Habitat definition
Tundra habitat is cold treeless habitat where short summers, wind, snow, and often permafrost restrict plant height. The category describes a broad ecological pattern, so local examples may contain several communities and transitional zones.
This definition does not imply that every occurrence has the same conservation condition. Intact, recovering, modified, and naturally sparse examples can share the same habitat type. Condition must be assessed separately through local evidence, management history, native species composition, and the continued operation of ecological processes.
A consistent definition also prevents broad scenery terms from being mistaken for evidence that the habitat occupies an entire park.
