Krumholtz
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Krumholtz or Krummholz formation (from German: krumm, "twisted"; and holz, "wood") is a feature of subarctic and subalpine tree line landscapes, where continual exposure to fierce, freezing winds cause vegetation to become stunted and deformed. The wind kills branches on the windward side, giving the tree a characteristic flag-like appearance. Where the lower portion of the tree is protected by snow cover, only the exposed upper portion have this appearance.
Common trees showing Krumholtz formation include Subalpine Fir, Subalpine Larch, Engelmann Spruce, Limber Pine, and Lodgepole Pine.
William Rogers Fisher introduced the English terms elfin-tree and elfin-wood to correspond to the German 'krummholz' in his 1903 translation of Andreas Franz Wilhelm Schimper's Plant-geography upon a physiological basis.[1]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary, entry for 'elfin'
[edit] See also
- Tree line
- Tree island
[edit] External links
Categories: Trees | Conifers | Forestry | Climate
