What is Subalpine zone?
[[Image:Abies lasiocarpa 7458.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Subalpine Fir in [[Mount Rainier National Park]], [[Washington (U.S. state)|Washington]], [[USA]]]] The '''subalpine zone''' is the [[wikt:zone|zone]] of plants just below [[tree line]] around the world. [[Species]] that occur in the zone vary according to where they are on the Earth. For example, Snow [[Gum tree|Gum]] in [[Australia]], or Subalpine [[Larch]], Mountain [[Hemlock]] and Subalpine [[Fir]] in western [[North America]]. [[Tree]]s in the subalpine zone often become [[wikt:crooked|crooked]], [[wikt:stunted|stunted]] and [[wikt:twisted|twisted]] in form. At treeline, tree [[seedling]]s may [[Germination|germinate]] on the lee (sheltered) side of rocks and grow only as high as the rock shelters them from wind. Further growth is more [[horizontal]] than vertical, and additional [[root]]ing may occur where branches touch the [[soil]]. [[Snow]] cover may protect trees during the [[winter]], but [[branch]]es higher than wind-shelters or snow cover are usually destroyed. Well-established trees may be several hundred to a thousand years old.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/romo/naturescience/subalpine_ecosystem.htm|title=Subalpine ecosystem|work=Rocky Mountain National Park|publisher=U.S. National Park Service}}</ref> [[Montane]] [[grassland]] and [[shrub]]s may be found in the subalpine zone. [[Tuolumne Meadows]] in the [[Sierra Nevada (US)|Sierra Nevada]] of [[California]] is an example of a subalpine meadow. == References == {{Reflist}} {{biology-stub}} [[Category:Ecozones]] [[en:Montane ecology#Subalpine zone]]