The transect from submontane broadleaf forests to arctic-alpine tundra is situated in the central part of the Krkonoše Mts (Giant Mts}. It is aproximatelly 8 km long and ranged from a mosaic of meadow and deciduous and mixed forests at the bottom of the mountains (600–800 m a.s.l.) through Norway spruce forests (800–1250 m), subalpine meadows and dwarf pine stands (1250–1450 m) up to the alpine belt (1450–1550 m) covered with only scarce herb vegetation and sporadic dwarf pine shrubs.
The Krkonoše Mts, the highest range of the Sudetic Mountains, are situated in the northern part of the Czech Republic on the Czech-Polish border. Despite their relatively low altitude (the highest peak Sněžka [50°43’ N, 15°39’E] reaches 1602 m a.s.l.) and relatively small extent (631 km2), their ecosystems show high affinities with similar ecosystems in subarctic and high-mountain regions. Therefore, they are sometimes called high mountains ‘en miniature’.
