nival
Nival is an adjective used in geography, geology, glaciology, and ecology to describe features, processes, or life associated with snow, especially persistent or permanent snow in mountain regions or polar areas. The term ultimately derives from the Latin nivis, meaning snow, and entered scientific usage through European languages in the 18th to 19th centuries.
In physical geography and climatology, the nival zone refers to the portion of a landscape where snow
In ecology, nival flora and fauna denote organisms adapted to severe, cold conditions with short growing seasons.
The term is chiefly employed in academic contexts across earth science disciplines and is used to describe