EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Each week a different image of our fascinating environment is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional ecologist.

29 January - 4 February 2024

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Controlled by Aspect

Between Ulaanbaatar and Murun
Northern Mongolia

Credit & Copyright: Dr. Bruce G. Marcot

Explanation: Here is one of the most striking examples I have seen of how forest cover is controlled by aspect, by which direction the tilt of the mountainside is facing. Here, the forested side is facing the cooler and more humid northeast, and the desert side is facing the warmer and more arid southwest.

And it helps to know where we are in the world -- here in the northern hemisphere -- because these directional effects would be reversed in the southern hemisphere.

Next week's picture: Seabird Die-Offs

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