The general effect of elevation depends on atmospheric physics.
At altitudes below 3,400 m (11,200 ft) the daily temperature fluctuations are less extreme, the average daily temperature steadily increases, and the growth forms and ecology of the Dendroseneico reflect the increased influence of biotic factors (such as competition for light) over abiotic factors (such as nightly frost).
[15] The Jade Dragon Snow Mountains contain the glacier nearest of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere.
The landmarks 4,506 m and 4,680 m at the end of the glacier can be reached through the cable car from Ganhaizi (Tibetan for dry lake, a grassland with conifers at 3,400 m).
The mountain desert begins around 4,000 m. The Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan (UNESCO World Heritage Site) encompasses the watershed areas of the Yangtze (Jinsha), Mekong (Lan Cang) and Salween (Nujiang) rivers and is the joint of the Palearctic realm and the Indomalayan realm.