a backcountry skiing area away from the Hakkōda Ropeway was killed as a result of another avalanche on 21 February 2021. Depressions in the mountains can trap toxic volcanic gases emitted from vents. These gases have led to the deaths of several people in modern history. Ecology of the land area within the Hakkōda Mountains is designated as a Protected Forest. Located primarily to the south of Mount Ōdake, it stretches about half the distance from that peak across the southern Hakkōda Mountains to Lake Towada. It is protected as a Biotic Community Protection Forest due to the variety of forests contained within the relatively compact area of the mountains. Below the alpine zone that begins around , the Hakkōda Mountains are covered with Siebold's beech forests. In the lower alpine zone the mountains contain stands of Maries' fir, a species of fir known locally as Aomori todomatsu. During the winter these fir trees get blasted with snow, sculpting the precipitation onto the trees resulting in the phenomenon known as "snow monsters". In the higher alpine zone in elevations above , the stands of fir thin out and are interspersed with a mixture of alpine shrubs, primarily made up of East Asian alder and Japanese rowan. Hare's-tail cottongrass, evergreen azaleas, and Narthecium asiaticum are flowering plants that can be found in the wetlands of the mountains. The mountains support a wide variety of animal life. The Tsuta Wild Bird Sanctuary lies within the Southern Group of the Hakkōda Mountains. Its marshes and ponds support populations of Mandarin duck, forest green tree frog, and ruddy kingfisher. Other species that can be found in the Hakkōda Mountains are the golden eagle, the Japanese serow, and the Asian black bear. See also Hakkōda Tunnel Jōgakura Bridge Mount Hakkoda (1977 film) Mt. Hakkoda (2014 film) List of volcanoes in Japan List of mountains in Japan References External links Mountain ranges of Aomori Prefecture Volcanoes of Aomori Prefecture Volcanic groups