The treeline may be sudden or it may be gradual. Subalpine ecosystems in the temperate regions have distinct seasons when they grow, and spend time covered in snow. These ecosystems grow slower and less is known about them than those in the valley bottoms. It's a big challenge to conservation biologists to learn how to protect the subalpine forests by managing sustainable development.
All life depends upon it.
We have started some studies in urban and rural areas in Canada that examine water quality and the life that lives in and near freshwater. The tallest forests on Earth are the redwoods of northern California. The redwoods are disappearing, so Global Forest scientists are figuring out ways to protect them. The plants in the Earth's forests may contain many of the answers to cure our diseases. One recent example is taxol - a compound made from the bark, wood and roots of the Pacific yew tree that is being used to fight both ovarian and breast cancer.