Variations within the SIHC

This is a region of high horn peaks

No soils exists here, only bare rock

The high rates of erosion due to high rainfall have obliterated the U-shaped valleys here

The type of forest depends on the number of sunshine hours

There are gentler slopes here as rocks are softer being composed of more recent sediment,

Soils are thicker on flatter areas and thin on steep slopes.

Most of this region is bare rock and covered by snow for much of the year.

Below 1000m there is a dense podocarp forest.

This is the coldest part of the region with permanent snow above 1800m

Old rocks easily crumble creating deep slopes. This is caused by...

The climate here is too cold for any plant growth

Typical zonation pattern occurs from base up to 1000m very dense forests with thick undergrowth

The main feature here are steep slopes, horn peaks and fiords with little scree.

How many zones can the SIHC be divided into?

Heavy rainfall means that leaching is common here, removing many nutrients.

Very poor soils with hard crust on top

Younger more fertile soils allow more growth than older glacial moraines

This area is in a rainshadow due to orographic rainfall

Most of this area is covered in tussock, except for rocky bluffs.

This area has steep, bush-covered slopes and deep, short, v-shaped valleys covered in scree

This area has intermontane basins