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Above a certain elevation the rising air becomes too dry and cold, and thus discourages tree growth. [9] Even though rainfall may not be a significant factor for some mountains, atmospheric humidity or aridity can be more important climatic stresses that affect altitudinal zones. [11]
The climate and ecology of different locations on the globe naturally separate into life zones, depending on elevation, latitude, and location.The generally strong dependency on elevation is known as altitudinal zonation: the average temperature of a location decreases as the elevation increases.
25-50% of the rainfall in the Amazon basin comes from the forest, and if deforestation reaches 30-40% most of the Amazon basin will enter a permanent dry climate. [14] In another article published by Nature, it points out that tropical deforestation can lead to large reductions in observed precipitation.
An environmental gradient, or climate gradient, is a change in abiotic (non-living) factors through space (or time). Environmental gradients can be related to factors such as altitude, depth, temperature, soil humidity and precipitation.
Since, by Linnaeus’ hypothesis, all life was concentrated at high elevations, a higher species diversity would be observed there even as life re-populated lower elevations. In 1799, Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland described elevational changes along the Andean slopes, noting how climatic changes impacted plant and animal communities.
The life zone concept was developed by C. Hart Merriam in 1889 as a means of describing areas with similar plant and animal communities. Merriam observed that the changes in these communities with an increase in latitude at a constant elevation are similar to the changes seen with an increase in elevation at a constant latitude. [1]
Boreal forests, also known as taiga, are warming at a faster rate than the global average, [14] leading to drier conditions in the Taiga, which leads to a whole host of subsequent impacts. [15] Climate change has a direct impact on the productivity of the boreal forest, as well as its health and regeneration. [15]
The Tibetan plateau has an average elevation of 4,000 meters (13,000 ft) above sea level and covers more than 2.5 million km 2; it is the highest and largest plateau in the world. In 1990, it was estimated that 4,594,188 Tibetans live on the plateau, with 53% living at an altitude over 3,500 meters (11,500 ft).