An Interpretation of Latitudinal Patterns of Forest Limits in South and East Asian Mountains

Abstract

On the mountains in humid East and South Asia, arboreal life-forms at the forest limit depend on their latitude relative to c. 20 o N: to the north there are mostly evergreen needle-leaved trees with some deciduous broad-leaved trees, while to the south, evergreen broad-leaved trees prevail. These contrasting patterns relate to temperature conditions both at the forest limit and at the upper limit of evergreen broad-leaved forests. (...)