Sierra Nevada

1. Sierra Nevada Tracy Avila Nancy Landaverde Lynette Mejia Denise Vera (Group 06)

2. Climate • A.     Dry/ Desert Climate • B.      Temperate/ Mediterranean Climate • C.      Boreal/ Micro-thermal(cold) Climate • D.     Polar/ Alpine Climate

3. Dry /Desert Climates • These are arid regions where annual evaporation exceeds annual precipitation. There are two categories: Semi-arid Steppe: • 1.) Hot Steppe a) Climate - The precipitation is about half of potential evaporation. On the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada the climate zone forms a narrow strip. It also forms a same strip on the western edge of the southern Sierra. The climate of this relates to a hot desert climate the only exception is that it is a bit cooler and has a tad more precipitation. b) Altitude Range - The East Side altitude range of a hot steppe starts from 3, 500-5,000 ft. The West Side altitude range is not more than 500 ft. c) Vegetation - In the East Side of Sierra Nevada common plants are known to be Joshua tree shrub and Creosote scrubs. The Joshua tree has green foliage and white flowers, with a mixture of fruits or seeds that are always black. When the Joshua tree blooms in the spring it is the most attractive. The Creosote shrub is approximately 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide. The color of the shrub is evergreen and it is drought tolerant.  

4. Dry /Desert Climates cont. 2.) Cool Steppe a) Climate - The precipitation is about half of potential evaporation. In the eastern slopes of Sierra Nevada the climate zone forms a narrow strip, with an average temperature of 32°F in the coldest month of the year. b) Altitude Range - The altitude range of a cool steppe climate is approximately 5,000-7,000 ft. c) Vegetation - Just like the hot steppe climate, its vegetation also includes the Joshua tree shrub in the southern side of Sierra Nevada. Another most common vegetation in Sierra Nevada is known as pinyon-juniper woodland.

5. Dry /Desert Climates cont. Hot Desert: a) Climate - Precipitation is less than half of potential evaporation. The eastern base of the Sierra Nevada is touched by the climate zone of the Mojave Desert. The hot desert climate is described by extremely hot summers and dry mild winters. The average temperature of the warmest month of the year is less than 82.4°F. b) Altitude Range -The altitude range of a hot desert climate is approximately below 3, 500 ft. c) Vegetation - In the Mojave Desert creosote shrubs is typical vegetation in the hot desert climate. These bushes are considered the world’s oldest living things. Some are as old as 11,500 years old.

6. Temperate/Mediterranean Climates • This region consists of a hot and a cool Mediterranean climate. 1.)Hot Summer Mediterranean a) Climate -During the summer time the temperature is very hot and dry. The warmest month of the year averages at 71.6°F. During the winter time there is very little snow in the climate zone, and it is very mild. b) Altitude Range -The altitude range in hot summer Mediterranean climate is 2,000-3,000 ft. from Valley floor. c) Vegetation -The most common vegetation from this climate is the blue oak, digger pine, and chaparral zone of Sierra Nevada.

7. Temperate/Mediterranean Climates continued 2.) Cool Summer Mediterranean a) Climate - The climate in cool summer Mediterranean is characterized by a pleasant dry summer with the warmest month only reaching nothing more than 71.6°F. Precipitation in the winter consists of a mixture of rain and snow. b) Altitude Range - The altitude range of a cool Summer Mediterranean starts from 2,000-3,000 ft. and can reach up to 6-7,000 ft. c) Vegetation -The most common plants during cool summer Mediterranean are incense cedar and sugar pine. In the lower area of the zone black oak is most popular, but in higher regions the most popular is the white fir.

8. Boreal/ Micro-thermal (cold) Climate • In the boreal climate there is a severely heavy amount of snowfall. It is characterized by severe winters with the coldest month being less than 26.6°F, but the warmest month is nothing below 50°F. 1.) Lower Boreal a) Climate - During lower boreal climate there are cold, snowy winters, whereas in the summers they are pleasant dry. The average temperature of four warmest months is less than 50°F. b) Altitude Range - The altitude range of a boreal climate is above 6-7,000 ft, and 9-10,000 near the timber line. c) Vegetation - Western regions of this climate have a vegetation of sugar pine, white fir, and ponderosa pine. On the eastern side of the Sierra the most popular plant is the Jeffery pine.  

9. Boreal/ Micro-thermal (cold) Climate continued • 2.) Upper Boreal a) Climate - In upper boreal the climate during winter is very cold and snowy, but in the summers there is a cool, dry temperature. Less than four months have an average temperature of 50°F, whereas the warmest month is not higher than 71.6°F. b) Altitude Range - The altitude range of an upper boreal climate is 9,000-10,000 ft. near the timber line. c) Vegetation- Vegetation in this climate is limber pine and whitebark pine, but along the timber line there are treeless alpine.

10. Polar/ Alpine Climate a) Climate - In a polar climate it is always cool in the summer and during the winter time it is even colder. The warmest month only reached 50°F, and that was still severely cold. b) Altitude Range - The altitude range of polar climate is typically above 12,000 ft. c) Vegetation -The most common vegetation during this climate are bare rocks and alpine tundra.