Alpine Tundra (Nature of America): Full Sheet of 10 x 41-Cent Postage Stamps, USA 2007, Scott 4198;

Alpine Tundra - Nature of America, sheet of 10 x 41-cent U.S. postage stamps released on Aug 28, 2007. The stamp pane consists of 10 stamps arranged in an imaginary setting at 12,000 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park. These beautiful stamps promote the appreciation of our major plant and animal communities in the United States and the ecological relationship between animals and plants. They suggest the biodiversity necessary to ensure the viability of that relationship. Depicted on the Alpine Tundra pane are more than 24 animal and plant species by stamp artist John D. Dawson, in his beautiful acrylic painting. The scene itself is imaginary. Such a dense grouping of plants and animals was necessary to illustrate as many species as possible on the stamp pane. The plant and animal species were recommended by scientists.This pane is the ninth in an educational series designed to promote appreciation of major plant and animal communities in the United States. Alpine tundra begins above the tree line in high mountain areas. In this environment, snow covers much of the landscape until spring, and temperatures can be chilly even in summer. To survive here, plants grow close to the ground and have extensive root systems that absorb water, collect nutrients and anchor them against the wind. Only the hardiest animals live year-round on the tundra. In summer and fall they build up body fat and, in some cases, store food in dens or burrows. As the weather grows colder, thick fur or feathers help keep them warm. Some of the species hibernate through winter.