10/28/2023 0 Comments Montage definition wikipediaMany different plant species live in the alpine environment, including perennial grasses, sedges, forbs, cushion plants, mosses, and lichens. The biotemperature of the alpine zone is between 1.5 and 3 ☌ (34.7 and 37.4 ☏). Ībove the tree line the ecosystem is called the alpine zone or alpine tundra, dominated by grasses and low-growing shrubs. The biotemperature of the subalpine zone is between 3 and 6 ☌ (37 and 43 ☏). The elevation where trees fail to grow is called the tree line. This phenomenon is observed due to the increase in the wind strength with the elevation. Therefore, montane forests often contain trees with twisted trunks. Above the elevation of the montane forest, the trees thin out in the subalpine zone, become twisted krummholz, and eventually fail to grow. Holdridge defines the climate of montane forest as having a biotemperature of between 6 and 12 ☌ (43 and 54 ☏), where biotemperature is the mean temperature considering temperatures below 0 ☌ (32 ☏) to be 0 ☌ (32 ☏). One of the typical life zones on mountains is the montane forest: at moderate elevations, the rainfall and temperate climate encourages dense forests to grow. This dependency causes life zones to form: bands of similar ecosystems at similar elevation. The characteristic flora and fauna in the mountains tend to strongly depend on elevation, because of the change in climate. In middle latitudes, the change in climate by moving up 100 meters on a mountain is roughly equivalent to moving 80 kilometers (45 miles or 0.75° of latitude) towards the nearest pole. Life zones A stand of mountain birch at around 750 m in Trollheimen, typical of Scandinavian subalpine forestsĪs elevation increases, the climate becomes cooler, due to a decrease in atmospheric pressure and the adiabatic cooling of airmasses. Montane ecosystems also exhibit variation in ecosystem services, which include carbon storage and water supply. Due to the unique climate conditions of montane ecosystems, they contain increased numbers of endemic species. At higher elevations, the climate is harsher, with lower temperatures and higher winds, preventing the growth of trees and causing the plant community to transition to montane grasslands and shrublands or alpine tundra. Dense montane forests are common at moderate elevations, due to moderate temperatures and high rainfall. This stratification is a crucial factor in shaping plant community, biodiversity, metabolic processes and ecosystem dynamics for montane ecosystems. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. A subalpine lake in the Cascade Range, Washington, United States
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