Points of Interest on the Alaskan Highway.5

Permafrost is what causes the lack of growth on these dwarf pine trees. Permafrost is a phenomenon where the soil never defrosts enough to provide adequate growing conditions for the pines that you see in the foreground in the photos that I have taken here. The extra hours of sunlight are what helps the smaller pines thrive. It is seen here, in the Yukon and in Alaska as well.