The Rocky Mountain alpine zone, although fragmented on mountain tops, constitutes a phytogeographically significant region, comprised of Northern, Middle, and Southern floristic provinces across a range of latitudes. For our study the alpine tundra is defined as the high-elevation vegetated regions above treeline. Like the arctic tundra, it is characterized by the absence of trees, the short stature of plants, and a low annual mean temperature. There are no clear statistics on the size of this noncontiguous life zone, but it covers hundreds of square kilometers and the Rocky Mountains extends 2,700 miles through the continent.
No comments:
Post a Comment