timberline
/ˈtɪmbərˌlaɪn/
noun
- The line or elevation on a mountain above which trees do not grow, due to cold temperatures, wind, or lack of soil.
- The timberline on this mountain is at about 10,000 feet, where the last stunted pines give way to tundra.
- Climate change is causing the timberline to creep higher up the slopes in some regions.
- Hikers stopped just below the timberline to set up camp before the terrain became too rocky.
- The northern or southern boundary in polar regions beyond which trees cannot survive.
- Scientists study the timberline to understand how plant life adapts to extreme cold.
- In northern Canada, the timberline marks the edge of the boreal forest before the Arctic tundra begins.
- The timberline in Scandinavia shifts depending on latitude and local weather patterns.