On this weekend field trip, we explored several Alpine Ecosystems throughout the Sierra Nevada including: mixed conifer forests, montane chaparral, montane meadows, alpine lakes and rivers, montane riparian ecosystems, alpine bogs and marshes. We hiked part of the Pacific Crest Trail along the crest of the Sierra Buttes from Packer Saddle at approximately 7,000 ft in elevation to the lookout at the top of the Sierra Buttes at 8,590 ft.
Also, we explored Lake Tahoe one of the deepest lakes in the U.S. We learned how to identify and describe plants and animals in the Alpine Ecosystems, and practiced vegetation sampling methods in montane ecosystems using field equipment for vegetation sampling, collected data for student Ecosystem Projects. Our class had an amazing time learning, working and socializing with each other as we explored Alpine Ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada.