Soil Quality Characteristics in High Elevation Riparian Meadows in the Sierra Nevada, California: Relationships to Hydrologic Functionality.

Upper montane and subalpine riparian meadows are crucial to sustaining habitat and water quality and supply across the Western United States. Soils contain two thirds of earth’s terrestrial carbon (C), making it an important component of global C storage. One third to one half of all terrestrial C is found in wetlands. Riparian meadows provide many ecosystem services and their quality can be highly impacted by human uses and management. In this study, montane and subalpine riparian meadows in central Sierra Nevada, California were investigated regarding meadow functionality and C storage. Nineteen meadows were randomly selected to represent a range of hydrologic functionality ratings as determined by the Stanislaus National Forest. The objectives of this study are to characterize and quantify soil C storage in riparian meadows of the central Sierra Nevada and examine restoration potential specifically to increase C storage. This was a cross sectional observational study in which soil physical and chemical characteristics were evaluated and channel characteristics were described for each meadow enrolled in the study. Meadow degradation decreases soil C content suggesting restoration potential. This relationship between hydrologic functionality and soil quality will provide relevant information on C storage and restoration potential in this landscape.