 2800
feet on the White Arrow Trail the Spruce forest gives way to bare rock with,
some sporadic spruce and bushes of Birch and Mountain Ash (have clusters of
red berries in the fall), there are also blueberry bushes around as well.
The mountain gets more barren higher up, however, there are true arctic alpine
plants unique to New England's highest elevations such as Mountain
Sandwort which form small clusters of tiny white flowers. In August
Alpine Goldenrod is on display. There is the Three Toothed
Cinquefoil (a tiny white flower) and mountain cranberries growing out of
cracks in the rocks which are examples of true arctic alpine plants.
Below: Grand Monadnock
Monadnock's Fauna
Monadnock's fauna is typical of what is found in central New England such as moose, deer, turkey, fisher cat, porcupine, red fox, coyote, and black bear among others. Wildlife has made a return on the mountain since pets including domestic dogs where banned from the state park. The best way to see evidence of animals is in the middle of winter with cold powder snow conditions and off the well beaten path. In the lower elevations are best for seeing the most animal tracks. You can see animal tracks in the snow, commonly deer and snowshoe hare as well as others such as eastern coyote and red fox tracks. The best way to identify tracks is by bringing a field guide to animal tracks along with your winter hike. In the summer for the quiet explorer occasionally one can come across deer, a hare or wild turkey as well as some less commonly sighted animals as well as animal droppings. Birds include Ravens, Turkey Vultures, also some northern birds such as the friendly Canadian Jay (gray bird with black feathering on the head). Reptiles that are seen are frogs, non-poisonous snakes and occasionally there are a lot of little orange salamanders around. As far as insects Ants, bees and other insects common to New England are on Monadnock as well as there is also plenty of blood sucking insects including black flies, mosquitoes, no see-ums, and deer flies. With a breeze on the higher ridges and Monadnock has plenty of exposed space in the higher elevations one can escape the biting pests. For a detailed guide to flora and fauna on or around Monadnock I would recommend would be the; Field Guide to New England, published by the National Audubon Society.
Below: Porcupine on Point Discovery
Tags: Monadnock Trails, Monadnock Mountain,New Hampshire Hiking, New Hampshire Maps, Mount Monadnock, Jaffrey, NH, Hiking New Hampshire
