The alpine zone is the area that lies above the tree line and below the snow line on mountains. The high elevation of this zone results in a cold and windy climate that does not support trees. The vegetation is mostly shrubs and grasses that grow low to the ground.
Alpine meadows form on well-developed soil with good drainage. Such areas are used for grazing goats. This zone is also home to Chinchillas – a kind of rodent, the Himalayan tahr, yaks and pikas – small mountain dwelling mammals.
The most famous of the alpine zones lie on the Alps in Europe. The very name ‘alpine’ comes from here.
Picture Credit : Google
