On the flora side
The different valleys of the Tyrol have different orientations and exposures, which inevitably leads to a diversity of vegetation. The winds come from many places: central Europe, southern Germany, the Swiss plateau, the Mediterranean basin and sometimes even the winds from the Sahara loaded with ochre sand, sometimes leaving traces on the snow and in the glacial strata. These varying climatic conditions result in a wide variety of tree species growing in the valleys, mainly fir and spruce in the mid-mountain region, and larch, arole and hook pine in the alpine region. The Tyrol is particularly noted for its variety of mountain flowers, some of which are found only north of the Arctic Circle, such as the beautiful hail grass (Eriophorum gracile) with its tuft of long white bristles, a species that is now protected, but which was sometimes used as cotton for people. The edelweiss is naturally the queen of the Tyrol, as is the sublime martagon lily, which is intoxicating with its strong scent. Among the alpine plants, the gentian is also emblematic of the area. Typical of the Austrian Alps, androsaces and beautiful saxifrages are widespread rock plants. On the highest peaks, only glacier ranunculus, houseleek and some androsaces grow. In the Tyrol, as in all the eastern central Alps, we find the most archaic species, preserved in certain valleys and not found anywhere else, such as wulfenia and campanula alpina.
On the animal side
The wildlife in Tyrol is abundant and well protected. In particular, there are the large mammals typical of the Alps, some of which were once threatened but which have been thriving again following their protection and reintroduction in recent decades. Thus, on the herbivore side, the emblematic ibex, chamois and mouflon live at high altitudes (montane, sub-alpine and alpine levels), while deer and roe deer like to inhabit the lower levels where forests prevail. Although the brown bear has reappeared in the Tyrol, it is still very rare, if not impossible, to come across one! Slovenia remains a close breeding ground for its reintroduction in other countries, and ten Slovenian bears were reintroduced in Trentino in the 1990s. There are now about sixty individuals in the province of Trentino-Alto Adige. There is officially no bear population on the northern side of the Great Alps, despite attempts to reintroduce them. Among carnivores, wolves and lynx are also present in Tyrol, as well as wild cats, martens, weasels and ermine. Finally, we must mention the abundance of rodents, including the famous marmot! It goes without saying that all these animals have to cope with and adapt to the long and harsh winters, learn to brave the cold and sometimes find their food under the snow. The Tyrol is also home to many endogenous bird species, the most typical of which are without doubt the golden eagle, the alpine accentor, the goshawk, the bearded vulture, the griffon vulture, the great horned owl and the mountain venturon.
The layering of vegetation
The living world adapts to its environment and that is why we do not find the same species everywhere. The vegetation's staging is mainly a function of the height of the mountains and the climate. From the bottom to the top, we find the following stages: hilly stage, montane stage (small mountains), subalpine stage (medium mountains and alpine meadows), alpine stage (high mountains, between 1,800 and 3,000 meters) and finally nival stage (peaks above 3,000 m). These levels mean two things: on the one hand, you will not find the same living species depending on the level you are in, in other words, the pretty flowers of the valley bottoms in the Tyrol will not be the same as those that you will see on the alpine pastures, nor those that seek to reach the summits. On the other hand, the levels, and therefore the living species, fauna and flora, vary for the same altitude depending on the area in which you are located. In the Northern Pre-Alps, for example, the sub-alpine level corresponds to an altitude of between 1,200 and 1,900 m, whereas it extends from 1,400 to 2,100 m in the central Alps.
