In the fruit and vegetable product industry, chlorine is commonly used to remove microbes such as bacteria and mold from produce. In the home, a water wash, either with or without the help of a produce brush, is typically used to clean fruits and vegetables.
57 ALPINE ZONE The alpine zone occurs in high mountain areas where the mean annual precipitation is above 41 inches and the RET is the lowest in the state (Figure 7.6). These areas occur above the upper timber line. The vegeta-tion consists mainly of small cushion plants on rocky slopes.
Alpine tundra occurs in regions above the treeline for the Rocky Mountains, which varies from 12,000 feet (3,700 m) in New Mexico to 2,500 feet (760 m) at the northern end of the Rocky Mountains (near the Yukon). The USGS defines ten forested zones in the Rocky Mountains.