> Habitat Profiles> Alpine / Montane

What is a Rainshadow?
A rain shadow is an area of dry land that lies on the leeward (or downwind) side of a mountain. Winds carry air masses up and over the mountain range and as the air is driven upward over the mountain, falling temperatures cause the air to lose much of its moisture as precipitation.

What is an Altitudinal Vegetation Zone?
If you were to draw a transect of the mountain's profile you would find that there are distinct zones that emerge as you move upward in altitude along the mountain face and the zones are made distinct by the vegetation that grows within them.

Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountain Range is an ancient band of mountains that stretches in a southwestern arc from the Canadian province of Newfoundland to central Alabama, the heart of southeastern United States.

Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains stretch through western North America from Alaska to New Mexico, forming the middle section of the Western Cordillera, an extensive belt of mountains that reaches from the Arctic Circle to Mexico.