![]() The areas of Arolla pine have been so reduced that cutting the trees is strictly controlled. Its wood, strongly impregnated with resin, decays very slowly and was formerly prized for use in the construction of chalets. At the upper limits of the forests are hardy species such as the Arolla pine that generally do not grow below the 5,000-foot level this slow-growing tree can live for 350–400 years and in exceptional cases up to 800 years. Better able to resist conditions of cold, lack of moisture, and high winds, larch can grow as high as 8,200 feet and are found interspersed with spruce at lower elevations. For the most part, spruce dominance reaches its upper limit at approximately 7,200 feet in the Western Alps. At higher elevations, however, the largest extent of forest is coniferous spruce, larch, and a variety of pine are the main species. On the valley floors and lower slopes grow a variety of species of deciduous trees these include linden, oak, beech, poplar, elm, chestnut, mountain ash, birch, and Norway maple.
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