on the ground for several months. The diversity of tree species found in this zone make this 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 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 . The character of the Lower Montane Forest changes with latitude. North of Grass Valley, the lower montane forest ranges from , with less ponderosa pine and more Douglas-fir. In 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 , but can range as high as , with ponderosa pine dominating the landscape. Unlike further north, the geology of the southern lower montane forest is dominated by granite. Mid-Montane Forest 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 . Between Tahoe and Yosemite, the forest ranges from , while south of Yosemite, it occurs between . The mid-montane zone has a mixed forest of white fir, 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. Upper Montane Forest The upper montane forest begins at higher elevations near , where 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 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