Mountain Meadows

Mountain meadows- where clouds of flowers can transport the human occupant to a state of nirvana, which enveloped my comrades and I on a recent hike in the Bear River Range of Northern Utah. I’ve experienced similar moments on many occasions from top to bottom of our meadowed state- Cedar Breaks National Monument, Mt. Timpanogos, Albion Basin in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Snow Basin, Uintah’s, Tony Grove – an endless list of bliss.

Beyond the rapture and pure joy they provide, mountain meadows are critical ecosystems- biological hotspots. They are home to unique communities of plants that cannot survive under the forest canopy. Deer and elk depend on them for forage. Predatory birds, unimpeded by trees, use meadows for hunting grounds. And a diversity of butterflies, moths, and insects rely on meadow flowers for pollen and nectar. Meadows provide an important breeding ground for insects), a key food source for many birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Meadow plants also provide food and habitat for small mammals providing an important prey base for predators.

A healthy meadow has a diverse mosaic of habitats with wet meadow and riparian vegetation. Surface water flow from snowmelt spreads out across the meadow, allowing sediment deposition. A high ground water table that is fed from snowmelt percolates down allowing stream channels to flow later in the summer. By holding the water in the mountains, the risk of valley flooding is reduced significantly. Our water delivery systems are dependent on the role that meadows play in maintaining this flow.

The health of meadows can be degraded however, where activities interrupt or alter the natural flow and percolation of water within the meadow. Mountain meadows have a short growing season with relatively shallow soil and may be very sensitive to even small changes in water availability. An unhealthy meadow is one in which the natural storage of water is reduced, the groundwater table is lowered, wetland vegetation is replaced by xeric vegetation; stream channels are incised with increased sediment transport; and soils are compacted. Another threat results from forest encroachment due to climate change and mismanagement of fire and livestock grazing.

Other human-induced factors may include trampling, roads, non-native plants, altered fire regimes, air pollutants and altered precipitation (especially the timing and amount of snowmelt). Further, identifying roads and trails that intercept, divert, or disrupt natural surface and subsurface water flow allows meadow remediation to occur.

I’ve spent many hours recreating and working in meadows from the European Alps (alps meaning mountain meadow) to the Peruvian Andes, which has vastly heightened my appreciation for these mountain jewels. None have surpassed those in our Utah highlands for unadulterated splendor! So, consider adding a meadow visit to your calendar!

This is Jack Greene for Bridgerland Audubon Society, and I’m wild about wild Utah mountain meadows!

Credits:

Images: Courtesy US FWS, USDA Forest Service and US NPS. All photographers acknowledged with images
Featured Audio: Courtesy & Copyright © Kevin Colver, https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections/kevin-colver and Anderson, Howe, Wakeman.
Text:     Jack Greene, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading Links: Jack Greene & Lyle Bingham, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading:

Wild About Utah Pieces by Jack Greene, https://wildaboututah.org/author/jack/

A few mountain meadows with campgrounds in Utah:
Wetlands in Utah, Utah Geologic Survey, Utah Department of Natural Resources, State of Utah, https://geology.utah.gov/water/wetlands/wetlands-in-utah/

Christmas Meadows Campground, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, USDA Forest Service, US Department of the Interior, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/uwcnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=9129
also Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232029

Big Meadows, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, USDA Forest Service, US Department of the Interior, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/uwcnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=9045
also Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/poi/247198

Ledgefork, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, USDA Forest Service, US Department of the Interior, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/uwcnf/recarea/?recid=9416
also Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/231939