Always
moist and usually wet in the spring. You'll find this in areas of
shallow soils where the snowmelt will accumulate in the Sierras,
and Siskiyou Mtns, Transverse range, and occasionally the highest
spots of the coast ranges. At lower elevations this moves into
the grassland mode because it will dry out. This community can
see frost at anytime, is a desert 9 months of winter, and a near
swamp in summer.
Annual precipitation:
Varies
Common Animals:
Mosquitoes, Frogs, tons of butterflies, Flycatchers, Gophers, Meadowlark, Meadow Mouse (lots of small things. Large animals, like humans, will sink into the mud. It looks solid till you go out there...)
Common Plants
Iris missouriensis, Cone-flower (Rudbeckia spp.),Frog Flower Arnica spp., Rush (Juncus spp.), Sedge (Carex spp.), Corm-Lily (Veratrum californicum) Goldenrod (Solidago spp), Willow, salix spp.
Soil
and climate notes:
Commonly hard pan or rock under 1-10 ft. of acidic organic soil. We do not have true peat bogs but some of these are close. (I walked across one time to photograph a Rhododendron in flower and dropped through the crust to my waist. The crust appeared dry and solid.) Other times the area can be a mud hole in spring after the snow melts, followed by a massive flower show.
How to create a mountain meadow in your garden!
It is fairly easy to simulate a mountain meadow in your garden. Most of the plant species that occur in a mountain meadow can tolerate garden water as well as fertility. This is also one of the few California native plant communities that does not prefer mulch. One of the best places to put mountain meadow species is around your lawn edges, in sunny places. In this location you may need to watch out for invasive species.
Mountain Meadows are a plant community found within coniferous forests throughout California. It is very similar to a seasonal marsh. Mountain Meadows are covered by snow in the winter and are abuzz with life in spring. Many forms of wildlife use and require this type of habitat. The surrounding forest provides cover for birds that use the meadow as a source of insects or seeds.
A
Mountain Meadow is formed when an obstacle ( a tree or a road
embankment for example) slows water flow from a creek or normal
drainage area ( kind of like an immature bog). This allows water
to build up behind it. The area is too wet for the conifers to
survive. This area behind the barrier is fairly flat to begin
with. The leaf litter, or duff, mixed with some soil, of the
coniferous forest, floats to the surface. This layer supports,
and is filled with herbaceous herbs that form a solid (looking)
surface. However, the ground is not firm, and under this layer of
duff and herbs is standing or slow -moving water. Because this
layer is so thin, and is basically floating on water, it can be
easily torn apart and damaged, by people or animals walking on
it. Cattle or hikers, curious about what is out there, tear up
this fragile layer supporting plant and animal life. When this
happens, many years go by, before the layer can grow together
again and form a plant community. Another form of a mountain
meadow is where the snow melt drainage is poor, as in low areas,
and trees can't survive and you have a high elevation freshwater
marsh.
You want to see butterfiles? Drive for four hours up into the meadows in July and August or plant some butterfly plants!