| This view of the east shore shows the steep, sparcely vegetated
west side of Crater Lake rim. The rim of Crater Lake caldera approaches
timberline in the Cascade Range. Mountain forests consisting of Douglas
Fir, Engelmann Spruce, and other conifers flourish in the higher elevations of the Cascades. Plants in the higher elevations
are adapted to long winters with deep snow packs. In higher elevations above
timberline, alpine meadows grow between barren rock and perrenial snowfields.
Sagebrush desert dominates lower elevations on the dry east side of the
Cascade Range (NPS, 2001b). |
