| The vegetation that grows on a mountain is very different from that
of the surrounding lowlands. Tall mountains intercept the movement of clouds,
forcing rain to fall on their slopes. At the base of the mountain, tall
trees form an open canopy forest; the trees are able to grow here because
there is enough water and it is not too cold. The plant communities change
in response to the cooler temperatures at higher elevations. Vegetation
gets shorter; the montane rain forest gives way to bamboo forest and then
open grassland with smaller trees and shrubs. Leaves are smaller and the
trunks of trees are twisted. As the air gets colder, short grasses, mosses,
lichens, and other plants replace the shrubs. Beyond a certain elevation
it is too cold for any plants, except for hardy lichens, to grow at all. |
