Montane grasslands and shrublands are a biome of high-elevation, largely treeless grassland and shrub vegetation found on tropical, subtropical and temperate mountain ranges worldwide, including the Ethiopian Highlands, the Andean paramo, the East African highlands and parts of the Tibetan Plateau. They sit in a distinct elevational band below true alpine tundra, where cold and wind still exclude closed forest but the growing season is long enough to support grasses, herbs and low woody shrubs rather than the sparse cushion plants and bare rock of the zone above. Many of these grasslands are isolated by the surrounding lowlands and higher peaks, producing unusually high rates of endemism among their plants and animals.
Facts
Climate
Annual Precipitation (mm)2000mm is the source's own stated floor ('more than 2,000mm/year') for the Northern Andean paramo's high-elevation zone. Typical High Temperature (C)30C is the source's own stated daytime high for the Northern Andean paramo, a tropical alpine grassland used as this biome's representative example; African and Asian montane grasslands vary from this. Disputed
Typical Low Temperature (C)The source states nights fall below freezing at this ecoregion's higher elevations without an exact figure; -2C is a reasoned representative frost value, not a measured extreme. Cross-Tradition Connections
Sources
1. Northern Andean Paramo (One Earth)
One EarthOne Earth, Northern Andean Paramo, ecoregion overviewQuote, One Earth, Northern Andean Paramo, ecoregion overview
The Northern Andean Paramo ecoregion includes the high altitude wet grasslands that are above the tree line and below the snow line within the equatorial Andes.
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Moorland (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHome To: Moorland, Lead section, first paragraph, naming moorland biomes directlyQuote, Home To: Moorland, Lead section, first paragraph, naming moorland biomes directly
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and the biomes of montane grasslands and shrublands, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils.
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