Relationships between vegetation characteristics and microclimate.

<p>(A–D) Percent cover by tree canopy at sites near the lower limit of the subalpine biome and (E–H) percent cover by ground vegetation at sites near the upper limit of alpine meadows plotted against the four microclimate variables (snow disappearance date and average daily mean, maximum and minimum soil temperature) on each of the three sides of the mountain. The <i>r</i>² values are for models that included the microclimate variable and side of the mountain as explanatory variables, while the <i>p</i> values indicate the significance of the microclimate variable in these models. Regression lines are shown for significant <i>p</i> values (<0.05).