ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the distribution of vertebrate species along an elevational gradient from the Columbia River to the surrounding Cascade and northern Rocky Mountains. The alpine community had low overlap in vertebrate species composition with all other communities and stands out as supporting a distinct vertebrate community. Alpine species occurred in a greater variety of other plant communities than did lower-elevation species. Conservation of biological diversity and an evaluation of the role of alpine habitats in conservation, requires consideration of the status of species as well as their habitat and population trends, both from the past to present and from present to future. Species richness was lower in alpine habitats but contained more unique species than most other habitats at lower elevations. Projected trends in alpine habitats indicated little past or future change in the broad-scale extent of these habitats. Alpine environments make a unique contribution to overall biodiversity in this alpine area.
