Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map

Introduction - Vegetation Units - Bioclimate Subzones - Floristic Provinces - Landscape - Substrate Chemistry
Elevation - Lake Cover - NDVI and Above Ground Biomass - AVHRR Base Map

Elevation

Select image to enlarge
View maps - Download data

Adiabatic cooling of air masses at higher elevations causes altitudinal zonation (elevation belts). For continental areas, the environmental adiabatic lapse rate is about 6 °C per 1000 m (Barry 1981). This is equivalent to a shift in bioclimatic subzone for about every 333 m elevation gain. A topographic map was made with elevation isolines at 333, 667, 1000, 1333, 1667, and 2000 meters. These show roughly where altitudinal zonation shifts can be expected.

See also:

• Fig. App. 2.2. Elevation Belt
• Vegetation Unit B3
• Vegetation Unit B4