timberline
Trees stop here
The timberline is the elevation on a mountain above which trees cannot grow, marking the boundary between forested slopes and alpine terrain.
Also called the tree line.
Climate, temperature, and exposure determine where this boundary falls: We hiked past the timberline into bare rock and tundra.
The word also applies to the latitudinal limit of tree growth in polar regions.
Elevation limit for forests
- snowlinePermanent accumulation boundary
- frostlineSubsurface freezing boundary
- alpine zoneElevation above treeline
- subalpineJust below treeline zone
elevation · altitude · summit · peak · ridge · plateau · acclimatization · altitude sickness
Elevation limit for forests
- alpineOf high elevations
- cordilleraLinked mountain ranges
- sierraSaw-toothed mountain range
- massifUnified mountain group
range · fell · tor · windward · leeward · latitude · continental · maritime
Elevation limit for forests
- ecotoneBoundary between distinct habitats
- transition zoneRegion between differing areas
- biomeMajor ecological community
- alpine tundraTreeless high-elevation ecosystem
permafrost · succession · adaptation · stunted growth · growing season
Elevation limit for forests
- conifersCone-producing trees
- evergreensTrees keeping leaves year-round
- spruceNeat; also a conifer
- firCone-bearing evergreen genus
pine · larch · subalpine · boreal · taiga · canopy · old-growth · forest edge
treeline
Elevation limit for forests
- snowlinePermanent accumulation boundary
- frostlineSubsurface freezing boundary
- alpine zoneElevation above treeline
subalpine · elevation · altitude · summit · peak · ridge · plateau · acclimatization · altitude sickness · oxygen level
treeline
Elevation limit for forests
- alpineOf high elevations
- cordilleraLinked mountain ranges
- sierraSaw-toothed mountain range
massif · range · fell · tor · windward · leeward · latitude · continental · maritime · Rockies
treeline
Elevation limit for forests
- ecotoneBoundary between distinct habitats
- transition zoneRegion between differing areas
- biomeMajor ecological community
alpine tundra · permafrost · succession · adaptation · stunted growth · growing season
treeline
Elevation limit for forests
- conifersCone-producing trees
- evergreensTrees keeping leaves year-round
- spruceNeat; also a conifer
fir · pine · larch · subalpine · boreal · taiga · canopy · old-growth · forest edge · alpine meadow
- Colorado Wildernesswilderness areas, Big Blue, Holy Cross, Continental Divide, alpine tundra
- forestswoods, pine trees, deciduous forest, maple trees, coniferous forest
- linesparallel lines, intersecting lines, dotted, dashed, curved
- mountain featurespeaks, peak, ridges, summit, slopes
- mountain termsAlps, Himalayas, Rockies, Andes, peaks
- mountain terrainpeak, ridge, slope, gorge, pass
timberlinesnowline
Permanent accumulation boundary
snow line · frost line · alpine zone · ice cap · sea level
timberlinedesert floor
Dry landscape's base level
tundra · forest floor · valley floor · bare rock · ice cap