Habitat definition
Alpine meadow is treeless herbaceous habitat above the climatic treeline and below permanent ice or bare summit terrain. The category describes a broad ecological pattern, so local examples may contain several communities and transitional zones.
Classification normally relies on several signals together: dominant life forms, vegetation structure, water regime, climate, soils, disturbance, and spatial continuity. A single plant species or scenic impression is rarely enough. The broad category is intended for atlas discovery, while detailed ecological surveys may divide it into many narrower communities.
A consistent definition also prevents broad scenery terms from being mistaken for evidence that the habitat occupies an entire park.
