Biology is inextricably linked to the physical and chemical dynamics of the Tahoe Basin’s ecosystems. Living organisms respond to changes in climate, nutrients, wildfire, and human activity — and in turn, they shape the environment around them.
At the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC), biology provides the critical link between land and lake. By studying organisms across the Basin — from forest soils to alpine streams, from the nearshore to the deep waters of Lake Tahoe — we connect ecosystem processes across scales and environments. Understanding the health of Tahoe’s living communities allows us to translate physical and chemical measurements into a comprehensive picture of ecosystem change.