The Forest/Tundra Transition or Ecotone

Abstract

It is not difficult to identify regions clearly “Arctic” and those that are unequivocally “Boreal,” the former in high latitudes, treeless, snow-covered for much of the year, with short and very cool summers, the Boreal regions located adjacent to, and south of, the Arctic, dominated (at least usually) with a vegetation in which trees are a prominent feature, with longer summers and brief periods when summer days can be very warm. There are correspondingly quite obvious differences in plant and animal species occupying the two regions.