UC scientists taking part in an ecosystem assessment of the Sierra Nevada invite the public to a meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at UC Davis to learn about the detailed picture that has emerged during their analysis. The scientists are participating in the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project, an assessment to aid in preserving the beauty and ecological diversity of the mountain range and the economic stability of those who make a living from it. "This meeting is a chance for the public not only to learn about the project, but to comment on the information we are gathering," says team leader Don C. Erman, a professor and director of the UC Davis-based Centers for Water and Wildland Resources. Topics to be discussed during the meeting include late successional old-growth forest, rangeland, riparian and watershed conditions, vertebrate wildlife diversity and economic conditions. Congress requested the project in 1992, and, in addition to UC's science team, scientists from other institutions and agencies are assisting in the assessment. The meeting will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Freeborn Hall.