Montane meadows in the Sierra Nevada region are inland mineral soil wetlands that provide important habitat for over half of the region’s vertebrate species, are critical components of California’s water infrastructure, and contain high densities of soil carbon. Despite the importance of these keystone ecosystems, they remain understudied, particularly compared with the surrounding forest. This project will address this need by conducting a review of existing literature and developing a synthesis of the state of meadow science. It will also identify gaps in knowledge and opportunities to address these gaps. In addition to identifying key knowledge gaps, this project will leverage two other state-funded research efforts to address an important unknown for climate change adaptation – the long-term persistence of soil C in meadows.
Report Information
CCCA5-CNRA-CCRP-P78
Lead Principal Investigator: Cody Reed
Lead Organization: Point Blue Conservation Science