Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun An area of stunted windblown trees growing at high elevations on mountain slopes.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
Dense low matted bushes at thetree-line .
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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If it is caused by wind, it is known as krummholz formation, from the German for "twisted wood."
Rich Wolf: Looking For Fall in All the High Places (PHOTOS) Rich Wolf 2010
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If it is caused by wind, it is known as krummholz formation, from the German for "twisted wood."
Rich Wolf: Looking For Fall in All the High Places (PHOTOS) Rich Wolf 2010
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Above the mixed-forest zone lie pure stands of balsam fir and red spruce, which devolve into krummholz at higher elevations.
Adirondack-New England Mixed Forest - Coniferous Forest - Alpine Meadow Province (Bailey) 2009
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In alpine areas above 10,000 feet, krummholz vegetation clings to windswept areas above the mosaic of meadow and subalpine forest.
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The forest-tundra interface is sparsely colonized by stunted, deformed Englemann spruce, subalpine fir, and sometimes bristlecone pine and snow willow (krummholz vegetation).
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Above the mixed forest stands lie pure stands of balsam fir and red spruce, which devolve into krummholz at higher elevations.
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The vegetation consists of stunted, twisted krummholz, dominated by rhododendron and juniper scrub, interspersed with patches of birch forests.
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Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) is an important species at the upper treeline/krummholz zone.
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The forest-alpine transition is now marked by krummholz-type vegetation of Rhododendron campanulatum, Rhododendron barbatum, Salix spp., and Syringa emodia.
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In the southern parts of its range, Bicknell's thrush occupies spruce-fir krummholz forest, which is generally found above 915 meters in Vermont.
polymorph commented on the word krummholz
The normal definition: German for 'twisted wood'
This is a slightly more scientific explanation:
Krummholz Line: Krummholz is a growth form followed the trees at locations of great environmental stress, such as high wind. At lower elevations, where more favorable conditions exist, the same species that form into krummholz grow upright. The krummholz line is the upper-most limit in elevation that trees in krummholz form exist.
-A Definition of Treeline
If you want to see some of the earth's most twisted trees that are easily accessible, come visit Rocky Mountain National park and drive up Trail Ridge Road.
April 8, 2007
pomegranate commented on the word krummholz
Note re "Getting high" list: I added this word at John's suggestion, and a fine suggestion it was.
January 17, 2008
sionnach commented on the word krummholz
See also chordee
January 17, 2008
MaryW commented on the word krummholz
<blockquote>Though it may seem contradictory, there are trees growing above the timberline. Scattered here and there unprotected or slightly shielded locations, spruce, fir, white bark pine, or limber pine may be found trying to make a stand. Like ancient bonsai, dwarfed and gnarly little trees struggle for decades or perhaps even centuries in an ecology that is defined in part by their absence. The phenomenon is referred to collectively as krummholz, and the term is applied to any species of conifer that will choose to survive in an otherwise treeless alpine environment.</blockquote>
Joe Hutto, The Light in High Places: A Naturalist Looks at Wyoming Wilderness, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Cowboys, and Other Rare Species (New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2009), ch. 7
October 31, 2015