temperate and cold scrub

temperate and cold scrub

[¦tem·prət ən ¦kōld ′skrəb] (ecology) Regional vegetation zone whose density and periodicity vary a good deal; requires a considerable amount of moisture in the soil, whether from mist, seasonal downpour, or snowmelt; shrubs may be evergreen or deciduous; and undergrowth of ferns and other large-leaved herbs are quite frequent, especially at subalpine level; wind shearing and very cold winters prevent tree growth. Also known as bosque; fourré; heath.