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What is above the tree line?

Author

Sarah Smith

Published Jan 18, 2026

An alpine tree line is the highest elevation that sustains trees; higher up it is too cold, or the snow cover lasts for too much of the year, to sustain trees. The climate above the tree line of mountains is called an alpine climate, and the terrain can be described as alpine tundra.

What is the highest tree line?

The world's highest treeline is located at an elevation of 4900 m in Baxoi County in the southeastern Tibet Autonomous Region (Miehe et al., 2007).

Where is the treeline in Canada?

The variable responses of Canadian alpine treelines is occurring not only in the iconic Rocky Mountains of Alberta and British Columbia, but in mountain systems across the country (Figure 1), from the western-most Coast Mountains in B.C., north to Kluane National Park and the Ogilvie Mountains of Yukon, all the way to ...

What elevation is tree line in Colorado?

In Colorado, tree line is around 11,500 feet. In contrast, tree line in the Swiss Alps is around 7,200 feet.

At what elevation does the tree line stop?

The elevational limit of such suitable summer conditions varies by latitude. In Mexico, for example, treeline occurs somewhere around 13,000 feet, whereas farther north, in the Tetons, for instance, it occurs lower, at approximately 10,000 feet.

37 related questions found

What determines tree line elevation?

The tree line is the elevation at which trees stop growing-either because of the low temperatures, or lack of pressure and moisture. Tree lines are pretty consistent between the latitudes of 30°N and 20°S. But the farther away, the lower the tree line gets.

Why do trees not grow beyond a tree line?

Trees don't grow above the timberline because of high winds, low moisture, and cold temperatures. Trees grow all over the world, in many different types of weather. But above certain elevations, trees just cant grow.

Is the tree line moving north?

Scientists say they have evidence the tree line is moving farther north. They say they've found shrubs in arctic Alaska are growing bigger, and they're showing up in previously barren areas. The scientists compared aerial photographs taken 50 years ago with recent pictures.

What is the imaginary line on the mountains above which there are no trees called?

The terms tree line and timberline are commonly used interchangeably. Technically, however, trees at and below the timberline grow densely and form a canopy, with sparse tree growth continuing up to the tree line. Higher than that, there are no trees at all.

What is the tree line on a mountain?

An alpine tree line is the highest elevation that sustains trees; higher up it is too cold, or the snow cover lasts for too much of the year, to sustain trees. The climate above the tree line of mountains is called an alpine climate, and the terrain can be described as alpine tundra.

Which tree grows at the highest elevation?

According to Guinness World Records, that veteran settler of bar bets, the world's highest trees are Abies squamata, the flaky firs of southwestern China, which can reach an elevation of 15,000 feet.

Is Scotland above the tree line?

The tree line is therefore of generally low altitude in Scotland, by comparison with other mountains at similar latitudes. The exact position of this limit varies, however, across the country.

What is the highest elevation forest?

On a steep, boulder-strewn mountainside in the Himalaya, clings a stand of juniper trees that holds the record for the highest forest growing north of the equator. The dense cluster of Juniperus tibetica was recently discovered at 4900 metres (16,076 feet) elevation in southeast Tibet.

How high is the tree line in the Rockies?

What Elevation Is Tree Line In The Rocky Mountains. Tree line in the Southern Rockies in New Mexico is about 12,000 feet. In Colorado tree line is at around 11,000 to 12,000 feet. The Tetons in Wyoming have a tree line around 10,000 feet elevation.

What is the Arctic tree line?

the northern limit of tree growth; the sinuous boundary between tundra and boreal forest; taken by many to delineate the actual southern boundary of the arctic zone.

What year will the Arctic melt?

Professor James Anderson of Harvard University envisions the Arctic Ice gone by the early 2020s. "The chance that there will be any permanent ice left in the Arctic after 2022 is essentially zero," he said in June 2019.

What do you mean by tree line?

tree line in British English

noun. the zone, at high altitudes or high latitudes, beyond which no trees grow. Trees growing between the timberline and the tree line are typically stunted.

What is an alpine tree?

Alpine plants are plants that grow in an alpine climate, which occurs at high elevation and above the tree line. There are many different plant species and taxa that grow as a plant community in these alpine tundra. These include perennial grasses, sedges, forbs, cushion plants, mosses, and lichens.

Why do trees only grow on one side of the mountain?

Yes, it's true and the reason is simple: There's more sun on one side. In the middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere, the south-facing side gets more sunlight throughout the year. So then, why does moss grow on the north sides of trees? Moss likes the shade, not the sun.

What elevation is considered alpine?

Alpine biomes are found in mountain regions worldwide, including the Andes, Alps, and Rocky Mountains. The alpine biome usually lies between an altitude of about 10,000 feet (3,000 meters), and the place where the snow line of a mountain begins.

What elevation is the tree line in Arizona?

- There is no hiking off-trail or camping above the treeline (11,400').

How high is the treeline in the UK?

Today, Scots pine grows as high up the hills as any forest tree. At Creag Fhiaclach (see page 9), the pine treeline is almost 650 metres (2,100 feet) above sea level, although the timberline is 150 metres.

Why are there no trees in the Arctic?

Under a thin soil layer exists permanently frozen ground, or permafrost. The existence of contiguous permafrost is thought to be one of the main reasons why there are no trees in the tundra, because, being permenantly frozen, permafrost has a tendency to hamper root development.

Which crop is best grown in a high altitude?

Leafy greens and root vegetables — carrots, turnips, parsnips, radishes and beets — are the best choices for high-altitude, short-season gardens.