Montane forest
A montane forest or high-altitude forest is a forest at high elevation.
Montane climates are colder than lowland climates at the same latitude (1000 meters of elevation roughly corresponds to 5° of latitude), so montane forests often have species typical of higher-latitude lowland forests.[1]
In every region there is a tree line, an altitude above which trees do not grow. The transition or ecotone from forest to alpine tundra often occurs in only a few tens of meters of elevation, and is characterized by short trees; often the distinction between trees and shrubs here is arbitrary. There may also be a "lower timberline", below which trees do not grow, particularly in dry regions.[2]
On isolated mountains, montane forests surrounded by treeless dry regions are typical "sky island" ecosystems.[3]
Most cloud forests are at high altitude.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Perry, David A. (1994). Forest Ecosystems. JHU Press. p. 49. ISBN 0-8018-4987-X. http://books.google.com/books?id=ZWNtHLz3fXYC&pg=PA55. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- ^ Price, Larry W. (1986). Mountains and Man: A Study of Process and Environment. University of California Press. p. 271. http://books.google.com/books?id=mDhqo9pYxYUC&pg=PA271. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- ^ Albert, James S.; Reis, Roberto E. (2011). Historical Biogeography of Neotropical Freshwater Fishes. University of California Press. p. 311. ISBN 0-520-26868-7. http://books.google.com/books?id=_Suu7a-ERdMC&pg=PA311. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- ^ Mulligan, M. (2011). "Modeling the Tropics-Wide Extent and Distribution of Cloud Forest and Cloud Forest Loss, with Implications for Conservation Priority". In Bruijnzeel, L. A.; Scatena, F. N.; Hamilton, L. S.. Tropical Montane Cloud Forests: Science for Conservation and Management. Cambridge University Press. pp. 15–38. ISBN 0-521-76035-6. http://books.google.com/books?id=N6FkwMnSX8EC&pg=PA15. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
