Alpine Zone

The land above the trees, where climbing a kilometre compresses climates like crossing continents.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Temperature falls steadily with altitude, stacking life zones the way latitude spreads them out.
• Humboldt’s Chimborazo diagram of stacked vegetation belts founded biogeography.
• Cushion plants hug the ground, engineering their own warm microclimate against the wind.

Specifications & Metrics

• COVERAGE: Above treeline worldwide