Altitudinal zonation

Altitudinal zonation is the orderly change in climate, vegetation, and animal communities with elevation on a mountain. It arises chiefly because temperature and other environmental conditions vary with height.

Environmental lapse rate: The rate at which air temperature changes with altitude in the atmosphere. Falling air temperature with height helps set the boundaries between mountain climate zones.
Elevation: The vertical distance of a place above a reference level, usually sea level. It is the axis along which mountain climates and communities are compared.
Andes: The continental mountain range running along the western edge of South America. Its tropical highlands display pronounced elevation-linked changes from forest to alpine ecosystems.
Latitudinal zonation: The geographic change in climate and ecological communities with distance from the equator. It resembles elevation-driven change but unfolds across latitude rather than up a slope.
Orographic lift: The upward movement and cooling of air forced over elevated terrain. It creates windward precipitation patterns that can shift vegetation belts across a mountain.
Biogeography: The study of the geographic distribution of organisms and the processes that shape it. Altitudinal zonation is a spatial pattern in the distribution of mountain life.
Himalayas: The mountain range in Asia containing Mount Everest and many of Earth's highest peaks. Monsoon exposure and extreme relief create a wide range of vegetation belts.
Vegetation belt: A broad geographic region characterized by a distinctive type of plant cover. Mountain vegetation belts are the visible botanical expression of altitudinal zonation.
Rain shadow: A dry region on the lee side of a mountain range, sheltered from moisture-bearing winds. It explains why elevation alone cannot predict the climate or vegetation of a slope.
Ecological niche: The environmental conditions and resources that allow a species to survive and reproduce. Species occupy different elevation ranges as conditions change along a mountain.

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