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Sierra Nevada

Ecoregion in Sierra Nevada in CA, NV

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The Sierra Nevada is a mountainous, deeply dissected, and westerly tilting fault block. The central and southern part of the region is largely composed of granitic rocks that are lithologically distinct from the mixed geology of the Klamath Mountains (78) and the volcanic rocks of the Cascades (4). In the northern Sierra Nevada, however, the lithology has some similarities to the Klamath Mountains. A high fault scarp divides the Sierra Nevada from the Northern Basin and Range (80) and Central Basin and Range (13) to the east. Near this eastern fault scarp, the Sierra Nevada reaches its highest elevations. Here, moraines, cirques, and small lakes are common and are products of Pleistocene alpine glaciation. Large areas are above timberline, including Mt. Whitney in California, the highest point in the conterminous United States at nearly 14,500 feet. The Sierra Nevada casts a rain shadow over Ecoregions 13 and 80 to the east. The ecoregion slopes more gently toward the Central California Valley (7) to the west. The vegetation grades from mostly ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir at the lower elevations on the west side, pines and Sierra juniper on the east side, to fir and other conifers at the higher elevations. Alpine conditions exist at the highest elevations. Large areas are publicly-owned federal land, including several national parks.

— EPA

Sarcodes sanguinea SPECIES · “Snowplant”

303 Observations

Sequoiadendron giganteum SPECIES · “Bigtree”, “Sequoia”, “Sierra Redwood”, “Sequoia Gigantea”, “Giant Sequoia”

293 Observations

Lupinus sellulus SPECIES · “Donner Lake Lupine”

270 Observations

Mock Strawberry Potentilla indica (species), “Yellow-Flowered Strawberry”, “Indian Strawberry”, “False Strawberry”

252 Observations

Dusky Onion Allium campanulatum (species)

252 Observations

Mule Deer Odocoileus hemionus (species), “Black-Tailed Deer”, “Cedros Island Black-Tailed Deer”, “Cedros Island Mule Deer”

244 Observations

Pseudacris sierra SPECIES

179 Observations

Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel Callospermophilus lateralis (species)

149 Observations

American Pika Ochotona princeps (species), “Cony”, “Little Chief Hare”, “Rock Rabbit”, “Whistling Hare”

140 Observations

American Black Bear Ursus americanus (species), “Black Bear”

131 Observations

Steller's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri (species), “Steller's Blue Jay”

92,096 Observations

Dark-Eyed Junco Junco hyemalis (species)

85,813 Observations

Mountain Chickadee Poecile gambeli (species), “Parus Gambelli”

83,433 Observations

American Robin Turdus migratorius (species)

77,524 Observations

Common Raven Corvus corax (species), “Raven”, “Northern Raven”

68,465 Observations

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (species)

105 Observations

Hippodamia convergens SPECIES · “Convergent Lady Beetle”

91 Observations

Limenitis bredowii SPECIES

84 Observations

Occidryas chalcedona SPECIES

69 Observations

Papilio eurymedon SPECIES · “Pale Tiger Swallowtail”

64 Observations

Letharia vulpina SPECIES · “Wolf Lichen”

59 Observations

Cryptoporus volvatus SPECIES

38 Observations

Letharia columbiana SPECIES · “Wolf Lichen”, “Brown-Eyed Wolf Lichen”

34 Observations

Neolentinus ponderosus SPECIES

32 Observations

Caloscypha fulgens SPECIES · “Dazzling Cup”

18 Observations

Taxonomy

Classified As

Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada