Shorthair meadows in the high Sierra Nevada...an hypothesis of their development

Abstract

Bands of shorthair meadow are found around lakes in the high Sierra Nevada of California. A hypothesis, based on observations in the Kings Canyon National Park, to explain the development of these meadows is offered: Boulders form the foundation upon which American-laurel, Sierra bilberry, and moss combine to produce thick mats. The lower layers of the mats are gradually converted to acid bog or mucksoil, which becomes in effect the C horizon of soil supporting the shorthair meadow type. Herbaceous plants change the upper layers and, thereby, produce an A horizon and a succession leading to a shorthair climax.

Citation

Ratliff, Raymond D. 1973. Shorthair meadows in the high Sierra Nevada...an hypothesis of their development. Res. Note PSW-RN-281. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 4 p