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52-828: High Sierra may refer to: Places [ edit ] High Sierra (biome) , a region of California Sierra Nevada (U.S.) , a mountain range in California also called the High Sierra or High Sierras High Sierra Trail , which crosses the Sierra Nevada Arts, entertainment, and media [ edit ] High Sierra (film) , 1941 High Sierra Music Festival , held in Quincy, California since 1991 John Muir's High Sierra , an Oscar-nominated short documentary Computing and technology [ edit ] High Sierra Format ,

104-545: A foothill woodland community of blue oak and gray pine , and chaparral . Many of the plant communities are similar to those found on the inner California Coast Ranges . Animals typical of this zone include black bear , ringtail cat , coyote , gray squirrel , bobcat , California mule deer , and skunk . In the foothills of the northern portion of the Sierra Nevada, toyon and chamise often co-dominate certain open serpentine chaparral communities. Beginning near

156-422: A CD-ROM filesystem developed in 1986 macOS High Sierra , an operating system for Apple computers Other uses [ edit ] High Sierra , an American outdoor brand owned by luggage manufacturer Samsonite International See also [ edit ] Sierra mountains (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with

208-581: A beautiful and interesting forest to explore. The indicator species for the lower montane forest are the ponderosa pine and the Jeffrey pine : the ponderosa pine generally occurs on the west side of the Sierra, while the Jeffrey pine occurs on the east. The lower montane forests also include trees such as California black oak , sugar pine , incense-cedar , and white fir . Animals that may be found in this zone include

260-488: A mixed forest of white fir , Coast Douglas-fir , ponderosa pine , Jeffrey pine , live oak , black oak , and tanoak , depending on location. North of Tahoe, the mid-montane forest has more white fir and Douglas-fir, and less ponderosa pine than further south. Jeffrey pine occurs on ultramafic lava soils. In Yosemite and points south, giant sequoia occurs in wetter locations. The upper montane forest begins at higher elevations near 7,000 feet (2,100 m), where

312-720: A predominantly Mediterranean climate , and are primarily within the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion . However, the moister areas of the Santa Cruz Mountains lie within the Northern California coastal forests ecoregion, characterized by forests of Coast redwood . Isolated groves of Coast redwoods are also found in the Big Sur region of the Santa Lucia Range, making them the southernmost natural occurrences of

364-465: A smaller role, and so the needle miner assumes greater importance in lodgepole pine forest population dynamics in the Sierra Nevada. However, Rocky Mountain lodgepole forest dynamics are also heavily influenced by insect outbreaks, primarily bark beetles. There are at least 1,300 vascular plant species in the Sierra Nevada, along with numerous bryophytes and lichens . There are at least 450 species of vertebrate animals. A total of 135 plant species in

416-737: A transform fault system. During 1877, these deposits hit their peak production of mercury, producing approximately 2,776 metric tons (3,060 short tons). These abandoned mines are still a source of mine waste runoff in Cache Creek and other downstream bodies of water. The Northern Coast Ranges are a section of the California Coast Ranges. They run parallel to the Pacific Coast from the North San Francisco Bay Area to coastal Del Norte County . The Klamath Mountains , including

468-977: Is an insect , endemic to the upper Tuolumne and Merced River watersheds of Yosemite National Park and one small headwaters drainage of the San Joaquin River ( Sierra National Forest ). It lives mostly within the needles of lodgepole pine for two years, emerging as a little gray moth for a few weeks in July of odd-numbered years. This keeps any predators from becoming effective control agents and allows populations to escalate rapidly. While regular prehistoric outbreaks of lodgepole needle miners have been confirmed through dendrochronology , historic records document outbreaks from 1903 to 1921, 1933 to 1941, and 1947 to 1963. Extensive stands of " ghost forest " and jackstrawed trees are still conspicuous throughout Sierra Nevada. Annual monitoring of lodgepole needle miner density began in 1966, and 28 permanent plots are scattered north of

520-455: Is determined by the harsh climate, with extensive snow and wind. In addition, soils are thin and nutrient-poor. Due to these harsh conditions, vegetation grows slowly and at low temperatures. In addition, the stressful environment suppress species competition and promotes mutualism . The marginal conditions make the Sierra Nevada subalpine zone sensitive to environmental changes, such as climate change and pollution . South of Bridgeport ,

572-405: Is easily distinguished as it is above the tree line . No trees grow in this zone due to the harsh climatic conditions. Short, cool summers with long, cold, and snowy winters are typical at these elevations. Many exposed granitic outcroppings, talus slopes, and boulder fields limit the amount of vegetation that grows here. The herbaceous plants need to flower and produce their seeds quickly during

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624-530: Is not enough precipitation to support trees. The zones below this elevation are the Sagebrush Scrub Zone, Saltbush Scrub Zone, and the Alkali Sink Zone. These zones are distinguished by soil salinity . Yosemite National Park has documented more than 130 non-native plant species within park boundaries. These non-native plants were introduced into Yosemite following the migration of early settlers in

676-482: Is replaced by a Pinyon - Juniper Woodland Zone, characterized by single-leaf pinyon pines and sierra junipers . The underbrush contains big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ) and blackbrush ( Coleogyne ramosissima ). Jeffrey pines may occur along streams. Notable animals in this zone include the pinyon jay and the desert bighorn sheep . The Pinyon-Juniper Woodland Zone extends down to 5,000 feet (1,500 m) elevation. Below 5,000 feet (1,500 m), there

728-471: The California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, home to a number of plant communities including: mixed evergreen forest ; oak woodland ; and Interior chaparral and woodland . A major specific plant community of the inner ranges is Mediterranean California Lower Montane Black Oak-Conifer Forest , which supports particularly high biodiversity within the California Coast Ranges, including the nominate California Black Oak . Columbian Black-tailed Deer are

780-1065: The Cathedral Range . The current outbreak began in 1973 and has been sweeping around the south side of the Cathedral Range, arriving at Sunrise High Sierra Camp in 2001. The Ghost Forest which was evident at the crest between Tenaya Lake and Tuolumne Meadows in the late 1970s was noticeably reforested by 2000. Lodgepole needle miner defoliation currently extends over approximately 40,000 acres (160 km ), with nearly 10,000 acres (40 km ) of low to high mortality each year. While lightning fires are frequent in lodgepole pine communities, they usually remain small, with estimated fire return intervals at Yosemite National Park that are long (relative to most other forest types). Thus, fire suppression activities are thought to have had little influence upon species composition , structure, fuels, and natural processes in lodgepole forests. Also, in comparison with Rocky Mountains lodgepole pine forests, fire plays

832-909: The East San Francisco Bay Area , and run south into Santa Barbara County . The Transverse Ranges lie to the south. The San Joaquin Valley is on the east, and Pacific Ocean on the west. The Southern Coast Ranges include the Berkeley Hills , the Diablo Range , the Santa Cruz Mountains , the Gabilan Range , the Santa Lucia Range and Sierra de Salinas , the Temblor Range , and the Sierra Madre . There are Outer Southern Coast Ranges along

884-676: The King Range , which meet the sea in the " Lost Coast " region. The southernmost peak of the Northern Coast Ranges is Mount Tamalpais . The highest point in the Northern Coast Ranges is Mount Linn , at 8,098 ft. (2,468 m). The Northern Coast Ranges consist of two main parallel belts of mountains, the Outer Northern Coast Ranges lying along the coast, and the Inner Northern Coast Ranges running inland to

936-674: The Siskiyou Mountains sub-range, lie to the north and northeast. The Southern Coast Ranges lie to the south. The Northern Coast Ranges run north–south parallel to the coast. Component ranges within the Northern Coast Ranges include the Mendocino Range of western Mendocino County and the Mayacamas , Sonoma , and Vaca Mountains and the Marin Hills of the North Bay . They also include

988-573: The Spanish word chaparro , applied to California scrub oaks and Coastal scrub oaks . Common tree species of oak woodlands include oaks, California bay , and buckeye . Riparian species of the coast ranges include sycamore , white alder , willows , and bigleaf maple . Columbian Black-tailed deer occupy the northern and more coastal portions of the Southern Coast Ranges, and California mule deer occupy inland and southernmost portions of

1040-663: The Transverse Ranges , Peninsular Ranges and the Klamath Mountains . Physiographically , they are a section of the larger Pacific Border province , which in turn is part of the larger Pacific Mountain System physiographic division. UNESCO has included the " California Coast Ranges Biosphere Reserve " in its Man and the Biosphere Programme of World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 1983. The northern end of

1092-551: The dark-eyed junco , mountain chickadee , western gray squirrel , mule deer , and American black bear . The endangered Yosemite toad is found in montane forests of the central Sierra Nevada, at elevations of 4,790 to 11,910 feet (1,460 to 3,630 m). The character of the Lower Montane Forest changes with latitude. North of Grass Valley , the lower montane forest ranges from 2,000 to 4,000 feet (600 to 1,200 m), with less ponderosa pine and more Douglas-fir . In

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1144-526: The hermit thrush , dusky grouse ( Dendragapus obscurus ), great grey owl , golden-mantled ground squirrel , and (more rarely) the marten . Upper montane forests may be viewed from the Tioga Pass Road east of Crane Flat , Glacier Point Road, and State Route 108 . The elevation of the upper montane zone shifts with latitude: it occurs from 6,000 to 8,000 feet (1,800 to 2,400 m) north of Yosemite, and 7,000 to 9,000 feet (2,100 to 2,700 m) to

1196-911: The riparian habitats found on the banks of numerous streams and rivers. The Sierra contains three major types of wetland: Each of these types of wetlands varies in geographic distribution, duration of saturation, vegetation community, and overall ecosystem function. All three types of wetlands provide rich habitat for plant and animal species, delay and store seasonal floodwaters, minimize downstream erosion , and improve water quality. Riverine wetlands are found within river and stream channels and are strongly influenced by seasonal runoff patterns. When inundated, riverine wetlands provide habitat for water-tolerant plants such as willows , and aquatic animals such as tadpoles and immature fish . Lacustrine wetlands generally occur on river floodplains and along lakeshores and are influenced by seasonal variations in groundwater levels. These wetlands are rare in

1248-593: The yellow-bellied marmot , and the endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep . This zone can be viewed up close by hiking or climbing into the high elevations of the Sierra. The four highest eastern biotic zones are the same as the western zones, but at a higher elevation, due to less precipitation . The elevation of these zones in the Central Sierra are: In the Owens Valley , the Foothill Woodland Zone

1300-518: The 1970s the United States has made substantial progress toward protecting and restoring wetland habitats. All federal land in the Sierra Nevada complies with a 1990 Presidential Executive Order that mandates ' no net loss ' of wetlands, and requires federal agencies to map and protect all existing wetlands. In 1996 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service delineated and classified some of

1352-458: The 3,000-foot (900 m) elevation, the hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters of the Mediterranean climate give rise to the lower montane forest zone . This zone is also known as the yellow pine forest zone. The accumulation of several feet of snow during the winter is not uncommon and can stay on the ground for several months. The diversity of tree species found in this zone make this

1404-568: The California Coast Ranges overlap the southern end of the Klamath Mountains for approximately 80 miles (130 km) on the west. They extend southward for more than 60 miles (97 km) to where the coastline turns eastward along the Santa Barbara Channel , around the area of Point Conception . Here the southern end meets the Los Angeles Transverse Ranges , or Sierras de los Angeles . The rocks themselves that comprise

1456-720: The National Park Service. Four state-listed rare plant species are considered restricted and limited throughout all or a significant portion of their range, and may represent disjunct populations at the extreme end of their range: Endangered or threatened species of animals that occur in the Sierra Nevada include: Wetlands in the Sierra Nevada occur in valley bottoms throughout the range, and are often hydrologically linked to nearby lakes and rivers through seasonal flooding and groundwater movement. Meadow habitats , distributed at elevations from 3,000 to 11,000 feet (910 to 3,350 m), are generally wetlands, as are

1508-651: The Pacific Ocean on the west, and Inner Southern Coast Ranges to the east, inland to the San Joaquin Valley . The central and southern San Francisco Bay and the Salinas Valley lie between them. The highest point of the Southern Coast Ranges is Junipero Serra Peak in the Santa Lucia Range, at 5,862 feet (1,787 m). Other peaks include Mount Diablo at 3,849 feet (1,173 m), and Mount Hamilton at 4,196 feet (1,279 m). The Southern Coast Ranges have

1560-522: The Sierra Nevada have status as Threatened, Endangered, or Sensitive Plants that are Federal species of concern (former Category 2 species) under the Federal Endangered Species Act include: Although Category 2 was abolished in 1996, species of concern refers to those species that might be declining or be in need of concentrated conservation actions to prevent decline. Therefore, these six species continue to be evaluated and managed by

1612-401: The east lies in the rain shadow of the crest. The plants and animals in the east are thus adapted to much drier conditions. The altitudes listed for the biotic zones are for the central Sierra Nevada. The climate across the north–south axis of the range varies somewhat: the boundary elevations of the biotic zones move by as much as 1,000 feet (300 m) from the north end to the south end of

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1664-630: The east. They are separated by a long system of valleys. The northern valley portion is drained by the Eel River and its tributaries, and the southern by the Russian River . A series of short rivers, including the Mattole , Gualala , and Navarro rivers, drain the western slopes of the ranges. The eastern slopes of the ranges drain into the Sacramento Valley . Clear Lake lies in the southeast portion of

1716-563: The endemic Santa Lucia Fir , the rarest species of fir on earth. The California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion has a great range of plant communities in the Southern Coast Ranges, including mixed evergreen forests , oak woodland and savannas , grasslands , northern coastal scrub , and the Monterey Pine woodlands of the Monterey Peninsula and two other coastal enclaves of the Santa Lucia Range. The name " chaparral " comes from

1768-401: The late 1850s. Natural and human -caused disturbances, such as wildland fires and construction activities, have contributed to a rapid increase in the spread of non-native plants. A number of these species aggressively invade and displace the native plant communities, resulting in impacts on the park's resources. Non-native plants can bring about significant changes in park ecosystems by altering

1820-458: The middle Sierra, south to the Merced River , the lower montane forest has the same elevation, but precipitation decreases and the forest mixes with chaparral. In the southern Sierra, the lower montane forest occurs between 3,000 to 5,000 feet (900 to 1,500 m), but can range as high as 6,000 feet (1,800 m), with ponderosa pine dominating the landscape. Unlike further north, the geology of

1872-574: The montane climate is characterized by short, moist, cool summers and cold, wet winters. Snow begins to fall in November and may accumulate to depths up to 6 feet (1.8 m) and remain until June. Pure stands of red fir and lodgepole pine (the indicator species) are typical of this forest. Jeffrey pine , which has bark that smells like vanilla , and the picturesque western juniper can also be found in this zone. Wildflowers bloom in meadows from June through August. Common animals in this zone include

1924-607: The most widespread large mammal, after humans, of the Northern Coast Ranges. The rivers in the ranges are home to several species of salmon . The Southern Coast Ranges , of the California Coast Ranges in the Pacific Coast Ranges System, run north and south, parallel to the Pacific Coast in north-central through north-southern California. The Southern Coast Ranges begin on the San Francisco Peninsula and in

1976-455: The mountain range, but support an abundance of warm-water loving plant and animal species. Palustrine wetlands are typically distinguished from riverine and lacustrine systems by the presence of very dense covers of trees, shrubs, or emergent plants. This wetland type includes wet meadows , densely vegetated riparian habitats, and shallow ponds . They provide cover and forage for wildlife traveling between upland and aquatic habitats. Since

2028-455: The mountains are of a great variety and widely varying geologic ages. Most of the rocks were formed during the Tertiary , Cretaceous and Jurassic periods. Most were deposited on the sea bottom as sediments, but in many places also had cracks, crevices and other gaps infused with molten lava or other masses of igneous rock , which were forced in molten condition into the sedimentary rocks. All of

2080-404: The native plant communities and the processes that support them. Some non-native species may cause an increase in the fire frequency of an area or increase the available nitrogen in the soil that may allow more non-native plants to become established. Many non-native species, such as yellow starthistle ( Centaurea solstitialis ), are able to produce a long tap root that allows them to out-compete

2132-615: The native plants for available water. Bull thistle ( Cirsium vulgare ), common mullein ( Verbascum thapsus ), and Klamath weed ( Hypericum perforatum ) have been identified as noxious pests in Yosemite since the 1940s. Additional species that have been recognized more recently as aggressive and requiring control are yellow starthistle, sweet clovers ( Melilotus spp.), Himalayan blackberry ( Rubus discolor ), cut-leaved blackberry ( Rubus laciniatus ) and periwinkle ( Vinca major ). The lodgepole needle miner ( Coleotechnites milleri )

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2184-724: The past. Most recently in Yosemite Valley, the Cook's Meadow restoration project involved filling old drainage ditches that were draining the meadow and removing an old roadbed that was inhibiting water flow. These actions are currently being monitored with vegetation transects and mapping of surface water to determine how successful the project was in restoring the wetland. California Coast Ranges The Coast Ranges of California span 400 miles (644 km) from Del Norte or Humboldt County, California , south to Santa Barbara County . The other three coastal California mountain ranges are

2236-538: The range has been folded and faulted during several periods, with erosion of the softer rock giving much of the current appearance. The California Ranges had a high production of mercury following the discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada . In the Cache Creek Basin , Cenozoic cinnabar deposits near Clear Lake are the northernmost of a group of similar deposits associated with volcanism and migration of

2288-464: The range, and drains eastward via Cache Creek . U.S. Route 101 runs generally north–south in the valleys between the Outer and Inner Northern Coast Ranges. The seaward face of the coastal Outer Northern Coast Ranges is part of the Northern California coastal forests ecoregion, home to lush forests of Coast Redwood and Coast Douglas-fir . The inland and dryer Inner Northern Coast Ranges are part of

2340-495: The range. The lowest-elevation biotic zone in the Sierra Nevada is found along the boundary with the Central Valley . This zone, stretching in elevation from 500 to 3,500 feet (150 to 1,070 m), is the foothill woodland zone , an area that is hot and dry in the summer with very little or no snow in the winter. The foothills are vegetated with grasslands of mostly non-native grasses, mixed grasslands and woodlands savanna ,

2392-568: The short, frost-free period of summer. Flora includes cushion plants , grasses, willows, and sedges . The macrolichen flora in the Sierra Nevada alpine zone is not well developed as compared to neighboring alpine zones in the Rocky Mountains and mountains of the Pacific Northwest . Some animal species that are adapted to this zone include the American pika , Belding's ground squirrel ,

2444-631: The south. The upper montane forest is replaced by the subalpine forest near 9,000 feet (2,700 m), where the climate is cooler with an even shorter growing season due to long, cold, and snowy winters. Accumulations of three to nine feet (1 to 2.5 m) of snow are typical. The most common tree in the subalpine forest is the whitebark pine . The western white pine , mountain hemlock , and lodgepole pine are also found in this forest with many subalpine meadows that flower from July through August. Many species live in, or are transient in, this zone, including Clark's nutcracker . The vegetation and ecology

2496-467: The southern lower montane forest is dominated by granite. The mid-montane forest grows on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada at moderate elevations. North of Lake Tahoe , the mid-montane forest occurs from 3,000 to 6,000 feet (900 to 1,800 m). Between Tahoe and Yosemite, the forest ranges from 4,000 to 6,000 feet (1,200 to 1,800 m), while south of Yosemite, it occurs between 5,000 to 7,000 feet (1,500 to 2,100 m). The mid-montane zone has

2548-600: The species. Some of the rarest forest habitat that occurs in the California Coast Ranges are the Maritime Coast Range Ponderosa Pine forests of the western Santa Cruz Mountains. These isolated groves may include Ponderosa pine , Douglas fir , and knobcone pine . Notably, the highest slopes of the Santa Lucias contain small patches of Sierran Conifer forest, including incense cedar , and ponderosa, Jeffrey, and sugar pines . Steep rocky slopes harbor

2600-407: The subalpine forest ranges from 9,000 to 11,000 feet (2,700 to 3,400 m) of elevation and contains foxtail pines , while to the north, the subalpine forest ranges from 8,000 to 10,000 feet (2,400 to 3,000 m) and the foxtail pine is absent. The alpine zone begins near 10,500 feet (3,200 m) elevation (in the southern Sierra) and near 9,000 feet (2,700 m) (in the north). This zone

2652-566: The title High Sierra . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=High_Sierra&oldid=1251061899 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages High Sierra (biome) The western and eastern Sierra Nevada have substantially different species of plants and animals, because

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2704-531: The wetlands of the Sierra Nevada, including all of Yosemite National Park. This was performed through an analysis of aerial photographs and topographic maps , as a part of the National Wetlands Inventory Web Site (NWI). The NWI maps have not been rigorously ground-truthed and only delineate wetlands larger than 5 acres (2 ha) in size. The National Park Service restores to natural conditions wetlands that have been drained or filled in

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