Montane forest refers to any forest found in mountains. These ecosystems are strongly affected by climate, which gets colder as elevation increases. They are stratified according to elevation. Dense forests are common at moderate elevations. However, as the elevation increases, the climate becomes harsher, and at timberline the plant community transitions to grasslands or tundra. The lower bound of the montane zone may be a “lower timberline” that separates the montane forest from drier steppe or desert region. Montane forests differ from lowland forests in the same area.