radically different from those found on granite. Plants typical of rocks often have rosette or pincushion structures, and often belong to genera such as Androsace, saxifrages, and houseleeks. Scree The scree is a much less hostile environment than the rocks because they retain more soil and moisture. The plants that grow there must, however, be adapted in certain cases to the movement of the rocks and must therefore be able to regenerate quickly in the event of partial destruction. These plants often have a branching, creeping, deeply rooted rhizome that allows them to produce stems at several points (Trisetum distichophyllum, Crepis pygmaea). Stabilized scree, especially those composed of small blocks that better hold the earth, generally evolves towards alpine meadows. Snowbeds Snowbeds lie in sheltered depressions, with little sunshine, where the snow remains for a long time. Snowbeds are characterized by a moist and humus-rich soil favorable to vegetation, but only for a very short period of the year (e.g., 2 months). The characteristic plants of this environment are dwarf or creeping plants that propagate vegetatively. Salix herbacea, Veronica alpina, Taraxacum alpinum, and Soldanella pusilla are adapted to these cold depressions. Alpine meadows These meadows are characterized by a continuous vegetation cover that are very rich in species and dominated by grasses and sedges. There are a large number of different types of meadows depending on the geographical location and the nature of the soil. The grass Sesleria caerulea and the sedge Carex firma dominate meadows on dry calcareous soil. On more humid calcareous soil, Carex ferruginea or Festuca violacea occur frequently. These dominant plants are accompanied by typically alpine plants such as gentians (e.g., Gentiana clusii, Gentiana terglouensis), the alpine milkvetch, and many more. The species richness on siliceous soil is as high as limestone soil. In dry and well-exposed places, meadows with Festuca varia or Festuca spadicea will be found . Above , the most characteristic species is Carex curvula accompanied by showy species such as Gentiana punctata, Gentiana alpina or Rhododendron ferrugineum. Glacial zone On the higher parts of lofty mountains in the Alps, more snow falls in each year than melts. A portion of this is carried away by the wind before it is consolidated, but a large portion accumulates in hollows and depressions of the surface and is gradually converted into glacier ice which descends by slowly flowing into the deeper valleys where it help