Mixed conifer forest

Mixed conifer forest is a vegetation type dominated by a mixture of broadleaf trees and conifers. It is generally located in mountains, below the upper montane vegetation type.

In the Sierra Nevada mountain range of the western United States, the mixed conifer forest is found at elevations of 1,200–5,500 feet (370–1,680 m) in the north, 2,000–6,500 feet (610–1,980 m) in central areas, and 2,500–9,000 feet (760–2,740 m) in the south. Characteristic conifers include Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana), Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), White Fir (Abies concolor), Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and Giant Sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) in pockets. Characteristic broadleaved trees include Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii), and understory trees and shrubs, including Canyon Live Oak (Quercus chrysolepis), Dogwood (Cornus spp.), Mountain Misery (Chamaebatia foliolosa), and Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.). Precipitation in areas of this vegetation type is 25–80 inches (640–2,030 mm), much of this falling as snow. Growing season is about seven months, in areas with summer high temperatures of 80–90 °F (27–32 °C), and winter lows of 22–34 °F (−6–1 °C).