We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Environment

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Tree Line?

Michael Anissimov
By
Updated: Jun 04, 2024
Views: 23,723
Share

A tree line or timberline is the line at which trees stop growing. The best-known include the alpine, polar, desert, and exposure tree lines, though there are others. On mountains, this point begins anywhere between 2,600 ft (800 m) and 17,000 ft (5,200 m) above sea level, though between 7,000 ft (2,100 m) and 10,000 ft (3,000 m) is most typical. The lowest alpine tree lines are in places where it is already very cold and challenging for trees to grow, such as northern Sweden and Norway, and the highest is in the Bolivian Andes, where hardy trees grow up to 17,000 ft (5,200 m) above sea level.

A combination of complex factors determine the altitude of the alpine tree line. These include ambient temperature, local species, and degree of exposure. Many mountains have lower timberlines on south-facing slopes, because these receive less sun and are therefore colder and less hospitable. Usually, the trees that make it to the highest altitudes are conifers, especially various species of pine, as these are best adapted to cold conditions. While alpine forests may host a variety of animal species, the biodiversity tends to drop above the tree line, due to the lack of food and places to hide from predators. Some animals do indeed live at that altitude, however, eating small shrubs. These include the mountain goat, alpine ibex, bighorn sheep, and various rodents and birds including the golden eagle.

The Arctic and Antarctic tree lines occur in areas that are too far north or south to have ground suitable for tree growth. Generally, this is around 70 degrees from the poles, but it can be as close as 52 degrees from the poles depending on climate. In Eurasia, the tree line varies between 66 and 72 degrees north, meaning that only the northern tips of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia have one. The most northerly Arctic timberline is in the Central Siberian Plateau, where the influence of an extreme continental climate heats up the ground, and the most southerly one is in Quebec, where the extremely cold Hudson Bay discourages tree growth. Few continental masses reach very far south, making it difficult to delineate the Antarctic tree line. Most of the southernmost areas of Tierra del Fuego in South America are barren, except for Hoste Island, located at 55 degrees south, the home of the world's southernmost trees.

Share
All Things Nature is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Michael Anissimov
By Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov is a dedicated All Things Nature contributor and brings his expertise in paleontology, physics, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and futurism to his articles. An avid blogger, Michael is deeply passionate about stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and life extension therapies. His professional experience includes work with the Methuselah Foundation, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and Lifeboat Foundation, further showcasing his commitment to scientific advancement.
Discussion Comments
By anon232259 — On Nov 30, 2011

A given tree line may look like a sharply demarcated line on a map, but in reality in most areas the closer you get tho this "line" the less like a sharp boundary it appears. There is almost always a transitional area where trees become more and more stunted. So "tree line" is a rather misleading term.

By CopperPipe — On Nov 16, 2010

And here I thought a tree line was something that you put on your property, like a shrub border or something. I planted a line of maple trees around the edges of my yard years ago, and they make a great "tree line" -- give me a lot of privacy too!

I know some people who even have Christmas tree lines -- my daughter and her children can never throw out a Christmas tree, but they always insist on having live trees, so over the years they've developed their own "tree line" around their yard.

But I'm glad that I know the real definition of a tree line -- this was a very informative article, thanks for that.

By musicshaman — On Nov 16, 2010

One thing that I always find very interesting about tree lines is the biodiversity. Since a tree line really is a pretty transitional area in terms of ecology, you can find some fascinating combinations of animals.

I often used to spend nights behind the tree line near my vacation house in Canada, just watching all of the different animals that would creep out and mingle.

It's really a very fascinating experience -- it you ever get the opportunity to watch dusk at a tree line, you can see the most interesting things. Of course, it is really very cold, so be sure do dress warm and bring a thermos of coffee or hot chocolate. But the cold is well worth the experience. Seriously, if you get the change, I would highly advise you to try it out.

By rallenwriter — On Nov 16, 2010

One thing that is kind of weird if you've never been to a place with a tree line is how very line-like it is.

I mean, you would think that treeline was just kind of a figure of speech, but they really do make almost a perfect line in some places.

It's really cool if you're hiking in an area like that, or if you just look at Google earth and see how straight some tree lines are.

Of course, there can be a downside to the whole tree line thing too -- a lot of times the trees will form a windbreak, so if you suddenly come out of a tree line when hiking, the sudden drop in temperature can send you in a bee line back for the tree line!

It is a really cool thing though -- I'd encourage everybody to try and see a tree line at least once in their lives.

By anon82144 — On May 04, 2010

How many trees make up a treeline/timberline.

Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov is a dedicated All Things Nature contributor and brings his expertise in paleontology, physics,...
Learn more
Share
https://www.allthingsnature.org/what-is-a-tree-line.htm
Copy this link
All Things Nature, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

All Things Nature, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.