mt taranaki/egmont is a volcano with symetrical sides that steepen with height. it is 2517 metres above sea level with different features. the top 1/3 is an alpine landscape of scree and past lava flows which is often covered by snow and ice in the winter months, there is no soil. the middle 1/3 includes mosses, grasses and small alpine plants, there is a small amount of soil. the bottom 1/3 is thick native forest that is progressivly smaller in height with altitude, there is fertile soil here. outside the circular national park is farmland with flat to rolling relief that features fertile soils from past volcanic eruptions.the climate is temperate at about 15-25 degrees celcius lowering 6 degrees per 1000 metres. the summers are warm and dry and the winters are cold and wet with a very changeable climate especially at higher altitudes.
