Mountain Meadow

Description

Continuous grazing throughout the entire season will cause species such as tufted hairgrass, mountain brome, red fescue and oatgrass to decline. Species most likely to invade the site are dandelions and introduced forage grasses, especially timothy, redtop and Kentucky bluegrass. Canadian thistle is a troublesome invader in some spots. As the ecological conditions decline, some of the above plants usually become predominant. Several plants, in smaller amounts, natural to the site also increase at the expense of most of the desirable grasses. Typical plants in this category are Baltic rush (mountain rush), iris, common yarrow and cinquefoil. Shrubby cinquefoil or iris often gives the dominant aspect to many deteriorated spots. Sedges on predominantly wet spots retain their position mush longer than plants on slightly drier spots because of the reluctance of livestock to graze in water. Gullies can lower the water table greatly, changing the moisture relationship on sloping ground.

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