The "Pacific North-West" is one of the most humid places of N-America. The Mt. Rainier region is close to the metropolitan area of Seattle, receives pacific moisture in the order of 2-3 m per year and the alpine vegetation is enveloped in fog and clouds for most of the growing season. Volcanic soils provide a rather special, often highly hydrophobic substrate. Cushion plants and clusters of isolated herbaceous plants dominate the barren landscape only a few hundred metres above treeline.

1 - The top of Mt. Rainier protruding from the common blanket of pacific clouds (4392 m).

2 - Alpine grassland near the treeline ecotone.

3 - Fellfield vegetation with Potentilla sp.

4 - Aster sp. (Asteraceae)

29 August 2011
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