Appendix A. Conceptual model of treeline.
|FIG. A1. Conceptual model of treeline. Note how we broadly define treeline as the entire transition area between the upper border of the montane forest and coniferous krummholz at the upper tree limit. Multiple conflicting treeline definitions exist throughout the aforementioned transition area, subjectively based on various criteria such as tree height and physiognomic characteristics. Our landscape ecological approach allowed us to encompass most definitions of treeline in the analysis (except for seedlings and saplings too small to discern on the satellite imagery and aerial photography). Conceptual representations of the five zones evaluated in our analyses are also evident with zone A beginning near the montane forest and proceeding up to zone E at the upper tree limit.|