has quality overlaps alpine tundra ecosystem alpine tundra ecosystem http://sweetontology.net/realmCryo/AlpineTundra SPIRE:Tundra A tundra ecosystem which 1) exists at high altitudes and where vegetation is stunted due to low temperatures and high winds, 2) where vegetation is dominated by a few species of dwarf shrubs, grasses, sedges, lichens, and mosses. The absence of trees in this biome is primarily due to high altitude rather than high latitude. On Earth, it lies roughly between the summer isotherm of 10 degrees Centigrade and the snow line. Primary productivity is low in this biome because of the extremes of climate. alpine ecosystem area of alpine tundra